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Trump Suggests Hospitals Exaggerating Supply Shortages; Dr. Birx: Rural Areas Need To Prepare As Much As Cities; Need For 'Remote Learning' Exposes America's Digital Divide. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 30, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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


[12:30:00]

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: If you'd gone the other way, what is happening out in America is very alarming and they could not have control that. But John, the question is, as this does sort of move west across the country, it is going to hit blue states and red states and other, you know, all people of all stripes. So that is the question and the challenge for this President. Can he keep those fights at bay? I expect there will be more eruptions with other governors we've not even seen yet.

And he does remember the states that he won. He said he loves Michigan. He loves the people of Michigan. Of course, he's not a fan of the governor. But for now, at least governors are talking amongst themselves. I'm told trying to play it very nice with the President. But the actual business gets done in the calls with the Vice President and the FEMA director and others. That's where these governors say they can rely on for help from this White House.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: All right, governors and mayors highly complimentary. The Vice President saying he calls them. He takes their calls.

ZELENY: Right.

KING: He at least tries. They give him full credit for trying. They're not always completely satisfied with the results but they do give him a ton of credit for trying.

One of the things we heard yesterday, Kaitlan, the most important thing is the President's policy shift, putting the health and safety of Americans first, taking a huge step back from his pledge to try to reopen the government as soon as possible.

But with that, again, when it came to accountability, the President trying to pass the buck. At one point he said the states have the supplies, they just don't want to admit it. At another point, he said one New York City Hospital that used to order 20,000 to 30,000 masks is now asking for 200,000 to 300,000 masks, and he suggested there was something going on listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How do you go from 10 to 20 to 300,000, 10 to 20,000 masks to 300,000 even though this is different? Where are the masks, are they going out the back door? How do you go from 10,000 to 300,000? I don't think it's hoarding. I think it's maybe worse than hoarding.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: We saw this a lot from Candidate Trump, people are saying and he floats conspiracy theories or ideas. He's the President of the United States. If there's if there is a nefarious conduct going on in the supply chain. He has every tool of the government to investigate it, call it out, and present facts. Instead he presents conspiracy theory.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I noticed he didn't say which hospital he was talking about. And we have heard from the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who talked about how there had been some theft of these, of course, critically needed supplies that are in short supply for the time being.

But the President there was implying that something nefarious has happened with over 200,000 masks, and that's why these order increases have gone up so much from what they used to be implying that something was going on there with the hospital employees, the President seemed to be indicating in that. Though, of course, there was no evidence for what the President is talking about.

And if you see these interviews with the nurses and doctors coming out of these hospitals, you know, they are in very desperate states where they are saying they are being overwhelmed. They are seeing colleagues, there themselves are being worried about getting sick. They don't seem to be preoccupied, you know, with stealing supplies or something of that nature.

And so the President's implication there is not necessarily something that a lot of aides saw as helpful because this is a time when these states are saying, we're in short supply, we need the federal government to help not only get these produced at a larger and bigger rate than what they're currently being done, but also they need help with the coordination because there's a lot of states all trying to get the exact same things and they say it's comparing or creating this competition between the third -- with between all of these states.

And so that's -- they said that's their issue. And that was certainly not what the President was focused on yesterday during this press conference.

KING: Kaitlan Collins and Jeff Zeleny, appreciate it very much your perspective here. Thank you.

And this just in from Capitol Hill, it's related to the White House, the Congressman Mark Meadows will resign from Congress later today that as he gets ready to officially become the next White House Chief of Staff. Meadows first day in his new job at the White House will be tomorrow. The North Carolina Republican takes over from Mick Mulvaney, who has served as the Acting Chief of Staff since December 2018. Coming up, states brace for more deaths as the number of coronavirus cases rises. Could Arkansas be one of the coming hotspots? And calls around the country get louder for more protective gears, healthcare workers put their lives on the lines to save others.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:34:06]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hospitals are running out of medications. Some hospitals don't have protective gear for staff or family members of patients that come to the hospital. We're running out of medications. We're running out of equipment. And we're even running out of oxygen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Some new developments today in the global fight against the coronavirus, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several members of his inner circle now self-isolating after a close, he tested positive for coronavirus. The Prime Minister's Office calls these moves, a precaution.

In Russia, Moscow now imposing a citywide quarantine until further notice. Starting today, the city's 12 million residents can only leave their homes to get urgent medical supplies, to go to the grocery store or pharmacy or to walk their pets. Moscow's coronavirus cases surpassed 1,000 over the weekend.

Zimbabwe starting a three-week lockdown today, limiting residents' movements shutting most shops and suspending flights in and out of the country. The African nation has less than a dozen coronavirus cases, but its health system is in disrepair. And there are big worries the outbreak could quickly overwhelm it.

In Italy, the country's three-week lockdown is scheduled to end on Friday. This as the nation's death toll surpassed 10,000 over the weekend. But with cases continuing to rise, the Italian government has signaled the restriction is likely will be extended.

Back here at home, states bracing for a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases. In Arkansas, there are now nearly 450 confirmed infections. Six people there have died. And while the state doesn't have any major hotspots, Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator says, now is the time for rural areas across America to get ready.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:40:02]

DR. DEBORAH BIRX, WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE COORDINATOR: So if you wait for that, if the metros and the rural areas don't take care now, by the time you see it, it has penetrated your community pretty significantly. And that's what we're concerned about. And that's why you have to prepare even though you think it's not there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Joining me now, Dr. Nate Smith, he's the Arkansas Secretary of Health. Dr. Smith, thank you for being with us. To the point Dr. Birx made, in Arkansas, you're at 449 cases and six deaths today. One week ago, you were at 168 cases and zero deaths. Beyond the obvious math, what does that tell you?

DR. NATE SMITH, ARKANSAS SECRETARY OF HEALTH: Well, we're watching it very closely. We know that we have a spread in our state. And we're taking actions to try and limit that spread and also to prepare ourselves or the number of patients we expect will require hospital care.

KING: And so let's deal with the challenge. First, your biggest challenge is like many other places in your urban areas, Little Rock, Pulaski County, now what is the situation there? How quickly is the case count going up and what's being done?

SMITH: Yes, Little Rock and the Central Arkansas area is our highest population area and that's where we saw our first evidence of community transmission. And we've taken statewide actions. But the City of Little Rock has taken even more stringent actions to try and limit the spread including curfews and things of that sort.

We are also trying to follow up on all positive cases and do self- isolation, self-quarantine, all the things that we know work epidemiologically.

KING: And then take us out, you have also many rural areas across your great state, Cleburne County, you have a case where you have a church gathering that you believe is the source of a great number of cases?

SMITH: Yes. At Cleburne County, which is a rural county with a pop -- total population less than 30,000 has over 50 cases. Most if not all of them were linked to a single church gathering, which just shows us how explosive COVID-19 can be in the right setting.

KING: In the, yes, the right settings, it's a tough -- some of the language we use in this situation. So help me understand your challenges as a state health director, you hear a lot of people saying this is an opportunity for telehealth. This is an opportunity for people especially, if you don't want some people, especially people who have diabetes, obesity, heart conditions, any of the compromised situations that you don't want them to be in a medical setting. But this is also a challenge when it comes to rural internet, rural access to services. How are you dealing with that at this moment?

SMITH: Well, this is a challenge. But it is very important, health care workers are at particularly high risk, we have to protect them. Sixty-seven of our 400 plus cases have been amongst healthcare workers. And we're urging people to call ahead to talk, do what you can over the phone. Telehealth doesn't have to be sophisticated equipment. It can be phone call in certain settings. And those who need hospital care of course, we want them to go to the hospital but to engage that hospital in a way that doesn't expose people unnecessarily to COVID-19.

KING: And where are you, Dr. Smith, in closing in the supply chain issue any needs today and any worries that a smaller state that might have a fewer number of cases might have trouble getting the phone picked up, if you will, if you're calling FEMA or the White House or someone else when you have a larger by numbers, every life matters, but by numbers crisis in a place like New York or even New Orleans or out in California?

SMITH: Well, yes, we're facing the same challenges with lab reagents for testing with PPE and of course ventilators. And these are all concerns to us. And we're trying to do what we can in the face of a national and international shortage of some of these things.

KING: Dr. Nate Smith, appreciate your time and your insights. Good luck. Good luck. Best of luck in the days ahead.

SMITH: Thank you.

KING: Thank you, sir.

And coming up for us, teachers and students adapting through a new normal, online classes. But what happens to communities and school districts that don't have internet access. Plus, a warning from healthcare workers that coronavirus isn't just a threat to the elderly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:44:14]

DR. BENJAMIN OBASEKI, BROOKDALE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER: There's a common misconception going around that it's only the older people in our population that's being affected. This is simply untrue. Every day, we're having people younger adults come in who have very little comorbidities or other illnesses going on, who are being seriously affected by this illness, affected to the point to where they have to be put on a ventilator just to breathe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: Across the country, parents and teachers now adjusting to the giant challenge of virtual learning, turning homes into a classroom. Starting tomorrow, Illinois district statewide have to implement this remote learning. But that's a challenge, a giant challenge for students in rural and lower income communities who don't have access to a computer or reliable internet service.

Our next guest had been reporting on this issue. Joining me now Jodi Cohen with ProPublica Illinois and Jennifer Smith Richards, data reporter for The Chicago Tribune. Jodi, let me start with you. And first we can put a map up, I just want to put the map up from your reporting about internet access in the State of Illinois. This is a giant challenge. The entire country is going through it right now. But if you live in an area that is underserved by basic internet service, but you're also maybe in those areas who don't have up to speed if at all computer. How much does that magnify what is already a daunting challenge of teaching children in a brand new environment?

[12:50:13]

JODI COHEN, REPORTER, PROPUBLICA ILLINOIS: What we're going to see here in Illinois and across the country is that these technology gaps, the effects are going to be exacerbated during these school shutdowns and state shutdowns because there will be families and children that have access to technology that will help with the education.

And there are families that and students who will have no access to the technology, they don't have internet in their homes. They don't have computers or devices to use. And they don't have cellphone plans that will support high data use that's required by a lot of educational technology.

KING: And Jennifer to that point, we see in the medical side of this equation, shortages of equipment, shifting of resources, our states, and give yours as an example, and cities, can they do anything? Are they doing anything? It's pretty hard to lay internet cables in a community that has zero today. But are they doing anything to try to surge resources, surge something to help those who are deprived at the moment, who have this, and we talked about often about the healthcare disparities, this is now an education disparity.

JENNIFER SMITH RICHARDS, DATA REPORTER, CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Right. It is. And what we're seeing is some internet service providers, offering deals to get people connected, at least in a minimal way, in a basic level. But what we're finding is that that isn't really helpful for parts of the state where service simply doesn't exist. So a deal for low cost basic internet is just simply not helpful at this moment.

KING: And Jodi, I want to ask you a question, that's maybe an unfair question about the flip side. I have a third-grader who had his first morning today in virtual learning. He went on -- he lives in an area where he has a high speed internet connection. He is very lucky. He lives here in Metropolitan Washington D.C. But the provider locked up at one point. The platform he was using, I'm not going to name it, but as soon as this is happening to many of them.

We've seen these stories about Netflix and Hulu and the streaming services becoming overwhelmed because so many people are at home. Forgive me, education is a lot more important than streaming your film. Is there an effort to help these services who are now doing critical work up their capacity?

COHEN: Well, I think what educators are doing is not only relying on the technology because as you said, there are limits to that. But also finding ways to supplement with paper and pencil work, trying to get creative with different work that students can do at home, working with some science experiments, even doing physical education.

You know, I saw one class, you know, challenging having a student, challenge a parent to see who can do the most push up. So I think there's a lot of thinking outside of the box. Educators are doing what they can with technology and without technology. Because as you said, the technology is not going to always work.

KING: We are being reminded both in the healthcare sector and now again in this education challenge about the real heroes in our lives. People are in the front lines every day, the doctors, the nurses, the janitors, at those hospitals and health care centers and our teachers who are underpaid and overworked. I want you to listen, this is Randi Weingarten, the head of the American Federation for teachers talking about, she has these educators all across the country, who now have to rethink just about everything they do, and try to figure out how to help their students.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RANDI WEINGARTEN, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS: Teachers around the country are trying to make virtual learning work. It is not nearly as good, you know, we know that as having bricks and mortar schools. But one of the ideas we have proposed is that we figure out a way to cap the year through capstone experiments and project based learning.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: So it's a very different, it's very, very different, Jennifer, and it's going to go on for a while. The governor of Arizona today saying, the rest of the academic year in Arizona will be done at home, not in schools. We're seeing this across the country.

RICHARDS: We are. And we're seeing as Jodi said, educators really buckle down and get very, very creative. And we've got a school district in Belleville, Illinois, that repurposed its buses as WiFi hotspots, so that people can drive up to the hotspot, download the material they need, you know, perhaps for the for the next few days or for the week, and then go home and work at their own pace.

And educators are absolutely rising to the occasion to try to deliver anything that they can, whether there's broadband service or not.

KING: That ingenuity, buses as hotspots is pretty amazing. And let's -- I guess we'll see more of it and more challenges in the days and weeks ahead. Jodi Cohen, Jennifer Smith Richards, thank you so much, critical challenge ahead. Appreciate your insights and sharing with us.

A couple of quick updates for you on the production of masks, Brooks Brothers, America's oldest retailer, says workers at three of its factories will now produce up to 150,000 surgical masks today. Brooks Brothers will also begin making protective gowns for hospital workers.

[12:55:05] Meanwhile, the World Health Organization just reiterated its guidelines this morning that people should not wear face masks unless they are sick with coronavirus or caring for someone who has it.

Coming up for us, the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expected to give an update on cases and response in his state. We'll bring you that live, stay with us.

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[13:00:03]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I'm Anderson Cooper, this is CNN's continuing coverage, the global coronavirus pandemic.