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Masks And Social Distance Affect Memorial Day Events; Students In Several Countries Return To Changed Schools; Two Dams Breach In The Great Lakes State
Aired May 26, 2020 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Back online after the Memorial Day holiday, this is CNN 10 and I`m Carl Azuz. It`s good to see you. We have a report on
Memorial Day coming up in today`s show.
While summer in the northern hemisphere doesn`t officially start until June 20th, Memorial Day is seen as the unofficial beginning of the season. And
with warmer weather descending on much of the United States, people were out and about packing beaches in some places as they reopened.
A lot of folks were seen without masks and apparently ignoring social distancing rules and Americans were cautioned not to let their guard down.
The White House`s Coronavirus Task Force coordinator says wearing masks is crucial to keep the disease from spreading.
They help prevent droplets from someone`s sneeze or cough from reaching other people. One question submitted to CNN is about whether you can catch
COVID-19 by going to the pool. The Centers for Disease Control says a pool or hot tub that`s well maintained and disinfected is not likely to carry
the virus from one person to another.
So you probably won`t get it from the water. Health officials say you can still catch it from other people there, so they`re advising Americans to
stay at least six feet away from others even at the pool.
Different nations have different levels of coronavirus cases. The U.S. has confirmed the most with more than 1.6 million positive diagnoses since the
disease first arrived. Brazil and Russia have each confirmed more than 300,000 cases and the United Kingdom and Spain have each seen more than
200,000.
Nations are also at different stages when it comes to their responses. To reopen or not to reopen, that is the question many are asking and when
restrictions should be lifted. That is the challenge many are facing. Fred Pleitgen gives us an idea on how different schools around the world are
cautiously welcoming students back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It looks almost like a normal school break at the School of Copenhagen except for the police tape
dividing the school yard. Just one of many measures meant to keep kids from bunching up and preventing the spread of the coronavirus, the head of
Secondary Education says.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you follow the guidelines given. If you keep distance. If you make sure to wash your hands, keep sanitizing, coughing in
your sleeve and not in your hand and so on and so forth. I think we`ll be safe.
PLEITGEN: Denmark started reopening schools more than a month ago and so far new coronavirus cases in the country haven`t spiked the government
says. What`s surprising, neither students nor teachers wear masks. Instead they keep distance and wash hands and sanitize very often.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a bit challenging but you - - you get used to it after a time.
PLEITGEN: It`s a different picture in South Korea. Children there not only wear masks, some are seated behind plexiglass dividers to prevent
infections. Still, the country`s shutdown dozens of schools after two kids tested positive. Even the first major coronavirus epicenter, Wuhan, China
brought kids back two weeks ago.
Here to, masks are mandatory and the school`s president says other strict measures have been taken. We rearranged the facilities on the campus to
ensure each class has its own restroom, he says. It`s own boiled water room and it`s own alternative classroom.
France reopened schools last week but has already had to shut some down again after recording dozens of coronavirus cases. Still France`s education
minister says he believes the kids are doing their part. The pupils understand the social distancing rules, he says.
The wearing of masks and in some cases they show the way including for adults because they understand what`s at stake. Denmark says it hopes to
have all students back in school next week but physical distancing rules mean they don`t have space for them all. So they are getting creative,
moving some classes into local churches and even the church graveyard.
All to try to ensure children can have their lessons even in times of pandemic. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: What the U.S. observes as Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It began at the time of the U.S. Civil War when mourners
decorated the graves of people who`d fallen in battle.
The name of the event was changed to Memorial Day after World War I. It became a time to remember troops who`d been lost in every U.S. conflict and
it`s now celebrated on the third Monday in May. One of several Federal holidays held on a Monday to give workers a long weekend.
In normal times parades are held. Thousands gather for public events that remember America`s fallen servicemen and women. The president lays a wreath
at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
That`s at Arlington NationalCemetery in Virginia and that somber ceremony was held as planned on Monday. But there are a number of Memorial Day
traditions that look very different in the coronavirus era.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The flag that covers the casket is no longer handed to the next of kin. Instead, it`s gently laid on a table next to the grave at
Arlington National Cemetery. Solemn funeral honors adjusted in the age of coronavirus to pay tribute to decorated World War II veteran Robert Belch
(ph).
Here, everyone wears masks even the rifle platoon. Captain Doug Rohde has been back from Iraq for just eight months. He now performs ceremonial
duties for the Army`s Old Guard Unit here.
CAPTAIN DOUG ROHDE, ARMY`S OLD GUARD: It means a lot to me that we can still be there for the families even though, you know, we`re dealing with a
lot as a country right now.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The new reality, only 10 family or friends are allowed graveside. As few troops as possible perform funeral honors. Distance is
kept. Masks are worn. But still the same dignity and respect at every funeral, even with the changes.
Even as with this Memorial Day, Arlington`s open only to families of those buried here. Specialist Joseph Gorgas is part of the Army`s Elite Caisson
Platoon. The unit that carries those killed on the battlefield, elderly veterans and presidents of the United States.
SPECIALIST JOSEPH GORGAS, ARMY`S ELITE CAISSON PLATOON: Since COVID-19 has started, we have gone from conducting 40 missions as a platoon a week to
zero.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The horses that pull the caissons still are on duty. But with extra troops required to do it right the caissons are not being
used to limit the number of people interacting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. What is the only U.S. state made up of two peninsulas? Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan or New York. The only states
that borders four of the Great Lakes and has two peninsulas is Michigan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dams are stable at this time. We`re just waiting for the water to crest and we`re assessing what damages we have and we have
been assisting people with sheltering.
GOVERNOR GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): To go through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unthinkable. But we are here and to the best of
our ability we`re going to navigate this together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: To very loosely quote Johnny Nash, I can see clearly now, thanks to my bionic eye. Not how the song went but this is how the science is going.
According to research published in the journal "Nature", scientists at a Hong Kong university are working on an electrochemical eye.
It is not ready for primetime. It can`t see much yet. But researchers hope the prototype could eventually work better than a human eye, even managing
to provide night vision.
It`s "eye opening" research that aspiring "spidermen" will want to keep an "eye" on. They have eight of those anyway. And whether they`re crawling on
the worldwide "web" or "squinting" through a "web" of darkness, a bionic eye could knock the "cobwebs" off and help them envision and set their
sights on the night.
I`m Carl Azuz. Today`s show we are keeping our eyes on Wallenpaupack Area High School. It is in Hawley, Pennsylvania. We hope you`re doing well and
enjoying CNN.
END
