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i will not relent until we beat this virus, but i need you. >> biden's primetime call to action. get vaccinated and help others beat covid-19. then several countries suspend the use of the astrazeneca vaccine as they examine a possible link to blood clots. later, prince will william says the royals aren't racist. i'm kim brunhuber. this is "cnn newsroom. " u.s. president joe biden

used his first televised primetime speech to lay out a hopeful vision for lifting america out of the year long pandemic. at the heart of his optimism, an enormous package of economic relief that totals almost $2 trillion. the president signed it into action on thursday. he circled may 1st on the calendar, a day he hopes will signal the beginning of the end of the pandemic for most americans. >> all adult americans will be eligible to get a vaccine no later than may 1. that's much earlier than expected. let me be clear, that doesn't mean everyone is going to have that shot immediately, but it means you'll be able to get in line beginning may 1. every adult will be eligible to get their shot. to do this we're going to go from a million shots a day that i promised in december before i was sworn in to maintaining beating our current pace of 2

million shots a day. >> president biden's address was meant to carry the message across the country. kaitlyn collins has more on the president's ambitious plans. >> reporter: this was president biden's first primetime address. he used it to say all-americans are eligible to qualify for the coronavirus vaccine by may 1st at the latest. this is part of the effort that you're seeing from the biden administration where they want to have some semblance of normalcy back by july 4th. they talked about having small get togethers with your friends and family. not larger events but smaller events. this is an effort to ramp up vaccinations, get the nation back on a track to normal and have basically a light at the end of the tunnel.

what you heard from president biden in the speech, yes, the federal government can do x, y and z. you can get this and do this. have a continued vigilance and wear a mask, continue social distancing. he added a caveat saying you could see restrictions go back into place. biden leaned into the camera. he talked about upping vaccinations, opening up who it is that can actually administer vaccinations even to eye doctors and veterinarians to do that as well. they talked about establishing a national website and look at where the closest vaccine is. for people without internet, they can have a call center to find that vaccine as well. you saw him talking about those

efforts going forward while also acknowledging the loss so many americans have seen over the last year. not just the loss of life but the loss of so many experiences people have had there. one other notable moment came when president biden condemned this rise in bigotry in violence against asian-americans since the coronavirus pandemic. he called it unamerican and said it needs to stop now. of course, the question now going forward is what this response is going to look like. president biden did note they are well on their way to surpass his goal, his stated goal of 100 million doses in his first 100 days in office. he believes they'll achieve that pretty soon, within 60 days of being in office. kaitlyn collins, cnn, the white house. getting the $1.9 trillion stimulus package through congress was a major achievement for the biden presidency and he continued to stress americans need to work together to face

the challenges ahead. earlier anderson cooper spoke about the new tone president biden set. >> we talked about the commander in chief. tonight he was the commander in grief. he took out a piece of paper that had the number 527,726 which is the number of deaths. >> and he spoke about what everybody has missed, how you missed being with your families, how you missed seeing your parents, how you missed seeing the grandchildren. >> the details of life matter. >> this is joe biden. this is what he talks about. this is who he is. it's the details of life. i was thinking back to when former president trump spoke after he had covid and he said, don't let covid dominate your life and what joe biden just did

was recount to us how it has dominated all of our lives and then gave us some hope, some realistic hope saying i'm going to tell you the truth, there's light at the end of the tunnel. this is what we, not i, what we have to do together as a country and as a nation to get outdoors. >> as a country we've grown used to boasts, threats, jibes during a speech like this. there was none of that tonight. >> not even against the republican party that voted against him. >> he got this legislation passed without any republican support. he hardly talked about it. it wasn't until really the end there that he even mentioned it. >> yeah. look, i just think that he is the guy we need right now. when he talked about i'm going to heal the soul of america, a lot of people thought that was corney stuff, but to see the president of the united states standing up there.

he didn't say, you need me. he said, i need you. i need you. i mean, my god, that is -- isn't that it? we need each other? and then it's the little touches. he didn't say the states, he said and the tribes and the territories. he talked about the rural americans. he got money in there for rural americans. he talked about corporations coming together. he stuck up for the asian-american community that's been living a horror for this entire time and -- but there was nothing about it where he was taking shots at anybody. he didn't blame the other party for not being there. he told the country that we can get this done, and it was just -- the tone was different, tangibly different. this is exactly what we need right now. >> as the president laid out his administration's goal for all adult americans to have access to a covid vaccine by may 1st and that's just seven weeks from

now. the president said the government will open mover mass vaccination sites to speed up the efforts. one of the people behind the scenes spoke with chris cuomo. >> you should be able to get the shot in the arm if you haven't had one already. the biggest challenge is all the people that aren't sure that want the vaccine. >> good. thank you. you helped me into my next point. >> 7 out of 10 say the worst is behind us. oh, great. i love the optimism. there's a casualness to it. they're not in a big rush to get the vaccine because things are going to open up. this is a pain in the hiney, they don't know if they want to do it. are you guys giving them enough incentives they want to do it. the cdc guidelines weren't

enough of an incentive. if you have a vaccine passport, you can do more. why not incentive advise them? >> you know, just like the whole rest of the last year, chris, you are one step ahead. i think you're talking about the kinds of things that are going to very much be on people's minds. it's interesting, before people get vaccinated most of the talk is about when can i get my vaccine. a lot of what happens after people get vaccinated, people want to forget and move on. the reality is we have a lot of young people, 3/4 of them haven't been vaccinated. we hope they remember there are many people out there that are not yet as safe as we are. with the pandemic's first anniversary behind us, erica hill takes a look at the toll

the pandemic has taken. we have breaking news. the nba has just announced the season is going to be suspended. >> the nba coming to a screeching halt just hours after this warning. >> bottom line, it's going to get worse. >> i said that but i did not in my mind think that much worse was going to be 525,000 deaths. >> reporter: and yet, here we are. in the course of a year, more than 29 million confirmed cases in the u.s. 530,000 lives lost. >> grieving and isolation. it's a very difficult thing. >> reporter: cdc director dr. michelle walensky called it heartbreaking. we are tired, we are lonely, we are impatient she writes in a news statement while focusing on the pandemic. four former presidents teaming up to boost the number.

>> we're all here to do your part. >> this is our shot. >> now it's up to you. >> notably absent, donald trump, who we recently learned was vaccinated off camera in january. meantime, encouraging new data from israel shows the pfizer vaccine appears to be 94% effective against asymptomatic spread. >> it means not just are you protecting from getting sick but you're protected from catching it and spreading it to others. >> reporter: it's highly effective against the variant in the u.k. it's been confirmed in all but three u.s. states. >> this is coming at us at the very same time we're opening up america as if there's nothing else happening. >> the texas attorney general suing austin officials for keeping the mask mandates in place saying it undercuts reopening efforts. >> the science and data very clear the single most important thing we can all be doing at

this point is wearing masks. >> reporter: from maryland to oklahoma, more states are reopening states. >> the standard for normal is freedom. >> reporter: prompting celebration and concern. early data shows 2020 appears to be the deadliest year on record in more than a decade. the death rates rose 15% last year due to the pandemic. in new york, i'm erica hill. cnn. thailand has canceled its planned rollout of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine after several european nations decided to stop using it. they're looking at a possible link to blood clots. france, spain, nigeria say they're satisfied it's safe. the european medicines agency issued a statement supporting

the vaccine. for more we're joiptd by melissa bell in paris. melissa, what are we to make all of this? >> reporter: it was these reports in several european countries, all of these patients were found to have blood clots after injection. they stop, as in denmark, the delivery of the vaccine altogether for a 14-day period. now thailand waiting to see what the results of the european investigations are before it gets back to vac sip nating anyone or begins to vaccinate anyone with the astrazeneca vaccine. for europeans where it was such an important part of a vaccination program, this is yet another blow since it means for the next few days or couple of weeks at least these countries are not going to be able to be

inoculating anyone with this astrazeneca vaccine or that particular batch. another blow. there were already difficulties with it. there's the question of vaccine reliability. people try to get themselves vaccinated all around the world. >> absolutely. thanks so much, melissa bell in paris. duchess meghan's bombshell interview has raised a divide. it's raised questions about institutional racism. we'll have more. stay with us.

prince william has broken his silence. he says his family isn't racist. >> have you spoken to your brother since the interview. >> i haven't spoken to him yet but i will. >> can you just let me know, is the royal family a racist family sir? >> during the interview, meghan claimed a senior royal had made

a comment about her son. anna, prince william says the family isn't a racist so i guess that's the end of the story. >> reporter: yeah, i don't think so, kim. extraordinary the future king of england has to say the royal family is not racist. we've been talking about the statement the palace gave. it made it clear from the queen itself that this was going to be taken privately. these issues would be discussed as a family. having had prince charles dodge a question, it feels that it's a breakdown in the royal pr machine. it took us by surprise in a breakdown of a protocol. these royal visits are masterminded by the palace. they're really well controlled. i've been on a few of these visits. you don't lob questions over at the royal family and they would certainly not normally answer them. clearly in this situation the

journalist felt they absolutely had to ask the question and very interesting that prince william felt very strongly that he had to answer it to defend himself. as he said, there's a lot of speculation about which member of the royal family may have raised concern about the skin tone of archie's skin from that interview. of course, prince harry didn't say who was involved. that's why prince william felt he had to say something. by answering that question, he's actually going to invite a lot more, i think. >> exactly. thank you so much. windsor england's anna stewart. the interview has triggered a debate in the u.k. on race and the role of royals in british life. wolf blitzer spoke to diane abbott, the first black woman elected to parliament. >> i think you have to look at

all of those people that work in buckingham palace for the family, the aides, advisers, there's no question about the off the record briefings that they've given to the media for months that they never really accepted a biracial american marrying a british royal family. sometimes you felt that the nature of the briefings and the media, they wouldn't be happy until they broke it up. so i understand why meghan and harry had to leave. >> do you think this moment of reckoning in terms of systemic racism will have a lasting impact in the u.k., indeed, across the commonwealth? >> i hope so, and i think that the royal family and commonwealth will survive as long as the queen is alive, because she's hugely respected.

once she passes away, which must happen one day, i think the whole question of the royal family, prince charles is going to stay will be up to debate. the way they treated meghan markle will not be an argument for the status quo among the british people or members of the commonwealth. >> so as you've just been hearing, the fallout from the interview has left black brittains feeling disenchanted. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: it was the moment that gave hope to black britts. >> it felt like everything had changed, you know? >> reporter: karen gibson was one of the stars of the wedding.

her choir's moving performance showed brittain's diplomacy. after watching their interview with oprah, she shares their pain. >> i think my reaction was s still. still in 2021. >> reporter: meghan accused some in the british press of racism. karen and others believe this is true. >> which is exactly the thing you accused me of doing. >> let me finish. >> reporter: the heated exchange with tv host piers morgan went viral after he questioned meghan's truthfulness said the lack of diversity in the media has created mistrust. >> i cannot waste my energy on those who are still on the abcs, 123s of do, re, mes of racism.

how are you going to trust them with your most valuable asset, which is your voice. >> reporter: away from the overwhelmingly white royal institution, she has carved out her own space. >> welcome back to the zz mills show. >> reporter: she speaks to nearly 120,000 on cultural issues. >> our voice is going to be heard. if it's uncomfortable for you, then tough luck. >> reporter: meghan's words resonate. >> they want you to come up with a reason why it may not be racist, maybe they don't like her. >> reporter: but exposing systemic inequality is only step one. >> racism is too deep. it's too deep for one person to come in and almost change all of that but i think that this interview has -- will spark a lot of change. >> reporter: buckingham palace said in a statement that the issues raised, particularly that

of race, are concerning but for the u.k.'s black community markle's account is yet more confirmation that institutional racism still exists. now the country needs to find a way forward. selma abdelaziz, london. if you want more news about the british royal family be sure to visit our website. we have a weekly newsletter that you can sign up for cnn.com/royalnews. brazil is being overwhelmed by the pandemic. why some say the country is on the brink of collapse. stay with us. are 100% natural. give us one plug and connect to nature.

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and welcome back to all of you watching here in the united states, canada and around the world. i'm kim brunhuber and you're watching "cnn newsroom." a recent study in jama opens found 30% of people with covid continue to have symptoms for up to nine months which is why many health officials are turning their attention to the next big pandemic hurdle. the long-term effects of covid-19. >> we know that 525,000 of our fellow americans have died but we also know tens of millions have been infected and didn't die thank goodness and have recovered. i want to know what it is and i worry we're just seeing the tip of the iceberg and we will be seeing long suffering that will be with us for a long time.

i hope that's not true but that's what i worry about and i'd like to understand that better. >> in brazil the focus is not on long-term illness but on the ever escalating crisis. the daily covid numbers topped 2,000 again yesterday. they are way above capacity. isa soares described chilling scenes. >> reporter: shaken and still visibly weak, he's from a port of southern brazil, he says he's never smoked or been seriously ill. he spent ten days inside an icu unit after contracting covid-19. he survived but the trauma is deep.

>> you see the energy to fight. >> reporter: weeks later his voice remains hoarse and as we speak, it's clear he's still breathless. even if those lingering effects phase, they're forever etched in his mind. >> i saw three people unfortunately die in front of me. >> reporter: his experience is the same as thousands across the country. warning signs seemingly not severe enough to change the brazilian president's view of the pandemic.

and bolsinaro, he has yet to have a unified strategy not the least because he has continuously downplayed the virus at every turn. first saying it was just the sniffles and now questioning vac vaccines. jeopardizing a vaccination program that continues to progress at a very slow pace. just a couple of months ago he was accused of failing to act as the health care system in the amazon state capital of minel collapsed. he blamed health care officials. patient after patient literally gasped for air when hospitals run out of oxygen. now tells me the professor, it's much, much worse. >> people inside brazil focus in minals.

this has been a huge tragedy. we have 20 of them right now in brazil. 20 capitals in brazil have reached capacity in icu beds. >> he's a doctor and neuroscientist at duke university and has been tracking the crisis in brazil tells me it's a matter of when not if the brazilian health care system collapses. >> this is a perfect storm. >> reporter: speaking from san paolo, he says brazil is is an open air laboratory. a challenge not just for brazil but for the world. >> if you allow this to run amuck t will spread. >> so now he says the world needs to challenge the brazilian government over its failure to contain the virus.

they say for that to happen, the political saber-rattling must come to an end. >> it's very sad for me being a part of the political class to see that. it's not the moment we want. myself, for example, i couldn't trade away my mandate. >> health officials say there were 60 new cases reported on thursday. most of them are related to a cluster at a local gym where some 360 people are now under government quarantines. officials say they'll order fitness center workers to get tested by sunday. u.s. border patrol agents say they're encountering large dproups of families and children in the rio grande valley. nearly 140 people were found thursday near the u.s./mexico border. it comes as the number of

children in health and human services custody have jumped to 8800. the biden administration is looking at housing some children in a nasa facility in mountain view, california. priscilla alvarez has more. >> reporter: the biden administration is tapping agencies like nasa to look for space for children and the reason for that is the number of children are outpacing shelter availability. many shelters were operating under limited capacity to comply with health guidelines. they're already under strain here. as more children arrive, they are frantically looking for more shelter space tapping the agencies looking for help. >> ron klain spoke to cnn earlier defending the biden handling of the migrant

situation. >> we aren't separating children from families. they're arriving alone. we're trying to meet this with urgency and humanity. we're working hard to get more housing for these children when they arrive to make sure they're treated in a humane way and to make sure they are ultimately connected with their family members in the united states or other sponsors. we were left with inadequate resources down there, with a system shrunk due to covid. now we're trying to stand up the resources we need to make sure the children are treated in a humane and appropriate way. >> republicans aren't going along with that. kevin mccarthy is putting the blame squarely on the president. >> we must address the crisis at the border.

on monday i'm talking 12 members with me looking for ourselves, working on finding a solution. the solution is quite easy. most is all caused by biden's action in a short time frame. >> kevin mccarthy also said he requested a meeting with president biden on the issue of border security but hasn't heard back from the white house. the first ever quad summit is just hours away. the u.s., japan, india and australia have lots of issues to discuss, but over shadowing their agenda, china's growing dominance in the region. a live report coming up. stay with us. lcerative colitis.. stelara® can provide relief and is the only approved medication to reduce inflammation on and below the surface of the intestine in uc. you, getting on that flight? back off, uc! stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection...

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the u.n. now estimates at least 80 civilians in myanmar have been killed by riot police so far including a dozen protestors killed on thursday. in a scathing new u.n. report says the indiscriminate carnage likely meets the legal threshold

for crimes against humanity. tom andrews, the special agent says the ruling huntas have included murder and other crimes. they say authorities have been using the utmost restraints in dealing with violent protests. they say the facts on the ground tell a different story. >> they're attacking penal not a random but in a systematic basis. these are not combatants, these are innocent people, and it is spread out over a wide geographic area. we've had 37 people killed in 28 districts around the country. there are over 2,000 that have been arbitrarily detained. so when you look through the basic criteria for crimes against humanity and you look at

the reality of what's going on in myanmar, it's a close fit. it's been adjudicated and i urge the members of the human rights counsel look at what's going on, look at the definition and make up their own mind. president biden will meet virtually for the first time with leaders of india, australia, japan. it's a quad summit. this has been in existence for years. now it seems a possible counterweight to china's growing influence in the region. cnn's christi lu stout joins us. >> as you just mentioned, china's kind of looming above everything. it was interesting. ahead of the quad summit, 8:30 a.m. eastern time when the australian prime minister was

asked whether china should be concerned, the answer was, no, the quad in his words is an anchor for peace and stability. traditionally the quad was set up as an alliance to counter china's increasing assertiveness in the region. this year the focus is on climate change, global warming, trade, vaccine rollout and these four nations have very frayed relations with china. it's little wonder that china is seeing this as a clear escalation against beijing. we've been monitoring state-run reaction foort run up to the quad meeting. the global times is a state-run tabloid in china. days before the meeting japan, india, australia couldn't help but hype the so-called china threat. this is not an alliance of

like-minded countries. the last point is interesting. it's a point that's been raised by western analysts about the value of the quad. will they be able to have a unified force to deal with the challenge that china poses or will it be another talk shop with four very separate interests involved? back to you, kim. >> we'll see. they weren't mincing words. one of the many reasons the upcoming diplomatic talks with china and the u.s. could be even more awkward. >> absolutely. you know, on the day after china effectively paved the way for patriots to run hong kong, a very serious condemnation leveled by the u.s. state department. a spokesperson for the u.s. state department ned price called the recent electoral

reform program that was passed in beijing on thursday as, quote, a direct attack on hong kong's autonomy, freedoms and processes. on thursday china's parliament passed a new electoral reform plan. it effectively degrades democratic representation and puts in a screening system to screen candidates for patriotism. we know hong kong's top leader carrie lam says it improves the electoral system in hong kong. it will reinforce and strengthen hong kong's standing as a financial hub. we talked to critics and pro democracy advocates, this is another example of china's tightening grip on the territory. kim. >> appreciate the insights as always. cnn's kristie lu stout in hong kong. families are being reunited in the u.k. we'll show you some of the

emotional scenes and explain why they're able to happen now. stay with us.

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fully vaccinated people, meaning those who have gone two weeks since a single shot dose or since the second dose of a two-dose vaccine. they can visit indoors with low risk unvaccinated people from one household and if they've been exposed, they can skip quarantine and testing if they have no testing. they should still maintain contact and the cdc director explained the priorities that motivated the new rules. >> we are taking initial steps as we're following the data to ensure people can start to do some of the things they missed once they've been vaccinated, visiting with loved ones, visiting other vaccinated people in small, private settings. also among the things that have been missed are visiting your loved ones in long-term care facilities. we do know that in long-term care facilities many of the residents now are getting

vaccinated. we've limited our recommendations in the long-term care facilities that have long term illness. >> thanks in part to an impressive rollout many people in the u.k. can visit loved ones for the first time in a year. they can experience little joys like they haven't known in so long. like an afternoon in the park. >> reporter: from its earliest days, the barricade has stood like a barrier. >> hello, my darling. >> reporter: until this moment. >> hello. do you know who i am? >> no. >> i'm david.

do you know david? your husband. it's been a long time since i've seen you. >> sheila has dementia. she rarely speaks so david can't know what this reunion means to her or what she thought and felt through the long stretches when he wasn't allowed to visit. they have shared their lives for more than 55 years, but this is only the second time they've sat together during the pandemic. it's almost five months since sheila last heard david's voice. >> brought you flowers out of our garden. >> his touch. >> it's better than what they arranged before. you've got to be thankful for what you've got.

emotional reunions, poignant and joyful. taking place in nursing and care homes across england because as vaccines roll out, residents are now allowed one designated visitor. for rene dolan, it's her granddaughter sarah. >> this is great. >> i know. listen, listen, i'm going to come back next week as well. >> after so many months apart, the need for physical contact is so overwhelming. no hugging or kissing, they can only hold hands. in this moment that limited gesture is loaded with feeling. >> it means everything to me. >> it's okay. don't worry. >> hello. how are you? >> howard chapman and his

daughter andre assay in normal times they don't normally hold hands. these aren't normal times. >> there are some like this. >> yeah. >> my lovely daughter. what's your name? >> yeah, which one are you? >> reporter: in the nursing home there's a buzz of anticipation. some of the residents are leaving the grounds for the first time since last summer. it's only a small excursion, a drive through the nearby countryside followed by tea at a park and a local beach. it's more freedom than george balch thought possible. how are you doing today? >> very well. we've been locked up for weeks and weeks and weeks. you come here, you realize how

big england is. we've almost forgot how big this place is really. >> reporter: many of england's elderly were lost to the pandemic and so many more have been forced to endure heartbreaking confinement. their restored freedoms are modest but they're aloud the possibility of hope. more time with loved ones. and more walks by the beach. phil black, cnn, southern england. >> so great to see. all right. that wraps this hour. stay tuned for "early start."

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i will not relent until we beat this virus, and i need you. >> president biden makes an appeal to the american people and lays out his time line for a return to normal. a nation divided. more states move to reopen business and drop mask mandates despite warnings from officials. and an influx of migrant children at the southwest border. what is the plan to help these kids? welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the