this is cnn breaking news. >> hello and welcome to our viewers here in the united states and all around the world. i'm rosemary church. and we are following breaking news this hour, out of the united kingdom and here in the united states. the british prime minister boris johnson is calling an emergency meeting over concerns about the flow of food and vaccines into his country. britain is getting cut off as more countries restrict uk travel. it's all stemming from a new possibly faster spreading covid variant discovered there. people have been rushing to heave the uk before the

restrictions take effect. and the country could face an eu wide travel ban. and here in the u.s., congress has finally reached a $900 billion covid relief package. so help could soon be on the way for millions of struggling americans. we'll have more on that a little later. cnn is covering all the new developments out of the uk. our correspondent is at heathrow airport for us. but let's start first with our diplomatic editor nic robertson joining me from downing street in london. good to see you, nic. one of the biggest concerns is the serious impact on food supplies coming into the uk, and then, of course, there is the chaos surrounding travel restrictions on families for christmas, all due to this new covid variant. how bad could this potential by get? >> reporter: i think we got an indication how much the government is concerned about how this could impact people in the country, whether or not they're worried about the

possibility of panic buying or just sort of settling people's nerves, after what has been a very unsettling weekend for people having their travel and christmas plans up ended by the prime minister. the transportation secretary has been on british television this morning, trying to calm people's expectations about what this means to have the truck crossings into france closed for the next 48 hours. he said look, only 20% of goods come and go between the uk and france across that channel, across that channel crossing. so minimizing that, he said the majority of goods that come into the country come in unaccompanied. that is they are containers on ships, not driven by truck drivers. he said about 6,000 truck drivers are expected at the port today, they will not be able to

go through with their trucks. what is in those containers perha perhaps maybe not the fresh food and produce that the truck drivers would be driving to and from across the channel and the tunnel and on the ferries. but this is a narrative from the government to try to settle people down because this is a big shock for people to wake up and realize that the country is effectively being cut off from europe. people were concerned about the implications of brexit and the teal t deal the government is trying to work out with the european union. so this makes it very immediate about what the impact can be when trucks containing food cannot move freely into europe. >> yeah, of course, here in the u.s. we would see panic buying at this point. so talk to us about what's

likely to come out of this emergency meeting on monday over banned uk flighting and the food truck supplies, with brexit looming in the background. >> reporter: we should be seeing government ministers and senior advisers arriving for that meeting. what we're going to expect to hear from the government is, in the vain of what we heard from the transportation secretary is to calm people's concerns, for them to take stock and make sure they have enough contingent si measures that have been put in place for a no deal brexit scenario. the contingency plans that were supposed to be ready are not ready. so no doubt this will be part of the narrative. we'll hear the government try to

calm the situation down and take a step back. >> people are going to be very nervous about this. thanks for that. let's go to salma now at london's heathrow airport where plans have been thrown >> you heard from my colleague there. the trains have stopped, boats have stopped. the question is will the planes stop as well? i have been standing here for 30 minutes. this is one ocht businessest airports in the world. i barely heard a plane take off. it's not chaotic inside anymore. the restrictions went into place last night. people are trying to find loopholes. i have a friend in the airport. people are trying to book flights to the u.s. rather than europe. and from the united states to book back into europe. of course because the united states has yet to put restrictions on the uk. this is the concern. has the government acted too

late to stop the variant they say is much more transmissible. up to 70%. had they put the restrictions up in time. it's not more deadly or immune to the vaccine. it is concerning. yesterday country after country lining up almost every hour and over 20 countries so far banning flights from the u kurks in a bid to stop this variant from entering territories. and there will be a meeting today. essentially there's a unified action on flight and travel. >> yeah. frustrating. they of course were about to let a number of families form a christmas celebration bubble if you'd like. that of course was swept under the carpet. now this sudden move. what efforts are made by the government to ensure people are getting back home after having

crimina christmas plans cancelled last minute or do they fend for themselves. >> this is a critical question. the issue is one of compliance. will people respect and obey the order from the government? or will they break them. there's a feeling there's a sense in the areas that essentially the social contract has been broken. the prime minister who mocked the opposition for bringing up the possibility of tougher restrictions who said i'll give you a relaxation of rules for the holiday. he won't criminalize christmas. and the government turned around and saying no you can't travel. cancel plans. at the 11th hour. many are frustrated and flouting the restrictions and rules. technically because they put the rules in place people should be able to get refund. and people are just ignoring these restrictions going ahead

with plans anyway. >> all happening so suddenly. thank you to both. >> joining me now. dr. fisher. chair of the world health organization out break response net work. thank you for talking with us. obvious we know that viruss mutate. that's what they do. how concerned are you about this new covid variant showing up in the uk and elsewhere and the people overreacting or is this what should happen in the situation? >> i think the answer is in your question. it's not particularly unexpected. mutation occurs. of course we're concerned when we see something that is slightly surprising this particular linage has a will the of mutation in a critical part of the virus. it's reminding us of basic

measures and vigilance. >> countries are putting travel bans in place. to and from the u kurks and other countries. that could have dangerous consequences in terms of food supply. is that the right way to go? do travel bans need to be put in effect? or people sit back and take a breath. wear masks. and follow all of the instructions that the w.h.o. and other health services have told us to do. >> again, the answer is in the question. seriously, i'm not in favor of the travel ban. i gather they are for 48 hours. maybe they are taking a breather. while they regroup. these were first identified in late september. in london. and it's now being identified in genes that have been analyzed 1,600 times in london.

scotland and whales. and a few places. netherlands and australia. if we start doing more gene surveillance worldwide, we'll see in that sense the cat out of the bag. >> i remember us reporting as sometime back about a mutation that showed that it was more contagious. but less lethal. we don't know whether this is less lethal. at this point. the studies haven't been done. can we make that sujs that appears to be the way this mutates? it's easier to pass host to host. not as lethal. >> it's because the particular mutations are in a part of the spike protein called the reseptember tr rescepter. it could be more or less.

this particular linage over the last few weeks. the presumption comes this is more transmissible. nothing changed in that sense. the roots of transmission are the same. the only difference is that the virus is going to be less forgiving i guess. if there's poorly implemented intervention you'll see spread. well implemented intervention weather it's distancing and mask. contact tracing. they're going to work. >> what's the best advice you give to the nations that are seeing this variant and when might we learn more about it and the consequences. >> i think we need to know which countries are seeing it. if it's a widespread as it could be, obviously travel bans have got little value anyway.

in fact the bans are probably only going to delay the inevitable. we wouldn't ordinarily say these are a good place to go. and obviously they can be very dell tars. socially and economically. and to the food prep line. there will be obviously a lot more work done on this. my advice would be to infection control. and really well. more than before. >> really good advice. thank you so much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> the pfizer vaccine could soon be going into the arms of europeans. the drug regulator is meeting today to decide whether to authorize the joint u.s. and german vaccine. if approved it could begin rolling out within a week. after many weeks of wrangling

u.s. rule makers final will struck a teal on a massive coronavirus relief package. the new infusion of cash many americans could be getting in the coming weeks.

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after months of bitter stalemate, u.s. congressional leaders have reached a deal on a $900 billion coronavirus are e leaf package. we don't know everything in it just yet. it is expected to offer direct payments of $600 per adult and child. boost unemployment payments by $300 a week. offer billions of dollars for small businesses, extend moratorium on eviction. and provide funding for vaccine distribution. here's some of the reaction from capitol hill. >> we can final report what the nation has needed to hear for a listening time. more help is on the way. we have agreed to $900 billion package. packed with targeted policy that help struggling americans. who already waited too long. >> tonight is a good night. it is not the end of the story.

it is not the end of the job. anyone who thinks this bill is enough, doesn't know what's going on in america. >> what took so long is because we couldn't get our republican colleagues to crush the virus. i couldn't understand it. why would they not want to invest in the science. so we consider this a first step. and that again more needs to be done. and we're so excited that will be happening under the biden harris administration. about 700 hours from now. >> president-elect joe biden says he applauds the deal and the white house says president trump will sign the relief bill once it reaches his desk. he just signed another bill that funds the government for the next 24 hours. that move averted a federal government shut down and allows lawmakers time to formalize a

$1.4 trillion funning package for the fiscal year. the house is set to vote first on the package later today. cnn joins us now with more details. what are you learning about this? >> the house has to vote and goes to the senate. and then a final signature by the president. and that's when we'll see $900 billion package come into effect. we know we have been talking about the conversations the dialogue the stalemate. the log jam. in getting this relief package decided upon. there have been so many sticking points. the priority items like the $600 stimulus check. you remember we were talking closer to 1,200 a few months ago. $300 comes back into play.

that was important. money for vaccine distribution. billions of dollars allocated for small business. and the extense of the eviction protection. if the bill didn't come through we would have seen 5 million americans face possible e vigs by january. the sense of urgency came into play. before government was meant to shut down friday. lawmakers working through the night to reach agreements. the sticking points that aren't inclupded are important to look at. one of the things that was holding the conversation back was of the fact republicans wanted to put a limit on federal reserve emergency loan spending. that would have stifled the biden administration in early 2021. that is being excluded. liability protection for businesses has been excluded. that was one of the things republicans wanted to see in the package. and funding for state and local

government has been excluded. that was nice to have an important point for democrats. both sides had to make concessions here. as you said, the democrats are saying this is just the start. we heard this is going to create a flaw of spending not a ceiling. the an 'tis nation is more money. more emergency spending and are e leaf coming through into the new yore. also the over all mac koe picture is important. you see the job market in the united states deteriorating with the latest initial jobless claims numbers. and we know the rise in coronavirus cases has created a local lock downs that could have a big impact on the economic out look in the united states. this puts money into the hands of vulnerable americans and spending priorities for the next couple months. >> some relief on the way. many thanks. >> joining me now.

economic commentator. good to have you. >> great to be here. >> congress reached a deal. $900 billion relief package. it needs to be voted on in the house and senate. and president trump will need to sign it. how likely is it he will do that and how long will this process take? >> right now the bill is being written. as we speak. there was a very last minute agreement on the broad bill. the language hasn't been produced yet. and of course the bill will probably -- over the covid relief which is separate. initially. from the stopgap funding bill. to keep the government open. that will probably get a vote in the house tomorrow. and then sometime after that in the senate is what i have heard. but this is up in the air. it's a fluid situation. whether or not the white house is on board also is an open question. it seems like they have

participated over the weekend in some of the discussions. i think it would be unlikely for president trump to throw a bomb in them last minute. but he loves doing that. it's hard to say. >> very unpredictable. lawmakers released a summary of the coronavirus aid package. what are the main elements. and how soon might they get a stimulus check. >> the main element of the bill are extension and a revival of the unemployment insurance expansion program. some of which have been ongoing and set to expire right after christmas. one of which already expired this past summer. topping off value of the benefit checks. and in terms of stimclus checks i expect that a second round of checks will come out more quickly. i don't know what the time line would be. it took a few months for the

last of the checks to get out in the first round. probably more expedited this time. >> we'll see what happens. people are not getting relief before christmas. was there too much politics involved on both side while americans suffered lining up for food and being evicted from homes and of course this will still ha happen until this gets agreed upon and signed. >> to be fair, democrats actually passed another round of fiscal relief months ago. they did it several times. these were bigger bills than now. there was one that about $2 trillion for example this is $900 billion. it was a generous package. it was a non-starter in the republican held senate. you can argue about whether that was a message bill. or for families. there's arguments on both side of the debate.

republicans have been holding up further progress in the stimulus negotiations. for example just over the past several days there was a somewhat unrelated debate that got shoved into the negotiations about whether the fed should continue to have the emergency lehtinening power. that it had for decades. they were expanded through the cares act. this is a thorny issue. one that is not entirely related to the fact something like 12348 people were about to lose unplimt benefits this week. it's a last minute roadblock. there was a negotiation similarly over the weekend related to the business meals. again, you can argue that this is a priority for republicans. but it's not addressing the most immediate time bomb that was about to go off. the lapse of the other sorts of benefits around christmas. >> we shall see. if this is enough to keep people

afloat. who are hurting right now. we have been talking about this new variant. that has shown up in the united kingdom and other parts of the world. i want to bring you this news. france health minister has just told the nation that it is possible that this new variant of the coronavirus is already in france. there's no reason to panic. this is the situation we're hearing from doctors and medical experts saying this is what viruss do. they mutate. this is what we're seeing happen in the united king doll and elsewhere. it's popping up here and there. we're seeing the travel bans put into place. 24 to 48 hours. letting people know across france. it is possible that new variant

of the coronavirus has already or is already in france. wooem watch that. i want to lock at stock numbers. europe stocks are sharply lower. in the first minutes of trading. 4,100 down. germans dax is down 2%. and then in france the cambridge analytica -- lost 2%. futures. dow down .21%. sp 500 down 4% there. and the nasdaq futures up slightly there. coming up, more travel bans go into effect it's creating chaos for the people trying to leave the country. what kind of headaches is it creating akrsz the channel in europe? we'll find out.

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prime minister johnson is convening an emergency meets at more countries restrict movement in and out. holiday travelers rushed to leave before the measures took effect. and potential eu wide travel ban cuts the uk off from europe. it's also stemming from a new possibly faster spreading covid variant. there are fears travel restrexs could create a shortage of food and medical supplies in britain. including vaccines.

the medicine agency is assessing the use of the pfizer vaccine. if it receives approval it may head to the european commission on wednesday. once it clears that hurdle, states could begin inoculation within a week. for more on how the travel restrictions are effecting europe. joining us from outside the paris. we brought the breaking news to the viewers that the health minister in france said this variant is probably already in france. >> he said it's possible. in fact they had one case of the new variant found in italy. so far he said nothing in france. they are checking and have been checking since the british notified them on december 15. so they are watching for this. and that's one of the reasons why they have imposed this 48

hour travel ban. it bans people from going from britain to the continent. it doesn't ban people on the continent going to britain. several trains run today from paris to london. that communication line is open. of course what they are worried about is the virus spreading to the european continent and what the prime minister indicated is they want to get together with the european partners and come up with a generalized european over all plan of how to deal with the variant and out come in britain. and how to either cut off britain or confine the people coming from britain. it's like lu people will have to have a covid test within 48 hours of departure. the ban is on for 48 hours. from midnight last night and after that the european will

have their act together. >> we'll see. europe is poised to approve the pfizer vaccine. what's the latest? >> they're in a meeting. they'll meet all day today to talk about the agency looking into the pfizer vaccine. to see if it's okay for the continent. we expect to hear something toward midor late afternoon. from them. and after that it goes to the commission. and inoculation could begin next week. and currently roll out in a coordinated fashion all across the european union at the same time. we'll see how that works. because of course the distribution problems we have seen if the united states. we'll see if that the europeans can do it better. the theer are is they'll roll it out in europe at the same time. as soon as they get clearance from the medicine agency. >> what have you got in terms of

numbers of doses? >> they have contracted for a billion or so doses across europe. they have plenty of vaccines on order. and pfizer is expected to provide a good part of that. the initial part. and they'll look into moderna later on in the week. to see if they can be approved. >> right. many thanks. across france and europe. appreciate it. in the united states, the first public doses of moderna coronavirus vaccine could be administered today. the vaccine received emergency use authorization before the cdc director accepted the recommendation that the shot be given to people over age 18. trucks like this delivered the vaccine to tennessee on sunday. part of more than 6 million doses shipped to 3,200 sites across the united states. moderna vaccine will be administered in two doses.

spaced 28 days apart. now that the u.s. has two covid-19 vaccines many americans maybe wondering when they'll be able to get their shots. you recall healthcare workers and those if long term care facilities were first on the list when the pfizer vaccine rolled out. cnn has the latest on who is next in line. >> reporter: a cdc advisory committee voted on the next two phases of people who should be prioritized for the vaccine. already we have seen in the very first phase healthcare workers and residents of care facilities start to be vaccinated. the next group voted on include people 75 and up. as well as front line essential workers. like first responders and grocery store workers and teach rs. the phase after that includes people 65 and up. younger people with high risk medical conditions and other essential work es. that last phase involved more

debate among the committee members. especially what is considered a high risk condition. that list includes issues like diabetes and obesity. cancer. the committee said these are issues with sufficient evidence of being associated with severe covid-19. it's not an exhaust i list. and said that will be updated. we are seeing more than half a million people vaccinated now with a pfizer vaccine. the moderna vaccine is being shipped out. first shots expected monday. >> joining me now. executive associate dean at emery university school of medicine. and also serves as a special adviser for infectious disease with delta airline. thank you for being here. and all that you do. i want to make the point. you received the pfizer vaccine. the shot in the arm.

one och 500,000 plus americans to get it so far. how are you feeling what's your message to those fearing the side effects after two people had allergic reactions? >> i think it's -- i did fine. i took it 24 hours ago and i feel fine. having no symptoms or side effects. pain in the arm. that's it. we are going to see allergic reaction. they are rare. none of them has been very serious. it's okay. when you get the chance to take the vaccine. that's the best thing i can tell you. >> nothing to be frightened about. millions of doses of the second vaccine. moderna. those shipments are now going across the united states. how much smoother do you expect this roll out to be and when can we expect everyone in the country who wants to get a vaccine to get it? >> the roll out will continue to happen. the reality is i don't think

before july or august we'll have everybody in the united states. most people will see the vaccine getting to them in april. >> great. i want to talk about what's happening in the united kingdom. where the pfizer vaccine was first rolled out. we're hearing about this new variant of the coronavirus. it's proving to be more infectious. we don't know more or less lethal. how concerned are you about this? will the vaccine still work on the mutated virus. >> i'm not too concerned. virus mutate all the time. coronavirus already multiple mutation. this is the predominant. it's a y mutation. in the spike proteep. it makes the spike protein more capable of attaching to respiratory cells. it's easier to attach and maybe the predominant one is more

transmissible. it shouldn't impact the vaccine. >> that must set nerves at rest. it has gotten a lot of peep concerned. all viruss mutate and people shouldn't worry. but we have to address it. i want to ask this, some european countries and canada banned flights coming from the united kingdom as a result of the new variant. is this what needs to be done and should the u.s. be thinking about this? banning flights to prevent the movement of the mutated version of the virus. >> it's already very few flights from the uk to the u.s. and banning flights doesn't help much. we showed that from the beginning of the pandemic. it was already all over the place. >> you don't see it as a necessary thipg to necessarily

stop -- >> no. let's focus on what's important which is wear masks. watch distance. wash hands. >> is that message still getting across? >> there's people in america who are refusing to wear masks. a they don't think it's a big deal. >> it is a big deal. 3,000 americans are dying every day. 300,000 have died. this is a big deal. we'll have over half a million americans dead from the virus. that is unprecedent. >> those numbers are horrible. wear a mask. it's very important. thank you so much. >> delighted. >> israel is banning flights from the uk, denmark and south africa. amidfears of the new variant. this comes as israel launches

its vaccination drive. many say they are willing to get the covid-19 vaccine. some residents say they have scheduled an appointment. they hope this will lead to a return to normal life. >> i think it's a chance to be able to live normally once again. i'd like to be able to give my grandchildren a big hug and kiss. >> our families took it. a will tlot of very smart peopl it. i read articles about it. it's quite safe. and coronavirus is dangerous sickness. >> joining me now to discuss more on this. journalist. good to see you. i want to talk about the vaccination. first we know israel is being allowed to fly home from the uk. south after ra and denmark.

and go straight into quarantine. because of the variant. of course other travelers have been banned. what's been the impact? >> beyond the immediate and most obvious impact on flights that involve israel and the countries and travel plans. over christmas and new year. the biggest impact will be political. on the credibility of the prime minister netanyahu. he came in with criticism for the his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. leading to act swiftly once word came out of the new variant it was spreading, once they acted swiftly, that will be seen and probably seen as a good thing to credibility. and important moment given there is the possibility still very large possibility that israel could find themselves going to

the fourth election in the two years. >> thank you so much. appreciate it. we'll be right back.

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the appetite for meat is growing around the world so is its carbon footprint. how insects offer environmental advantages over traditional sources of protein. >> in most restaurants, bugs are the last thing you want to see. here, in tokyo, they're all over the menu. 26 year-old opened this insect restaurant in early 2020. looking to create a sustainable and high protein however unusual

alternative to beef, pork and chicken. cricket ramen. super-worm sausages and beer. >> eating insects is not only tasty and healthy. it is environment tally friendly. a kill two birds with one stone solution. >> globally the livestock industry accounts for 14% of the manmade greenhouse gas emissions. insect farming releases a fraction of that. >> crickets can be raised on less feed. water and space. compared to conventional lye stock. they develop into adults in a month. the growing period is fast. it's fair to say they have little impact on the environment. >> humans have eaten insegts for thousands of years. for many, there's a disgust

factor. >> he partnered with the award winning noodle chain to develop a high end menu. japanese retail giant started selling crackers made from cricket powder in 2020. >> cricket crackers smell and taste like shrimp. and customers were pleased with the taste. the over all received a positive public reaction. before and after the launch. >> he found success too. his restaurant has been fully booked since it opened. >> i hope we can enjoy eating insegts without thinking too seriously. ultimately live in a world where we care frpt environment and future generations. >> empty shelves and bellies full of bugs. it's a promising start. coming up, many countries

are restricting uk travel over a new variant of the coronavirus. saudi arabia is going a step further. the drastic measures the kingdom is taking. listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ robinwithout the commission fees. so, you can start investing today wherever you are - even hanging with your dog. so, what are you waiting f? wnload now and get your first stock on us. robinhood.

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saudi arabia isn't taking any chances. a new covid variant is reported in the uk. putting in some extreme new travel measures. saudi arabia suspending all international flights into the king doll as a result of the new variant. what are you learning about this extreme move? >> it's not just the suspension of all international flights. it's also effectively shutting its land and sea borders for about a week. now if individuals have traveled to affected countries and are in the kingdom they have to quarantine. the kingdom is launching program of are peted testing. repeated testing. not taking any chances. it should be noted that these restrictions do not necessarily apply to the movement of goods and commodity.

if they are arriving from unaffected countries. it's not just saudi arabia that is implementing new measures. turkey where we are currently experiencing a covid-19 wave. that is proving to be more devastating than previous ones. turkish airlines also announcing it is suspending its flights until further notice. from the uku denmark, nether land and south africa. there is great concern, understandably. in the region. as well as globally. about what the variant does actually mean. it seems as if it when it comes to some countries they are not taking any chances. learning the lesson from previous waefs of the pandemic. and wanting to the best of their ability at the least to stay ahead of it. >> understood. appreciate it. thank you for joining us.

i'll be back with more news in a moment. stick around.