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The Situation Room
Key Model Forecasts Nearly 300,000 Deaths by December, but Says Consistent Mask-Wearing could Save 70,000 Lives; Ohio Governor Test Positive for Virus, Says "I Feel Fine," Just a Slight Headache; Trump Claims Optimism about Vaccine by Election Day, Says it "Wouldn't Hurt" His Chances of Winning; Multiple Schools In Georgia Reporting Cases In First Week Of Classes; Growing Anger Over Reports Of Ignored Warnings Before Explosion Left 137 Dead, Thousands Injured; Mayor: No Masks, No Travel Restrictions In Place At S.D. Motorcycle Rally With 250,000 People Expected. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired August 06, 2020 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: I'm Pamela Brown in for Jake Tapper. And our coverage on CNN continues right now.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer in the Situation Room.
We're following breaking news. An influential University of Washington model often cited by the White House now projects almost 300,000 American deaths by December, but that number is avoidable. The model also says consistent nationwide use of mask could save as many as 70,000 lives between now and then.
The U.S. Coronavirus death toll has now topped 159,000 people here in the United States with more than 4.8 million known cases as the death rate rises in 15 states right now.
President Trump, meanwhile, is visiting the battleground state of Ohio where the GOP governor tested positive for the coronavirus. Governor Mike DeWine just spoke out about his infection, saying he feels fine, but has a slight headache. We'll get more on that in just a few moments.
But let's check in with CNNs Barton Savidge right now.
Martin, 15 states are seeing their number of coronavirus deaths on the rise in some cases very sharply.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right Wolf. And then you add to that that new projection that's coming from the University of Washington saying that we could see as many as 300,000 deaths in the United States due to coronavirus by December 1 according to the modeling. With the caveat, you could reduce that perhaps by as much as 70,000 deaths with consistent mask wearing but that's not happening.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SAVIDGE (voice-over): In a private call with state and local officials, White House Coronavirus Taskforce Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx outlining areas in danger.
DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: We are concern that both Baltimore and Atlanta remain at very high level. Kansas City, Portland, Omaha, and of course what we talked about in the Central Valley.
SAVIDGE: Experts worry about the percentage of positive test results in the country on the rise in 33 states.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: This is a predictor of trouble ahead.
SAVIDGE: The nation's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, warning even a small uptick a fraction of a percent is a problem.
FAUCI: It's a clear indication that you are getting an uptick in cases which inevitably, as we've seen in the southern states, leads to surges and then you get hospitalizations, and then you get deaths.
SAVIDGE: Louisiana and Mississippi topped the list of states with the highest per capita rate. Dr. Fauci says it's still possible to get coronavirus down to manageable levels by the November election if people do the right things like wear masks.
Across the country states, cities, even sports are cracking down on people doing the wrong things.
New York City setting up checkpoints some bridges and tunnels to screen visitors coming from hotspot locations.
The governor of Rhode Island is asking residents to report people gathering in large numbers not wearing masks.
And in Los Angeles County were infections among young people 18 to 29 have nearly quadrupled since June, the mayor of Los Angeles is authorizing the city to shut up water and power to properties where big parties are held.
Health officials are appealing to young people to be the solution, not the problem.
FAUCI: Don't be the weak link in the chain, be a very strong part of the chain of ultimately getting us down.
Young people returning to school are also a new concern. In Corinth, Mississippi where school started last week, this week six students and a staff member has tested positive forcing more than 100 students into quarantine.
Major League Baseball is cracking down after COVID outbreaks on two teams. New rules threatened players with suspension for failing to wear a mask at all times when not on the field. When on the road, players and coaches have to get permission before leaving their hotel.
And college football could face its own challenges.
MARK EMMENT, PRESIDENT, NCAA: I think it's going to be very dependent upon what we do as Americans. You know, the trend lines right now, of course are very challenging in some parts of the country. They're awful.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SAVIDGE: And further proof that no one is immune from the coronavirus, the notice coming from the Republican governor of Ohio just today, Mike DeWine, saying he has tested positive for coronavirus. He said he had to take the test as part of the protocol.
He was going to greet the President today. That didn't happen. Here's more of what the governor had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. MIKE DEWINE (R-OH): About six o'clock this morning and drove to Cleveland. And the idea was I was going to get tested which I did.
[17:05:00]
Everyone who sees the President is tested. So, I was tested. I went from there to the airport. And when I got to the airport, I found out shortly thereafter that I had tested positive. So that was a big surprise.
I feel fine. I have a headache. But, you know, I get a lot of headaches throughout my life. So, headache is not anything that unusual. So, besides that, I feel well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Wolf, Governor DeWine was apparently so shocked he decided to take a second coronavirus test. He's still awaiting the results on that one. Wolf.
BLITZER: We wish him of course a very, very speedy recovery. He also did say he has asthma which of course is an underlying condition, and hopefully it's not going to cause him any serious problems as a result of testing positive for coronavirus.
Martin Savage, thank you very much.
Let's go to the White House right now. Our Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta is joining us.
Jim, President Trump sees what many experts say is an unrealistic timeline right now for a desperately needed coronavirus vaccine.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. And President Trump appears to be tying his reelection hubs to the release of a coronavirus vaccine saying today he wants to have COVID- 19 shots ready by November 3rd as an Election Day.
The president is standing by his false statement by the way that children are virtually immune from the coronavirus even though that's not true, as Mr. Trump learned after being fact checked by both Twitter and Facebook.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA (voice-over): President Trump appears to have a target date for the release of a coronavirus vaccine just so happens to fall on November 3, Election Day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sonner than November 3?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think in some cases, yes possible before, but right around that time.
ACOSTA: Even though top health experts have cautioned there was no guarantee of vaccine we'll be ready by no November, the President reiterated that goal to reporters while insisting the timeline has nothing to do with his reelection bid.
TRUMP: I believe we'll have the vaccine before the end of the year, certainly, but around that date. Yes, I think so. But I'm not doing that. I'm doing it not for the election. I wanted fast because I want to save a lot of lives.
ACOSTA: President was also asked if he stands by his tone-deaf comment about the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. that "it is what it is."
TRUMP: Nobody can do what I've done in terms of all of the things that we're doing to combat this horrible disease that never should have been sent to us.
ACOSTA: Mr. Trump is asking Americans to trust his leadership on the pandemic despite his false claim that children are, "almost immune" from the virus.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What evidence have you seen about children being immune from this virus?
TRUMP: All you have to do is read the newspapers or read the medical report.
ACOSTA: But that's not true. When that remark to Fox News --
TRUMP: If you look at children, children are almost, and I would almost say definitely but almost immune from this disease.
ACOSTA: -- was later posted on social media by the Trump campaign, both Twitter and Facebook blocked it.
Twitter removed the message saying, this tweet violated its rules.
Top administration health expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned children can contract the virus and pass it along to vulnerable family members. FAUCI: That's the message we've got to get to young people because obviously, they're not doing anything deliberately or maliciously. But what they're doing is inadvertently, they're propagating the outbreak.
ACOSTA: The President almost came in close contact with the virus as Ohio GOP Governor Mike DeWine tested positive for COVID-19 and had to suddenly sit out in event with Mr. Trump.
TRUMP: And we want to wish him the best. He'll be fine. I guess he's going for a secondary test.
ACOSTA: The President is shifting to campaign mode, attacking mail-in voting, tweeting, "How can voters be sending in ballots starting in some cases one month before the first presidential debate. Move the first Debate up."
Mr. Trump is attacking Joe Biden, accusing the former vice president of somehow hurting God.
TRUMP: Take away your guns, destroy your second amendment, o religion, no anything, hurt the Bible, hurt God. He's against God.
ACOSTA: The Biden campaign jab back noting the administration's violent clearing of Lafayette Park for the President's photo op last June. Biden says he will use the debates to push back.
JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I'm so forward looking to have an opportunity to sit with the President or stand with the President and debates. There are going to be plenty of time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ACOSTA: Now the President told reporters he's running out of patience waiting for a new coronavirus relief bill and claims he's instructed his aides to start drafting executive actions that will extend enhanced unemployment benefits for Americans who are struggling to find work.
The President also, we should point out, just wrapped up a speech in Ohio and what was built as a White House event by aids here in the West Wing. But the President repeatedly at this event attack Joe Biden saying the former vice president often says the wrong thing. This was after Mr. Trump pronounced Thailand as Thailand. Wolf.
[17:15:10]
BLITZER: That's awkward. Indeed. I guess the President does know that Joe Biden is a devout Catholic at the same time.
ACOSTA: That's right.
BLITZER: Clearly he believes in God. All right, Jim Acosta, thank you very much.
Let's get some more in all of this. Our chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is joining us. So, Sanjay this new model from the IHME projects that the death toll will reach nearly 300,000 people by December 1. But it also suggests that if 95 percent of the American public when they left their homes were to wear masks, that would save nearly 70,000 American lives. This is a major warning to the American public, go out there and wear a mask.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, it's trying to give an objective sort of number now to the value of wearing masks. I mean, we know that it's good. We know that it can decrease transmission, talking about that months. What this model is doing is saying, here's how much of the difference it could make.
You know, if you look at the original number, Wolf, I mean, you know, it suggests because that's four months away, it suggest that the numbers of deaths per day are going to get worse is what this IHME model is suggesting. But as you point out, can come significantly down if the country is wearing masks.
BLITZER: Yes. Yesterday, we just checked 1,388 Americans died. Almost 1,400 Americans died just yesterday. Almost every day in recent days more than 1000 Americans have continued to die. And if it goes on like this, before there's a vaccine, or some sort of therapeutic, a lot more Americans clearly are going to die.
Sanjay the team behind this model says the country right now though, is riding a roller coaster where people take the virus more seriously, but then people let down their guard. The cycle continues. How do you combat that?
GUPTA: Well, I mean, first of all, that you see this, this situation where places sort of red line, hospitals become overwhelmed, people become quite panicked, understandably. And then there's some change, you know, maybe improved mask wearing, improved physical distancing, all those sorts of things.
I mean, what we have to say is there's areas of the country right now that are saying, hey, look, we're good, we dodged this, this isn't going to affect us. They've got to look at what's happened, you know, in other places, the Northeast now the south where I am, and say, OK, well, that happened there. There's no reason it can't happen here. So let's be super vigilant.
I mean, the message remains the same. It's just -- you're going to learn the lesson. It's just the question when did you learn it. After things have gone very badly already or before?
BLITZER: Either Governor DeWine of Ohio and we just heard him and we're sad to hear that he tested positive for coronavirus earlier this morning. He was tested as part of a protocol. Everyone who meets the President is tested for coronavirus, the President visiting Ohio today.
So, what does this say about the overall safety of the President's continued travel? What happens if someone meeting the President has a false negative on one of these tests? And there are plenty of false negatives, as we all know, false positives at the same time.
GUPTA: Yes, and it's the false negative that would be a big concern in this situation because somebody be told you don't have the virus when, in fact, they actually do have the virus and they could potentially transmit it. And some of these testing protocols, as you know, Wolf have false negative rates up to 15 percent.
BLITZER: Right.
GUPTA: So it's significant. You know, the other thing I took away from it, Wolf, which I'm sure you did as well, is that the type of testing that the governor had. He was surprised he came back positive.
People who are getting -- the only people who can really get tested right now are mostly people who have some sort of symptoms. We're not doing extensive surveillance testing. What this was, was something as better known as assurance testing, giving him the assurance that he wasn't carrying the virus when he was going to go meet the President. It sounds like a really extraordinary thing.
That kind of testing, Wolf, should be available to everyone. I'd love to have the assurance that my kids as they go to school, aren't harboring the virus in their bodies and the other kids and adults that they're coming in contact with aren't as well. That's not a fantasy, Wolf, that could have been done. It still can be done. And it should be done.
BLITZER: You know, Governor DeWine, who has appeared on this program many times, I've known him for many years, he's been in the forefront in fighting this coronavirus. He just told everyone, though that, yes, he had some headaches. He was worried a little bit about his headaches, but he's had a lot of headaches over the years. Wasn't too worried.
But he also did say that he has asthma. And that's one of the underlying conditions that potentially could dramatically complicate those who wind up getting coronavirus, right?
GUPTA: That's right. I mean, there are certain -- you know, we've been able to identify certain things that increase your risk for certain ages is one of them and then these pre-existing conditions. So he may need to be monitored, you know, a little bit more carefully, in which he probably would be anyways as governor.
But I, you know, one thing I do want to remind though, statistically, still, things are very much on his side, you know, even though he does have this preexisting condition, if you look at the broad data, most people do recover from this. We don't know what that recovery looks like exactly, but they do recover from this sort of thing.
[17:15:03]
So, he's going to need to be monitored. I'm sure he will be, but we have to figure out what is protecting people and what puts them in increase risk. BLITZER: And even though most people recover, we don't know what the long-term impact is going to be there. Potentially could be some long- term effects on various parts of the body.
All right Sanjay, thank you very, very much. And of course, we wish, you know, Governor DeWine only, only the best speedy recovery indeed. We'll check in with him as well.
And to our viewers, stay with us. Stay with CNN to answer your questions on the pandemic and its toll on our mental health. Dr. Sanjay Gupta and our own Anderson Cooper, again, will host a new global town hall, their 20th, with special guests, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, Coronavirus, Facts and Fears tonight 8 p.m. Eastern must watch T.V.
Up next, President Trump politicizes a possible coronavirus vaccine, actually tying it to the November 3rd presidential election.
Plus, growing anger over the large explosion that killed the police at least 137,000 people and injured more than 5,000, we're going to go live to Beirut for an update.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:20:31]
BLITZER: Welcome back. One quick correction right now, just a moment ago, I misspoke and said 137,000 people died at the Beirut blast. Actually, that's obviously mistake. The actual number 137 people, 137 people have died more than 5,000 have been injured in Beirut.
We're following that story. We'll go live to Beirut in a little while and get the latest. Sorry for that mistake. Clear misspeaking of what was going on.
We're also following multiple breaking stories right now including President Trump's visit to Ohio. The President is hinting there may be a coronavirus vaccine in time for the November 3rd presidential election here in the United States.
So, let's discuss the mix of politics and science that we're seeing and hearing right now. Joining us two experts at President Obama's former Senior Adviser David Axelrod, and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, who's been also advising the Biden campaign.
Dr. Murthy, the President suggested we could see that successful vaccine by Election Day that it wouldn't hurt his chances against Joe Biden. You're the former Surgeon General, what's your reaction to that kind of projection and the apparent politicization of such an important issue?
DR. VIVEK MURTHY, FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL: Well, thanks. Well, it's good to be with you today.
You know, I think when it comes to a vaccine, all of us are hoping that we will get a vaccine that's safe and effective as soon as possible. But I think it's very dangerous at this point to give specific dates, because while there are reasons to be hopeful, we do have, for example, multiple vaccine candidates that are in advanced stages of human trials. And we do have collaborators who are working together around the world.
But there are two critical requirements for a vaccine. One is that it is safe and the other is that it is effective. We cannot cut corners in getting there. And we can't sacrifice our standards, because if we do, it not only hurts people, but it's going to damage people's faith in vaccine efforts.
And you know what bothers me and worries me is that as of early this summer, nearly 50 percent of people in polls were saying that they were either decided against taking a vaccine or uncertain about it. And that makes it all the more important that any vaccine that is approved or authorized, has to be reviewed by the FDA's External Vaccine Advisory Committee and it has to be deliberated upon in a public forum.
It's also why we've got to be really clear with people about what their distribution plan is for this vaccine because it will take months to get this vaccine out even under optimal circumstances. Which is why the vaccination campaign we develop has got to be top notch and executed well.
BLITZER: Important indeed.
So David, what did you make of the comment by the President tying the vaccine timeline to the November 3rd election?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Wolf, I wasn't terribly surprised, because I've been saying for months that the President would, whatever the circumstances are, will announce a vaccine sometime before the November 3rd election. The country is desperate for relief from this virus. And the President is looking for relief from his political conundrum that the virus has presented.
And so just given his past behavior, it seemed obvious that he was going to try -- he was hoping that this might be the breakthrough that he needs, the political breakthrough. But I think what Dr. Murthy is saying is so important.
You know, they've done a great job, honestly, all the researchers and the government in pushing forward this project, but even if, as Dr. Fauci has suggested, we reach this -- we reach a vaccine by the end of this year of the beginning of next, that would be a record accomplishment in terms of the development and the verification of a vaccine.
And so, you know, to suggest that somehow, we're going to have it months earlier contributes to concerns that people have about whether it's being rushed, whether it will be safe. At a time when we really need the country to embrace the vaccine in order to reach the kind of herd immunity that is necessary for us to return to our normal routine. So it's unfortunate that he did it, but I think fairly predictable. BLITZER: You -- Dr. Murthy, I want you to watch something else that the President said earlier today, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Nobody can do what I've done in terms of all of the things that we're doing to combat this horrible disease that never should have been sent to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: So it doesn't seem like he really doesn't believe there's more he could do to have responded successfully to this crisis over these past six months?
[17:25:05]
MURTHY: Well, Wolf, I wish that I could say that we have done have responded successfully to this crisis over these past six months.
Oh, well, I wish that I could say that we have done everything we could as a country to address this pandemic. But having had the great privilege of serving in government and working on the Zika response and the Ebola response, I've actually seen firsthand that we have extraordinary scientists, we've got great organizations and great networks and experience within the federal government and our external group of partners. And we have what it takes to respond well to this pandemic.
But what we don't have at this point, unfortunately, is the leadership and coordination and the execution to get there. And I think there's no doubt that we could do better.
Most countries most, you know, of our fellow industrialized nations around the world experiences surge in cases and then a drop in cases. We are one of the few that only dropped modestly and then surged again. So we not only can do better, but we must do better because lives are on the line.
BLITZER: Dr. Murthy, thanks so much for joining us. So David Axelrod, thanks to you as well.
Coming up, multiple schools in one state now reporting coronavirus cases in the first week of class.
And once again, we'll also go live to Beirut for details of growing anger over that giant explosion that devastated a huge part of the city and injured, thousands of people.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:31:17]
BLITZER: We have breaking news out of Texas right now where a new numbers just released show the state's coronavirus positivity rate up for a fifth day in a row. CNN's Ed Lavandera is joining us from Dallas right now. So Ed, what are these new numbers tell us?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Wolf, well, this is one of those indicators that Dr. Fauci and others have talked so much about the positive infection rate of the new cases being reported. And in the last week that has jumped 5 percent from 12 percent just over last week to little more than 17 percent being announced today. That's a dramatic increase, as well as the number of deaths reported today as well. Over 300 deaths being reported.
There are some slivers of good news. The number of new cases being reported is dropped to a 7,500 that's -- the record highs was over 10,000 a few weeks ago and hospitalizations are down. This comes as this state prepares to begin the process of sending kids back to school. Governor Abbott here talked about that today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Earn is we will see an increase in spite of COVID-19 because of gatherings that take place outside of school that could lead to the spread of COVID-19.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAVANDERA: But, Wolf, I can also tell you that there is a great deal of concern not just about the virus spreading outside of the classroom, but still many parents and teachers, administrators worried about what that dynamic is going to be like inside the classroom, no matter how many precautions are taken. Wolf?
BLITZER: Alright, Ed, thank you. Ed Lavandera in Dallas for us.
Let's go to Georgia right now where multiple schools have reported coronavirus cases in just the first week of classes. Dianne Gallagher is joining us from Atlanta right now. It sounds, Dianne, like a very rough start, at least for some of these schools where you are?
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. And this is something that the districts themselves that they expected would happen to see some positive cases when they first came back to school. But we're not even done with the first week here in many of these districts and we already have multiple children who are home being quarantined because of exposure.
I just got off the phone this afternoon with the superintendent of Columbia County School District, that's up in the Northeastern part of the state. They have four positive cases from the first day of school at three different high schools. Now, they did put measures in effect to try and stop this from happening. They went to A/B schedule, so fewer students would be in the halls.
They are making their students wear mask in middle school, in high school, when they're transitioning classes, when they're in public areas where they can't social distance. And they have had to send students who came in contact with those positive cases home to quarantine. But in nearby Cherokee County here by Atlanta, they also have four positive cases. Three elementary or two elementary school students at its kindergarten teacher and an eighth grader. They are not mandating masks. They said if the governor isn't mandating it for the state, we're not going to mandate them here.
In Cherokee County, Wolf, more than 60 students are at home quarantining because they came in contact with a COVID positive person. And again, we aren't even done with the first week of in- person classes here in Georgia yet.
BLITZER: Yes, this is also disturbing. All right, Dianne, thank you very much. Diane Gallagher in Atlanta for us.
Let's talk about the challenges of reopening schools here in the United States. We're joined by Biology Professor Erin Bromage, a CNN Contributor. Erin, thanks for joining us. We're hearing these troubling reports. You just heard students in Georgia, Mississippi testing positive for the coronavirus, just as they're returning to school. And this raises serious questions not only about their well- being, but also exposure to their families, teachers, staff, fellow students, because even if they're asymptomatic, they can still pass on this disease, right?
[17:35:04]
ERIN BROMAGE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, that's absolutely right. I mean, when you're looking at the, you know, the test positivity rate in Mississippi, for example, it's a 20 percent, which means every five tests that you run, one come back positive. If you've got a class of 20, 25 students and you test them, you're going to find people that are positive there.
So what we're going to see is because community transmission is so high, and the school is just a melting pot of people coming together, we're just going to see rolling closure after rolling closure right throughout this school year as a new person test positive. And then everybody in that classroom needs to go home and quarantine for 14 days.
BLITZER: So --
BROMAGE: That's not even to mentioned the risk that it's going to face to the teachers that are in there. So it's just going to keep happening.
BLITZER: Especially if the teachers are a little older, or they have underlying conditions. It's a real problem. So for parents who might be watching us right now, Erin, who are still debating whether or not to send their kids back to school, how would you recommend reaching this critically important decision?
BROMAGE: Well, you need to know what is happening in your community. If you look like Georgia, if you look like Mississippi, there really is not a safe way for you to send your kids to school and not expect that they're going to be home in quarantine, all get infected and bring that home. There's just too much community transmission.
But if you live in some of the more rural parts of America, I mean, even Massachusetts is doing quite well in a number of areas. The community transmission rate here is very low. So being low that makes school openings a lower risk. But then parents must be asking, what is my school doing or requiring to limit the chances of infection spreading, of this virus spreading inside the school? How are they protecting our children? How will the staff and faculty being protected?
And those things need to look like, are they improving ventilation? Are they improving filtration? Are they putting the kids up into classes or into two grades? There's a ton of questions that need to be asked by parents of sending their kids there. And it starts with those. What does it look like in your community and what is your school doing?
BLITZER: Yes. Those are important questions that parents have to ask. A lot of schools as, you know, they're requiring masks, but especially for the younger children in classrooms where social distancing, let's say, is difficult. The temptation to remove or frequently adjust mask clearly is very high. A lot of young kids now don't even want to wear a mask. So will facial coverings alone, even if they do use them, be effective?
BROMAGE: So facial coverings are definitely part of the solution to keep school safer. The more compliance you can have to mask, the less droplets get up into the air. But they're only part of the solution. Classrooms, schools need to be looking at how can they improve the ventilation. How much outside air can we bring inside, and how much air from inside of the classroom can we dump outside?
And then if we can't get good air exchange, we need to be looking at air filtration. So putting masks together with air exchange and air filtration will make a really big difference. So whether a child that comes into a classroom or a teacher that comes into a classroom that is infected, do they have the ability to be able to spread that virus to other people?
BLITZER: Yes. Dr. Fauci said today, it's so critically important. Keep the windows open as long as possible. Let the air from the outside come inside. Don't just close off all the windows.
Erin Bromage, as usual, thank you very much.
BROMAGE: You're welcome, Wolf. Have a good evening.
BLITZER: You too. Thank you.
Coming up, there's growing anger as reports telling (ph) ignored warning for years before that huge explosion in Beirut. And later, worries that a popular motorcycle rally coming up in South Dakota could actually turn into a super spreader event for the coronavirus.
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[17:43:45]
BLITZER: We have much more than the coronavirus crisis coming up. We're also following the growing anger in Beirut right now as investigators are trying to determine what's the blame for Tuesday's deadly explosion. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Beirut for us. She's joining us live. So Arwa, what's the latest information you're getting?
ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, we do have some new video that emerge that confirms that there were smaller explosions into large fire raging before that massive blast that so devastated the city. The Lebanese government says that it has detained 16 employees of the Beirut port. And this is after information emerged from court documents that bureaucratic holdups for years is what kept this highly volatile compound from being moved to a safer location.
The cleanup effort in the streets is underway. You have an army of volunteers down there. You also had the country's first visit from a foreign leader. Emmanuel Macron was here. He was down in those devastated areas. He was begged by the people to help them and he did promise financial aid but said carte blanche would not be given to the Lebanese government.
[17:45:07]
BLITZER: You know, Arwa, I know you're also finding a lot of people in Beirut with truly amazing stories of survival and their videos. Give us a few examples.
DAMON: Yes, there's so many of these striking videos out there, Wolf, and some of them like this one you're about to see with a nanny and three children by a window. I mean, you look at these videos, and it's hard to believe that these people survived. They were so lucky.
In this particular video, they're standing at the window and it seems like maybe they're looking at the first blast. When that second one comes in and just takes out the window entirely, you see the nanny, huddling trying to protect two of the children and then trying to pull the third one in as well to shield them as best as she can with her body.
There's another video that has done the circles on the internet that is of a bride and she's standing outside the videographers taking footage of her. This is meant to be, you know, presumably the happiest day of this woman's life and then all of a sudden you see that shockwave coming through that, shockwave, Wolf, that so alter the lives of so many in this city.
BLITZER: Yes. So awful indeed. Our hearts go out to all the people of Beirut. What a terrible situation.
Arwa Damon, be careful over there. We'll stay in close touch with you as well.
Coming up, a motorcycle rally expected to draw, get this, a quarter of a million people to one South Dakota town. Health officials now fear it will be a coronavirus super spreader event. We'll have details.
Plus, my interview with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins. He's standing by live. We have lots of questions for him about the rising death rate unfolding in 15 states right now.
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[17:51:54]
BLITZER: A small South Dakota town is preparing for a quarter million people to attend an annual motorcycle rally during this pandemic. CNN's Brian Todd is joining us. So Brian, health experts, they are extremely and totally understandably deeply concerned about this event.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They are, Wolf. We're hearing phrases like potential disaster and super spreader when medical experts talk about this event. Still, it's going to go ahead as scheduled starting tomorrow, with this town's population about to swell to about 35 times its normal size.
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TODD (voice-over): For about 80 years, the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota has been wildly popular.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're really excited. This is our 18th year coming.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number 18 for us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't miss it. We come every year.
TODD (voice-over): About 500,000 people showed up last year. And despite fears that it will be a super spreader for coronavirus this year, some 250,000 are expected to pack the small town of Sturgis when the rally gets underway this weekend.
MAYOR MARK CARSTENSEN, STURGIS: We cannot stop people from coming. South Dakota has been a free state through this whole process and we've had tremendous amount of visitors already.
TODD (voice-over): Sturgis, as Mayor says, town officials are asking people to distance, to maintain hygiene, to act responsibly. But they're not requiring rally goers to wear masks. And official from nearby Rapid City who's pleated fruitlessly for this year Sturgis rally to be canceled is at her wits' end.
LAURA ARMSTRONG, PRESIDENT, RAPID CITY, SD, COMMON COUNCIL: They're not going to be able to handle any kind of social distancing. There's a significant amount of alcohol involved. It's a huge party. They can infect our Native American population or law enforcement, potentially our bar staff or tourist attractions, our hotels, our motels, and even our grocery stores.
TODD (voice-over): One infectious disease expert says the probability of an outbreak stemming from the Sturgis rally is, quote, very high. DR. CARLOS DEL RIO, PROFESSOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: I'm not worried about the rally itself, I'm worried about the parties on the other things that are going to happen after the rally. So I think because of that, I'm quite concerned that this event could potentially be a disaster. It could be not only a lot of transmission there, but a lot of people can get infected there and go back to their home states and their home cities and take the virus over there.
TODD (voice-over): Concerts will be held just about every night during the more than week-long rally, more opportunities for transmission. A recent survey of Sturgis residents showed 60 percent of them did not want the event held this year. Town officials say it was a tough decision, but they went ahead and approved it anyway. Possibly because according to many estimates, the rally brings in hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue.
This could be one of the largest mass gatherings in the entire country during the pandemic. Experts say these events simply have to stop for now.
DEL RIO: Any very large events like this one should be canceled this year. I think it's, you know -- again, you say we've hold this for the last 80 years. Well, you know, we haven't had a pandemic like this one in the last 100 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: Now, South Dakota has had one of the lowest overall tallies of coronavirus cases in the entire country, but that local city council president who we spoke points out they recently had an outbreak at a church camp about 50 miles from Sturgis that infected more than 90 people.
[17:55:07]
There's a large state fair scheduled for right after the motorcycle rally. Then there's the Labor Day holiday. Then schools are back. She calls it all a sequence of insanity. Wolf?
BLITZER: All right, well, let's hope for the best. But people are going to be coming in from all over the country to stir just for this. All right, Brian Todd, thank you very much.
There's more breaking news here in "The Situation Room". A new projection just released now says the U.S. death toll will almost double by December 1st. But that simply wearing masks could save tens of thousands of American lives. We'll be right back.
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