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New CDC Guidelines And Some Confusion About It; Japan`s Olympic Plans; 3D Printed Houses. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired May 17, 2021 - 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: With two weeks left to go in our Spring broadcasting season, we`re happy to have you watching. My name is Carl
Azuz. We`re starting with a look at some new guidance and some questions about it when it comes to wearing masks in the United States.
Late last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said most Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can now stop wearing
masks whether they`re indoors or outdoors. And that they no longer need to keep their distance from each other.
One thing to point out here is that this is guidance from the CDC, it`s not national law. Many U.S. states did not require wearing masks whether people
were vaccinated or not but several states that did have mask mandates removed them after the new CDC guidance came out.
Until last week, the CDC had advised that even Americans who`d been vaccinated needed to keep masks on when they were indoors or in crowds. The
health agency said they still might be carrying the virus.
Now, it says the latest evidence indicates its unlikely the vaccinated people are carrying the virus so they can be mask free. Publix, Starbucks,
Walmart and Walt Disney World were among the companies that changed their mask policies following the new guidance.
They created some confusion in some other businesses which are trying to decide what their policies are for customers and employees returning to
work and in schools where many students are too young to eligible for an authorized emergency use vaccine. The CDC says schools should keep mask
mandates in place.
None of the vaccines has been shown to be 100 percent effective against coronavirus. There`ve been a number of breakthrough cases recorded when
people who were fully vaccinated still tested positive for the disease. And America`s union of registered nurses has spoken out against the CDC`s
decision, saying it`s not based on science. Doesn`t protect public health and threatens medical patients and workers across America.
The union says it`s too soon to relax mask mandates. CDC data shows that new coronavirus cases in the U.S. have dropped dramatically since their
peak in January. Experts say that this is because of vaccinations and naturally immunities in people how`ve already had the disease.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For the nearly 122 million Americans now fully vaccinated this weekend came with a mix of relief, some cases some
questions. With only 37 percent of the country fully vaccinated, is it too soon to unmask indoors asks Wilson Hong (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I work in an elementary school where I think I will still probably still wear a mask until -- until I feel like it`s safe
enough to not. Now, you -- you know, it`s not just to protect me but to protect -- protect like, you know, (inaudible) one`s around us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All over the country Americans like Hong (ph) are choosing to keep the mask on even after the CDC announced it`s OK to lose
it indoors if you`re fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and under most circumstances.
Some experts maintain it`s a personal decision recommending you look up transmission rates in your community or county if in doubt. If it`s high,
consider some activities to be risky and keep the mask on. If not, feel free to unmask like David Harris (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel comfortable but I understand that some people might now feel comfortable. I -- I feel comfortable outdoors and I think in
some settings indoors might feel more uncomfortable if it`s particularly crowded.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At least 19 states lifted mandates for vaccinated people following the CDC`s new guidance, while they`re still studying the
recommendations for deciding. Businesses face some tough decisions of their own at grocery chains to Leonard`s (ph), masks signs are gone but not
actual masks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of our customers are still a little uncomfortable walking through the store with no masks. So all of our team members, we
have 2,500 team members that are all required to wear masks right now. We`re -- we`re not going to throw people out of the store if they come in
with no mask.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The new challenge will be knowing if those discarding their masks really are fully vaccinated.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Biden Administration maintains Americans will be on an honor system.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m also a little unsure about that because I definitely feel like you`re going off of, like, what people are saying and,
like, there`s no really way to, like, hold someone accountable to something like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At least seven states have reached the Biden Administration`s goal to vaccinate 70 percent of their adult population
with at least one shot. New Jersey became the latest this weekend. (END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: 10 Second Trivia. What accounts for the largest share of the cost of building a new house? Interior finishes, foundation, framing or major
systems. Interior finishes like flooring, cabinets, plumbing and appliances account for more than 25 percent of a home`s construction cost.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: With the start of the Tokyo Summer Olympics just over two months away, new questions are being asked about whether the games should go on.
Japan has recorded 45,000 new positive COVID tests over the past week. That`s a fraction of those recorded in the U.S. even accounting for the
population difference, but Japan`s cases are growing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we have the games? Yes we should. Can we have them safely and secure? I believe we can.
AZUZ: Four test events have gone on. Organizers say the games will go on but --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We`re just about 10 weeks away from the Tokyo Olympics and a growing course of high-profile voice in Japan are
raising alarm about the games, including sponsors, athletes, politicians and the medical community.
Most recently, Toyota, a top Olympic sponsor said that the company`s concerned about the public frustration against hosting the games in the
middle of rising COVID-19 cases in Japan and a strained medical system. This comes after two of Japan`s star athletes, tennis players Naomi Osaka
and Kei Nishikori said they`re conflicted about whether the Olympics should be held this summer.
As we get closer and closer to the games, the setback continue to mount. At least 35 towns in Japan said they are cancelling deals to host
international athletes citing COVID-19 concerns. The U.S. Track and Field Team has cancelled its pre-Olympic training camp in Japan.
The torch relay has been cancelled or moved off of public streets in parts of the country. Several test events have been cancelled or postponed. On
top of all of this, Japan has only fully vaccinated about one percent of its population. Yet amid all of this, the International Olympic Committee
continues to reiterate that they`re determined to host the Olympic games as planned.
In the most recent virtual press briefing however, the press briefing was cut short by a protestor and here in Japan the local polls show that the
majority of the Japanese population think that the games should be cancelled this summer. Selina Wang, CNN, Tokyo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Rating 10 out of 10, when you were doing a live weather report and there`s a technical glitch, the best thing you can do is have fun with it.
That`s what FOX 9 Meteorologist Jennifer McDermed recently did.
At first, she tried some hand-waving. Then she broke out a bit of a silly walk. It`s almost a robot and finally, a full conga line of closer and
closer up Jennifers (ph) hilariously made their way across the shot.
It wasn`t "prescreened". It was "green screened". And it was a "scream" to see the way she owned it. When McDermed`s report got "clouded" by a storm
of "technical" trouble, she "rained" out humor by "precipitating" a freestyle forecast that was partly "glitchie" with 100 percent chance of
"awesome".
I`m Carl Azuz and that`s CNN 10. Hiram High School, shout out to you. Our viewers in Hiram, Georgia, we hope that you and everyone else will be
watching for the next two weeks until we break for the summer.
END
