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People Voted Prior to November Elections; Trump Continue to Defy Health Protocols; Barack Obama 100 Percent Support to Joe Biden; Herd Immunity a Dangerous and Deadly Move; P.M. Boris Johnson Defends Three-Tier System; John Hopkins Global Cases Surpass 38 Million; How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19; Macron Announces Curfew For Paris, Other French Cities; Italy, Highest Daily Case Increase Since Pandemic Began; Russia Registers Second Vaccine Ahead of Phase Three Trials; Studies Suggest Blood Type Could be Linked to COVID-19 Risk; Dr. Fauci Calls for Holiday Sacrifices in Name of Safety; Trump Previously Downplayed Return of Virus in Autumn; Thailand's Government Bans Gatherings of More than Five People; G20 Agrees to Extend Debt Payment Suspension for Poor Nations; Music Label for K-Pop's BTS Makes Strong Market Debut. Aired 3-4a ET

Aired October 15, 2020 - 03:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


[03:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Global COVID-19 cases are on the rise with the U.S., India, Brazil accounting for more than half of the world's recorded infections.

Plus, Donald Trump continues to suggest the virus is nothing to worry about as his campaign blitz continues with large, mostly maskless crowds.

Then in an open letter, expert saying using herd immunity with COVID- 19 is dangerous. We will take a look at herd immunity and whether it can work.

Live from CNN world headquarters in Atlanta, welcome to you, our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. And this is CNN Newsroom.

Well, millions of Americans have already cast their ballots for president in an election that is still several weeks away. The record early voting has taken place against the rapid backdrop of an increase in COVID-19 cases all across the country.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports almost 360,000 new infections in the past week. But that hasn't deterred thousands of Trump supporters from showing up at his rallies this week. While many behind the president were seen wearing masks, most in the crowd weren't. Here is what some of them told us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you -- what do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not worried.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's got a 99.9 percent recovery rate. We're going to live our life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: One medical expert says holding crowded rallies during a pandemic almost certainly is going to lead to more people getting sick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: If you think about unmasked people in mask gatherings it's like dried brush in a forest fire. When the fire encounters that dried brush it ignites and intensifies the fire. And that's what happens in a pandemic when you put together and masked people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, we'll have more on the president's rally in just a moment. He hits next to North Carolina, and on Thursday he and challenger Joe Biden will hold separate competing televised town halls. Now of course there was supposed to be the night of their second debate, but the president backed out after it was changed to a virtual format when he got sick with COVID.

America's top infectious disease expert says President Trump doesn't appear to be contagious, but Dr. Anthony Fauci said some people around the president might be spreading the virus.

We get more on the president's rally in Iowa from CNN's Jim Acosta.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF White HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Trump staged yet another potential super spreader event at the Des Moines airport in Iowa with thousands of people on hand. Many in the crowd were not practicing social distancing, and they were not wearing masks.

And I had a chance to talk to some of those Trump supporters as they were filing in. They essentially said they were placing their trust more on the president and the top health experts who say they should be playing it safe. And here's some of what they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Hi. We're just talking to folks about going to the rally tonight and seeing what they think about the health risks of, you know, being in a large gathering wondering if you had a thought on that. What do you -- what do you think? Is it --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm not worried. ACOSTA: And why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it's got a 99.9 percent recovery rate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to live our life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, you know, I care about people. I don't want to give it to them. If there's a chance you might be carrying it around myself, I'm not worried. I figure the sooner we all get it, the sooner we'll be done with it.

ACOSTA: And you don't think that could lead to a lot of people, you know, dying perhaps from the virus?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the numbers are vastly inflated.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have any concerns at all. You can't live your life in fear and I'm not really scared of this virus. There are all kinds of other viruses out there that could jeopardize your health as well, so can't stop living.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, if I'm going to get sick and die, I guess it's my turn, but I trust God and I'm not scared.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And there were plenty of critics of the president's rally here in the Des Moines area as we spotted outside the airport where this rally took place.

[03:04:59]

There was a billboard that said Trump super spreader event with an arrow pointing to the rally site.

BRUNHUBER: Besides, the president and first lady coming down with COVID-19, we've now learned their 14-year-old son Barron also became infected. That was revealed by Melania Trump in an essay on the White House website detailing her own experience with the disease. The president had this to say about it at the rally in Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Barron Trump, you know, he had -- he had the corona 19, the China virus. He had it for such a short period of time. I don't even think he knew he had it. Because they're young and their immune systems are strong and they fight it off 99.9 percent. And Barron is beautiful and he's free.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: But the campaign season now in the home stretch, former U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to campaign for Biden next week. With less than three weeks to the election day, the Biden campaign is raking in record amounts of cash with the average donation being just $44. Here is Biden breaking the news to a donor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trimicka, Joe Biden, how are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My gosh. I'm good. How are you?

BIDEN: I called to thank you. I just want to thank you, thank you, thank you for all you've done for me. And the other contributions you have as well, but I want you to know, no one knows this, but you know how much money we raised in the month of September?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I don't.

BIDEN: Three hundred eighty million dollars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, woo.

BIDEN: That's more money than I could raise my whole -- my whole life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: We've got more now from CNN's Jessica Dean.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: The Biden campaign deploying former President Obama as we get ever closer to the general election. In this case he appeared on the popular Pod Save America podcast which is hosted by former Obama White House alums.

The audience is typically probably somebody who's already going to vote for Joe Biden, but in this case, we are getting so close to the election that they are deploying President Obama to convert that enthusiasm into actual votes.

In this case, he talks specifically to young voters and even more specifically within that, to young black men and young Latino men, making a specific pitch for Joe Biden. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

You might not have been happy with everything I did all my policy choices. I did not eliminate poverty in America, but when we had our pandemic or the threat of pandemic, we had confident people in place who would deal with it. And that's an example of the kind of thing that government can do, and we've seen them do. And that I think is important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: President Obama also talking about the COVID response as well as criminal justice reform. He also had a message to progressives out there who may not see themselves as much in Joe Biden as they did in another candidate in the primary like Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren. But Obama making the case that the priority here should be to win

first, and then push once Democrats are in office. Now we also know that President Obama is set to hit the campaign trail for Joe Biden in the next week. We should expect to see him deployed to states where early voting is already happening.

The Biden campaign now as I said, very focused on getting out the vote, they need to convert all of that enthusiasm and people who support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into actual votes in these critical battleground states.

You can expect to see President Obama on the trail as I said, in the next couple weeks. And we're told it is also possible that he and Joe Biden could make joint appearances as we get closer to election day.

BRUNHUBER: Well, some people are calling for herd immunity to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. The theory is that you let the virus run its course through the population unchecked. Survivors develop antibodies against future infection and supposedly become immune. Ultimately so many people become immune that person to person spread becomes unlikely.

Well, CNN's chief medical correspondent calls it a terrible strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: With herd immunity, just to give you some idea, and people know this generally by now, but what does that mean? It would mean that 60 to 70 percent of the population becomes infected. That's a large enough number that they essentially create a herd of protection around other people.

We know that with around 10 percent of the country that's become infected, 216,000 people have died, roughly. So just do the math there. What happens if you start to multiply that times six or seven. That's when you are starting to get into the 1.4 to two million number of people who would potentially die, and potentially as Dr. Haseltine said, every year.

[03:10:09]

Also, we don't know how long the immunity lasts for natural infections. It could be several months, but maybe not an entire season. It's a terrible strategy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta isn't alone. Eighty leading scientists from around the world just signed an open letter calling herd immunity a dangerous idea that could lead to unnecessary deaths and economic turmoil. And they say it wouldn't end the global pandemic.

America's top coronavirus expert and the director general of the World Health Organization have openly opposed herd immunity as well. Listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: If everyone contacted it, even with the relatively high percentage of people who are without symptoms, Matthew, a lot of people are going to die.

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: Allowing a dangerous virus that we don't fully understand to run free is simply unethical. Letting the virus circulate unchecked, therefore means allowing unnecessary infections, suffering and death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: All right. I'd like to bring in Dr. Sanjaya Senanayake. He is an infectious disease specialist and an associate professor of medicine at Australian National University.

Thank you so much for being with us.

I want to start with that idea of herd immunity from COVID. Honestly, I thought most of us that kind of moved on from that fallacy, but here at least in the U.S. there is a renewed push to adopt herd immunity as a so-called strategy.

So, I just want to play you a clip from a renowned scientist, William Haseltine, who had a powerful take on this. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM HASELTINE, FORMER PROFESSOR, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL: Herd immunity is another word for mass murder. That is exactly what it is. If you allow this virus to spread as they are advocating, we are looking at two to six million Americans dead. Not just this year, but every year.

The reason for that is that there is no such thing as herd immunity. These viruses, coronaviruses come back year after year and infect the very same people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: So, I'd like to get your thoughts on the danger of this strategy, you know, strategy which, as proponents articulate it, would try to protect those at highest risk while letting the virus basically ripped through the rest of the population.

SANJAYA SENANAYAKE, INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPECIALIST, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY MEDICAL SCHOOL: Yes, look, the first thing I would say is that in this modern age, when we talk about herd immunity, we talk about it in the setting of immunization. They were immunizing a population. We don't talk about it in terms of natural infection.

And as some of the experts said in the lead up to this interview, quite correctly, we really don't know how long the immunity from this infection lasts. In fact, you've had the first U.S. case of reinfection recently notified and a healthy 29-year-old man. And that was within two or three months of his first infection.

And there is also the chance -- because the immune system plays a big role in COVID and how severe it can be that a second or maybe a third infection could actually be more severe in some people. And even if you think COVID has a 0.3 percent death rate, out of 300 million Americans, that's a lot of unnecessary deaths.

BRUNHUBER: But you mentioned we don't know exactly how long immunity can last. But there is new evidence out there now that immunity might actually last longer than we thought.

SENANAYAKE: Look, you are quite right. A couple of papers have come out. One in particular suggesting immunity might be lasting five to seven months from the basis of what they called neutralizing antibodies that they found in people who had COVID.

However, there was a London study, and I guess King's College of London that found that after three months a lot of people's antibody levels were falling as well. So, it is hard to tell with antibody levels how long someone's immunity will last. You can get an idea, but at the end of the day the best way to find out is to expose someone again and see if they get it.

And we also know with other coronaviruses, you do get reinfections. Now that might be every one to two years, but it does occur. But having said that, those new studies are somewhat promising in terms of the vaccination studies that we've got going at the moment.

BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. Also, promising at least, you know, for some people in the population, people with blood type O, more research now suggesting that they may be less vulnerable, but that was -- that was the headline. And I know personally a lot of people were celebrating when they heard this, but how much difference does it actually make? How significant is it? You can't, you know, tell them to go around looking at doorknobs or whether that they would that anyway, I suppose. But what should they take away from this?

[03:15:03]

SENANAYAKE: Yes, you are quite right. So, blood group O appears to be more protective, blood group A might be worse. But then I can put it to you this way. If I'm not obese, then should I not be afraid of getting COVID, because someone who is obese is at high risk of severe COVID?

The answer is no. Because the immune system, bodies and the underlying risk factors, there is a complex interplay with how we interact with the virus if we get infected. So, we shouldn't just assume because we have what could be a protective factor that we will be safe from COVID. So, continue to be careful.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Good advice. Here in the U.S. the situation seems to range from not great to dire, depending on the state you're in. In Europe as well, cases rising. We heard a warning from Dr. Fauci that we may have to sacrifice social gatherings during holidays. How important will that be and do you think we are capable of making that sacrifice?

SENANAYAKE: Yes. So unfortunately, we don't have a vaccine. We don't have an oral chief medication we can all take when if we get COVID. Therefore, testing when we're sick and not physically distancing too closely together when we can avoid it. They are the sorts of strategies we have to continue to do.

So, if the cases are rising, I mean, we had almost 60,000 cases in the U.S. with over 1,000 deaths in the last 24 hours, we will have to think about those sorts of sacrifices for the greater good.

BRUNHUBER: I was reading one of your earlier interviews. You said there were a commonality among the countries that had lower case numbers and less resurgence, and it was twofold, it was public engagement and cooperation. Whereas the places where we are seeing surges, we are also seeing more restrictions.

So, is the key word, and people rebelling against those restrictions, so is the key word here cooperation and how do you do that when we are seeing more and more people getting, you know, more and more fed up with those restrictions?

SENANAYAKE: Yes. Look, success with COVID is based on two factors. Definitely cooperation from the populous, but that population is more likely to occur if you are getting a strong united message from your leadership.

In Australia, for instance, we got different states and territories but with our federal government, the leaders of the states and territories and federal government had a united message at the start which everyone listened to at a time when they were very afraid.

So that's really important. But of course, once you've done that, yes, you just have to get everyone to engage. Because without the people, there is no solution. The populous is such an important part of the solution, so you need a united message that doesn't confuse people.

So, you don't have some people saying wear a mask, other saying, don't wear mask, others saying gather together, other saying don't gather together. And you just keep repeating those messages. And also show your gratitude as a government and leadership.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Very good advice for those in power here. Thank you so much, Sanjaya Sananayake joining us live from Australia. We appreciate it

SENANAYAKE: Thank you so much.

BRUNHUBER: U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is defending his three- tier regional lockdown approach after the leader of the opposition called for a circuit breaker. That's a short national lockdown designed to bring the virus under control. The prime minister's new rules have come into effect and the strictest

rules have been imposed on the Liverpool area, which is where we find CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.

Salma, more anger there in Liverpool where you are over those restrictions, and nationally more pressures on Boris Johnson's leadership.

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely, Kim. There seems to be a growing voice of criticism against Prime Minister Boris Johnson. And as you just heard that expert say, I know as you were speaking to him, the most important thing in this is engagement and public cooperation which is what is at stake here.

You have on the one hand Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his administration saying that regional solutions are the way forward, small local restrictive lockdown that last for a period of weeks are limited in scope. That's how we stem the rising coronavirus cases.

On the other hand, you have a growing number of people who say nope, that's not how the way to do it. The way to do it is short, sharp but complete national lockdown. That circuit breaker that you mentioned.

On that side you have a growing number of people. You have the scientific advisers, you have many of the leadership of the north of England. You have many of the local authorities outside and other parts of the formation.

[03:19:56]

So that sector seems to be growing. And that criticism against Prime Minister Boris Johnson will all be playing out today. There's a series of meetings. One to review the status of London, which is currently at tier one. That might be upgraded to tier two.

Manchester also a city in the north their local leadership is holding talks today with Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to figure out their way forward, potentially that city falling under level three.

And while all of this political wrangling is going on, Kim, of course, the number of coronavirus patients flooding the hospitals is continuing to rise, the infection rates are continuing to rise. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. We'll continue following the situation there. Thank you so much. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in Liverpool, England.

And stay with us as we continue to follow the story with reporters all across the globe. At CNN is on the campaign trail is all talking with American voters. We'll have the latest from the state of Pennsylvania, next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I changed my registration from Democrat to Republican. DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From what I've seen in the past couple of years, I was ashamed to say I was a Democrat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need Trump in here again, I'm 65, I think it's time to register.

BASH: Had you not -- have you not voted ever?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: President Trump's narrow victory in Pennsylvania helped propel him to office in 2016. Well now the state is once again center stage as both the president and Joe Biden return their time and time again with election day less than three weeks away.

So, to highlight the importance of the state, Biden has made his campaign headquarters in Philadelphia. As for the president, he has to try to squeeze out even more of his base of supporters.

Here's CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: A line forms outside well before opening waiting to enter the Trump house.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're ready for the next group to come in.

BASH: A mecca of sorts for the president's supporters in southwest, Pennsylvania where Trump's record turnout four years ago help deliver his surprise Pennsylvania victory and the White House.

LESLIE ROSSI, OWNER AND CREATOR, THE TRUMP HOUSE: Sure. Two hat per person, you get a sign or flag.

BASH: Leslie Rossi created the Trump house in 2016, where she pushed disaffected Democrats and never before voters to choose Trump.

ROSSI: We gave people a place to come to believe they could win.

BASH: Now Trump supporters show up daily for swag and yard signs and help registering to vote.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need Trump in here again, I'm 65, I think it's time to register.

BASH: Have you not voted ever?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

BASH: Rural Westmoreland County seen a surge in Republican registrations, they help with that here too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I changed my registration from Democrat to Republican.

BASH: Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From what I've seen in the past couple of years, I was ashamed to say I was a Democrat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a great honor to have you here in (Inaudible).

[03:24:57]

BASH: But Joe Biden isn't giving up here, campaigning in Westmoreland County this month. Hillary Clinton didn't come here in the general election.

BASH: It's not an area Democrats come in and campaign very often, but here's you. Why?

JILL BIDEN, JOE BIDEN'S WIFE: I'm here because like I said, we are not taking any vote for granted.

GINA CERILLI, WESTMORELAND COUNTY COMMISSIONER: They've seen the past four with the --

BASH: Gina Cerilli is county commissioner of Westmoreland, P.A. Ten years ago, she was Ms. Pennsylvania in Donald Trump's miss USA pageant. Now she's an elected Democrat working to blunt Trump's advantage here.

CERILLI: In 2016 Donald Trump was a fresh face. He was new to politics. Everyone was excited. He made big promises. Bring back jobs. But frankly, Donald Trump broke those promises.

BASH: In small town Pennsylvania, signs matter. Trumps are everywhere, big and bold. But Biden's are out there too.

CERILLI: When you see signs like this, it makes the Republicans and Democrats that voted for Trump in 2016 realize, I'm not alone. A big Biden challenge his supporters are being COVID careful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never did we think we would be meeting via Zoom.

BASH: Phyllis Friend, head of Democratic women of Westmoreland County, organizes from home. She's clear eyed about the Democrats' goal here in Trump country.

PHYLLIS FRIEND, HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC WOMEN OF WESTMORELAND: We can't win Pennsylvania, but we can add to the total numbers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, dude. This is Jill, a volunteer for the Trump campaign. How are you doing?

BASH: As for Republicans, they never stopped traditional ways of getting out the vote. Knocking on doors, walking in neighborhoods and masks and using a GOP data driven app to find and persuade voters.

BRITTNEY ROBINSON, RUNS THE PENNSYLVANIA RNC OPERATION: Depending on who that voter is, we're able to tailor that message at the door and on the phone to how we think we need to target that voter and turn them out.

BASH: Given that president struggles in the suburbs, boosting the vote the vote here is critical for Trump. How important is it for him to get his numbers even higher than it was four years ago?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think that we need to increase our voter turnout here for the president to offset some of what might be happening in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania.

BASH: Back at the Trump, Leslie Rossi shows us the log of visits from thousands of Trump supporters.

What do you think this year?

ROSSI: My numbers have tripled, tripled. Four years ago, my work was really hard here. I had to convince the voters to vote for the candidate. I had to convince them President Trump was the best choice for them. This time, I don't have to do any of that. They're all in.

BASH: Whether or enough are all in, could determine whether Trump wins Pennsylvania and a second term.

Dana Bash, CNN, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: CNN has learned for more than three years federal prosecutors investigated a suspected link between an Egyptian state- owned bank and Donald Trump's 2016 campaign. An informant suggests that money from the bank could've ended up backing Mr. Trump's last- minute donation of $10 million to his own campaign.

The ultra-secret investigation started before Robert Mueller's Russia probe began and outlasted. It reached the Supreme Court but the justices declined to hear it. Several sources said the prosecutors could never prove a connection between the campaign and the Egyptian bank. The probe was formally closed in July.

Coming up, how your blood type might help reduce your chances of getting severely ill from COVID-19. We touch on it before. Stick around for more on that.

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good news if you're blood type O, you might be at less risk of infection or a severe illness according to two new studies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:30:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to you our viewers in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber and you're watching CNN Newsroom.

The world has hit another milestone. Global coronavirus cases has now surpassed 38 million. The U.S., India and Brazil account for more than half of the world's recorded infections according to John Hopkins University.

As the case numbers grow, America's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci now says a vaccine may be wildly available by April of next year. Fauci says researcher should know by November or December whether some trials have resulted in a safe and effective vaccine, but until then restrictions are key in containing the virus.

Now speaking of restrictions my colleague Becky Anderson spoke earlier to the chief scientist at the World Health Organization about the best ways to continually protect ourselves from the virus. It's an important reminder as case numbers rise around the world.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUMYA SWAMINATHAN, WHO CHIEF SCIENTIST: Look at the comprehensive set of interventions and this is what the WHO has said from the beginning. Do it all. No one thing is going to work. A lockdown is a temporary measure. If it is done when things are out of control and it is done to buy time for other systems to be put in -- place the systems.

But what we do know is we know that it spreads now. We know the three C's. The crowded settings, the closed event settings and the close contact. We have to avoid these amplifying events which occurred in this indoor settings. We need to empower and engage communities, encourage people to follow physical distancing, mask-wearing and hygiene, etc.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: We have reporters around the world covering how countries are handling the pandemic. So we have Melissa Bell in Bordeaux, France. We have Ben Wedeman in Rome and Frederick Pleitgen is live from Moscow. But first, let's go to Melissa in France where there's been a big surge in cases. Also President Emmanuel Macron now ordering a nighttime curfew for Paris and eight other cities.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. It was last week, Kim, a week of three separate records that were set in France in terms of the number of new coronavirus cases. Again last night, more than 20,000 new cases. And what the French president explained on television last night was that, what we need to get back to is a level where there was no more than three to 5,000 new cases every day.

Not the more than 20,000 we are seeing increasingly often here in France on a daily basis. And so the system of curfews introduce not just in the greater Paris area, but in eight other cities as well. Here's what he had to say, Kim.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE (through translator): If we stick to this curfew for six weeks. If we take collective responsibility for reducing our contacts, we think that we will be able to progressively reopen at that stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: But that comes with possibly other measures as well. Essentially what changes it from Saturday, France enters a state of sanitary emergency. That allows the curfews to come in, but it also opens the door, Kim, for the government taking other measures. Putting other restrictions in place should those COVID-19 figures not get back down.

And Emmanuel Macron again being very clear last night. Explaining that the country was trying to stay open as much as it could, but it was that strain on the health care services, especially in the hardest hit cities like Paris for instance, that was making it impossible to continue as we were.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Thank you so much. Melissa, live from Bordeaux France. Let's go to Italy now, Italy just recorded its highest daily increase of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began according to the ministry of health.

So, we go down to CNN's Ben Wedeman who joins us now from Rome. Ben, I understand some experts there going as far as recommending a Christmas lockdown at early points to how quickly the case numbers have risen.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That recommendation is coming from Italy's -- one of Italy's top virologist who is suggesting that over the holiday season, which in Italy is from Christmas to the 6th of January, there should be some sort of lockdown, similar to the sort of lockdowns we saw earlier in this country, earlier this year and in Italy.

[03:35:14]

Simply to sort of try to put an end to what is clearly a very worry new surge of cases. Yesterday the country recorded 7,332 positive cases of coronavirus. That is much more than Italy experienced on its worst day when in earlier this year, when the surge was really the worst in Europe.

What's interesting, however is that the death toll is still relatively low despite these record number of new cases recorded yesterday? 43 people died, now compare that to the worst daily death toll, which was on the 29th of March, which was 969.

So, clearly, the medical system is getting better at treating this disease. Although we understand that the average age of people who are coming down with coronavirus is much younger. What is also different from earlier this year, Kim, is that it's now much easier to get a coronavirus test.

Until recently you actually had to be showing symptoms for the health system to give you a test. Now, it just takes 25 Euro and you can get a test with results relatively quickly. Kim? BRUNHUBER: All right. Ben Wedeman live from Rome. Thank you very much

for that. As coronavirus cases surge in Russia, officials there have just registered a second vaccine even before phase three trials began.

So, let's now go to our Frederik Pleitgen who joins us from Moscow. Fred, so, I understand this vaccine was created by a former biological weapons research laboratory. How much confidence can we have in this latest vaccine?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's certainly very difficult to say at the stage, Kim. This is the Vector Institute which you know is in Novosibirsk, in Siberia. And you are absolutely right.

The Russians essentially did the same thing as they did with a first vaccine that they certified without it actually going through the main trials for safety and efficacy of vaccines. Those phase three trials that you were talking about where normally they would have tens of thousands of participants that would be administered this vaccine and also placebo controlled as well.

The Russians are saying that this particular vaccine was so far administered to 100 people, 14 in the phase one trial and 86 in the phase two trials. Now the scientists who are on top of these trials, they say that so far there have been no adverse effects. And they also believe that the vaccine is effective as well.

But again, those phase three trials haven't happened yet here in Russia. And still, that vaccine is certified. And if you look at the current situation. I'm actually also looking at the ticker right now, we just now got the numbers for daily infections from the Russian authorities.

It's at 13,754, which is still very high. It's a bit lower than yesterday, but as we can see, so far, that vaccine or any of the two vaccines that the Russians have already certified are not going to be widely available to the general population here in Russia in this current wave of infections that is happening.

And the Russian authorities are very well aware of that. They have said, at least the Moscow mayor has said, Moscow is sort of the hardest hit region here in this country, it's going to be several months, he believes, before any of the vaccines are going to be available on an industrial scale. And so therefore, right now people do have to work out new measures, or probably going to be put in place. There are already certain things that are happening.

For instance, there's school classes that are now learning from home, that before we're going to school, some of the school grades. And the Russian authority so far saying they believe that they could avoid a full lockdown of the entire country, of course, which was very tough earlier this year, but certainly the authorities here believe that there could be a case where they might have to put new measures in place, certainly any sort of vaccine not going to be widely available for quite some time here in this country. Kim? BRUNHUBER: Interesting. So, even the first vaccine you mentioned.

That is still not going to be available for a while. Can you give us an update on where that is? I remember a lot of fanfare went into it when it came out?

PLEITGEN: You are absolutely right. And that vaccine of course has been certified and apparently is being given out to certain groups here. To emergency medical workers, also to doctors. But it's really unclear on what sort of scale that is actually being done.

And it's the same thing really with the first vaccine, the Sputnik V. Vaccine as is the case with the second vaccine as well. And that it was certified before it actually went even into the phase three trial before the efficacy and for the safety of vaccines.

And if you look at the numbers of the Sputnik V. Vaccine, the latest that we have heard from the makers of the vaccine and for the Russian direct investment fund which is bankrolling that vaccine. Is they say so far that vaccine in the phase three trials that they are now in has been given to about 12,000 people so far.

[03:40:09]

It's unclear whether if it's just the first dose or both doses that have been administered. If you look at some of the big vaccine makers in the West, like for instance BioNTech, Pfizer or Moderna. They are already well over 20,000 people who have got both doses of their vaccines.

So, right now, we can see that the vaccine is being handed out here to certain groups. It does not appear as though it's on a very large scale, but it does -- it is going to take some time before that vaccine is going to be widely available.

And it certainly appears clear from the current planning of the Russian authorities that they are still telling people, look, you have to keep abiding by the anti-pandemic measures. To try and get this current situation under control. Certainly not counting on that vaccine, at least just yet. Kim?

BRUNHUBER: All right. Very interesting. I appreciate that update. Thanks so much. Fred Pleitgen, live from Moscow.

Well, as we mentioned a little earlier in the program, two new studies are now adding to growing evidence that your blood type could be linked to risk of becoming ill with COVID-19.

CNN health reporter, Jacqueline Howard, looks deeper it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: More evidence is emerging that people with blood type O may have a lower risk for COVID-19 and getting severely ill, but more research is needed. The difference is between blood types aren't that big. It remains unclear what this really means. But here's what studies have found. When it comes to susceptibility, one study found that among people in

Denmark, 38 percent who tested positive for COVID-19 were blood type O. That percentage is lower than how many people in the general population who haven't been tested were blood type O, which was 42 percent in the study.

When it comes to severe illness, another study found that among COVID- 19 patients in Canada, 84 percent of those with blood types A or AB, needed mechanical ventilation. Whereas 61 percent of those who with blood types O or B did. And in that study, patients with blood types A or AB stayed in the ICU for about four days longer than those with blood types O or B.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The Americans are already looking forward to the holiday season with Thanksgiving next month and Christmas and New Years after that of course. But with the research in pandemic, the nation's leading infectious disease expert is warning Americans may have to sacrifice family gatherings to save lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE: I think people should be very careful and prudent about social gatherings, particularly when members of the family might be at risk because of their age or their underlying conditions.

Namely, you may have to bite the bullet and sacrifice that social gathering unless you are pretty certain that the people that you are dealing with are not infected. Either they have been very recently tested or they are living a lifestyle in which they don't have any interaction with anybody except you and your family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now experts have been sounding the alarm for months about a second wave in the U.S. But President Trump was pushing a very different message back in April. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They might not come back at all, Jeff. It may not come back at all. He's talking about a worst-case scenario where you have a big flu and you have some corona. And if it does come back, it's not going to come back and I have spoken to 10 different people. It's not going to be like it was. But it's all possible. It's also possible it does not come back at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Now, at the time the president was even contradicting his own task force who warned of a potential resurgence later in the year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAUCI: In fact I would anticipate that that would actually happen, because of degree of transmissibility. However, if you come back in the fall, it will be a totally different ball game of what happened when we first got hit with it in the beginning of this year.

DEBORAH BIRX, CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE: Testing asymptomatic will be key to asymptomatic piece, may be the tip of the iceberg. In fact it would be the iceberg underneath the surface. We think it's fundamental both for right now and going through the fall, because that would be our early alert if any other COVID fires reappeared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: G20 countries are offering a new lifeline to struggling nations financially hard hit by the pandemic. But will this be enough to get them through? We will take a close look with what's on offer with our emerging markets editor. But first, unprecedented protests against the (inaudible) and the government in Thailand. Now the government is trying to quell the unrest. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[03:45:00]

BRUNHUBER: Thailand's government is banning gatherings of more than five people in Bangkok. The decree went into effect Thursday morning local time. The government is hoping to end months of pro-democracy protests. But thousands gathered in the capital on Wednesday, at least three pro-democracy activists have now been arrested. In this video from the social media shows demonstrators confronting the Queen's motorcade.

Journalist, Jonathan Miller, spoke earlier with CNN's John Vause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MILLER, CHANNEL 4 NEWS: I woke up, as did most of the Thai people, to news that at 4:00 am, the government had issued an emergency decree, which was announced on state television and it says as it appears that there are many groups of people have been cited illegal public assemblies in Bangkok in the extremely necessary to introduce an urgent measure to end the situation effectively and to maintain peace and order.

Now peace in order of course are the key words here. They are the watchwords of authoritarian regimes everywhere. But peace in order ironically were the very words that the (inaudible) which took control here in a coup six years ago said that they were coming in to restore then. And so, yes in that respect they failed spectacularly, in that respect Bangkok is no better off than the chaos of 2014.

However, something is very different here now and that is that these protests are focused on the king. Or at least that's one of the focus. Because (inaudible) the dictatorship as the protesters call it. They want them out and a new constitution put. But there are key elements they want to see reform of the monarchy. And this decree is trying to close them down.

It's basically saying that they're banned from any public assemblies of more than five people. And from publications of broadcasts, putting out anything that would create fear or affect national security. You have to see this in the context of what has been happening here in the past few weeks. Yesterday I was out on the streets of Bangkok and this will help you catch up fast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MILLER: In an ancient kingdom, in the throes of authoritarian regression, they turned out in the thousands to march against dictatorship. For decades, Thailand has been locked in a cycle of coups and regular spasms of violence.

Now, the (inaudible) in the millions -- it seemed like the perfect monsoon storm. Battle lines drawn. Thousands in yellow shirted alter loyalist trucked in to defend their unpopular king and his unpopular military backed regime. The reformist protesters want the government out. A new constitution and there are growing demands to reign in the power of the monarchy. At times it was volatile. The protesters breaking through police lines as they marched on government house.

[03:50:06]

So the crowd is been surging forward here. And we're now just about 100 -200 meters from the government house. This is very symbolic because this is the seat of what these people regard as the dictatorship, and of course it is not just a dictatorship we are talking about here.

This is a military monarchy complex. Were these people are raged against exactly that. They want reform. They want democracy, and they want things to change in Thailand. Since old Thailand against new Thailand. These people represent the new.

The plan tonight is to make their way into the government house complex and to camp out for the night. But what they've done today is absolutely remarkable and never before seen in Thailand. I didn't see this with my own eyes, because we've been cattle in with the demonstrators. But we know that the Kings motorcade was blocked at one stage by demonstrators.

We don't know if he was in it at the time. But he would've gotten the message. That there are people in this country, who desperately want change. And that change is something that he has the power to give them. And hasn't yet.

Pictures of the royal convoy revealed a major security lapse, but it turned out the king wasn't in his car. It was the queen and the young prince. Protesters hurled abuse. As we left the scene, hundreds of riot police were moving towards the protests. They haven't gone in, but for a royalist regime, feeling increasingly under siege, the use of force remains an option. (END VIDEO CLIP)

MILLER: John, I understand the outside government had quarters here in Bangkok and last night the scene in behind me here was awash with thousands of demonstrators. You wouldn't believe it now with the traffic flowing freely, but, half an hour after the emergency decree was issued the riot police moved in. There were arrests including two key protest leaders. And another one, the one who led the calls for monoclonal reform was picked up at 8:30 this morning.

The question is whether Thai's have the stomach to keep on going with this calling for reform, whether there are cracks in the edifice perhaps. Everything is on the table right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: That was Jonathan Miller, speaking with our John Vause a short time ago. And we will obviously continue to follow the story right here on CNN.

The World Bank is encouraging G20 countries to do more to help poor nations whether the financial impact of the pandemic. Dozens of struggling countries ask for emergency loans earlier this year and the G20 just agreed to suspend these debt payments for an additional six months. But the president of the World Bank said these countries need more than just loans. They need actual debt relief.

CNN's John Defterios joins us from Abu Dhabi. John, you hear the Democratic leadership has rejected the Republican stimulus proposal of $1.8 trillion, saying it's not enough. That's a problem many poor countries obviously would love to have as they struggle during the pandemic and they can't afford to keep spending.

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Yes, that's a great point Kim. And while most countries are struggling right now, say barred China, we quickly have this kind of have and have not scenario. This $12 trillion spent worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of that is within the G7 countries. So, we have the head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva and David Malpass of the World Bank saying don't pull off the stimulus at this time. At the start of the second wave. And yes you need to focus on the poorest countries.

The World Bank is proposing another $25 billion for those countries right now. But the harsh reality is, 150 million are being added this year and next are due to extreme poverty. He calls the COVID-19 depression. Here's David Malpass.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID MALPASS, WORLD BANK PRESIDENT: For many developing countries and the people in the poorest countries, it is truly a depression. A catastrophic event and it is continuing to add to the ranks of those in extreme poverty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEFTERIOS: And when we talk about extreme poverty, Kim, we're talking about living on $2 or less a day. And what's alarming, a G20 country like Brazil, is now struggling with food poverty, because they don't have additional funds to distribute throughout that very large Latin American country.

BRUNHUBER: And so then, let's get into this a bit more. What more can the major industrialized countries due to provide relief to the developing world, given obviously that they're also struggling economically during the pandemic?

DEFTERIOS: Well, there are two things underway here. The World Bank has said it's going to allocate $12 billion for a vaccine distribution to world poorest countries. That's going to be important when they become available more widely around the world. And not having the health systems to be able to do so.

[03:55:08]

And then there's this debate, Kim that you talked about in your lead in. Debts suspension, it means interest rates and that debt continues to grow, but you don't have to pay it right away, probably due so in the first half on next year.

But now the IMF who were (inaudible) has to be debt relief and China has to be part of it, because it lend billions of dollars to African, Latin America for infrastructure that went back to Chinese companies. But I thought it was pretty blunt language for the head of the IMF to say, you too have to be part of the process of debt relief now.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right, well thank you so much. Emerging markets editor, John Defterios in Abu Dhabi, we appreciate it.

Plus, music to their ears and millions to their wallets. The company managing k-pop sensation BTS has gone public. We'll have the numbers on how well it did as it offered stock for the first time. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: The music label behind the world's biggest k-pop sensation BTS is now finding success on the stock market. Big hit entertainments $820 million offering was South Korea's largest IPO in three years. It opened at $236 a share, double its initial offering price.

CNN's Paula Hancocks reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Everything this band touches, seems to turn to gold. BTS is South Korea's most well-known boy band shooting to the top of the billboard charts last month. A feat no other Korean artist has achieve.

JUNGKOOK, MEMBER OF BTS (through translator): It still doesn't feel 100 percent real, more so because right now we can't perform in front of people. In front of our fans.

HANCOCKS: The next chapter, IPO. BTS is management big hit entertainment is listing the company on South Korea's stock exchange. A move that values the company at more than $4 billion. More than the next three top k-pop agencies combined. In today strong market, some assumed investors will flock to buy the shares, including the bands hard-core fan base.

KIM EUN-HEE, BTS FAN (through translator): I may pick one or two shares, even if it is just one. So, I pulled my money and plan to put in 150 million one. I want to get closer to BTS as one teen and help them.

HANCOCKS: Big deal for big hit. But some worry that they are two reliant on just one act.

PARK JU-GUN, BUSINESS ANALSYT (through translator): 90 percent of big hit entertainments revenue is from BTS. So the risk is there. But it has started to shift its revenue structure to multi-faceted portfolio.

HANCOCKS: Big hit as it has created an ecosystem of artists, apps and contents.

BANG SI-HYUK, CEO, BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENT (through translator): We drove profit not only through the album and music, but online concerts, official merchandise, multimedia content and more.

HANCOCKS: Military service looms for all seven members of the group, but they could use another international k-pop group big bang as a model. Solo careers. Some also question the timing of the IPO in the middle of a global pandemic. But the market sees it as a sign that the company can only go up as the world recovers.

JU-GUN (through translator): If the company is highly value now in the midst of a pandemic, it will be an opportunity to gain even more momentum next year, post pandemic.

HANCOCKS: In a rare move for the industry, big hit has given more than $7 million worth of shares to each member of the bands. A share of the success. And perhaps a guarantee for the future.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Well, thanks for joining us. I'm Kim Brunhuber and I'll be back with more news after a quick break. Stay with us.