. the tokyo olympic games are set to kick off despite a rise in covid cases and controversy. and a new u.n. report reveals a world of growing jihadist tlhreats. and australia set to face off with the united nations over whether the great barrier reef is this danger. the clash over this natural wonder. welcome to everyone watching us here in the united states and all around the world. i'm michael holmes and this is "cnn newsroom."

the long awaited and long delayed summer olympic games officially begin a few hours from now. but the director of the opening ceremony, well, he won't be running the show. he was abruptly fired yesterday, the fourth olympics official to be forced out. we are live in tokyo where the games have already been postponed of course for a year because of the pandemic. and covid continues to cast a shadow over them. for the first time, olympic events will be held without spectators in most venues. and only a fraction of the 11,000 athletes scheduled to play will parade in the opening ceremony. the u.s. will have one of the larger presences with about 200 athletes. as the clock ticks down, covid cases keep ticking up. about 20 athletes have so far tested positive and have been

forced to drop out. the olympic village has had at least a dozen cases of people testing positive too. we begin our coverage with blake essig joining me live from tokyo. and despite all of those negatives, the show is going to go on. >> reporter: yeah, after months of uncertainty and a jen population that doesn't want the games to happen, the open ceremony, official start of the 2020 olympic games, is just three hours away. and the foot traffic around the national stadium has been constant, everyone is out here camera in hand taking pictures of the stadium behind me and that is about as close as they will get to be able to be a part of the opening ceremony because no spectators are allowed inside. i monthly have not seen so many people out walking around since the pandemic began. of course that is not great news given the surge in covid-19 cases, but people have told me that they are out here out of curiosity. now, we've been talking to people throughout the day to gauge their level of excitement,

and generally speaking it is health, safety and surge in cases, not the olympics, that dominates the conversation, with some saying that it is hard to get excited about these games. i'm even told even though they are happening here in tokyo, it doesn't really feel like it. still the games are already under way and the opening ceremony albeit a subdued affair is set to take place here shortly and when it does, only 950 dignitaries will be inside the 68,000 seat stadium including united states first lady jill biden, she arrived in tokyo yesterday. all that being said, despite the surge in covid-19 cases in tokyo, the pandemic is still raging in many parts of the world, but the caldron will be lit later tonight. >> all right, blake, appreciate the coverage. blake essig live in tokyo for us. now the white house is adopting a tone of greater urgency over covid-19 after cases in the u.s. jumped more than 50% since last week.

the number of new infections rising or holding steady in just about every single state but one as you can see there on the map. president biden says his covid team is examining the surge and discussing if new mask recommendations are needed. >> we follow the science. it is happening now. all the major scientific operations in this country and the 25 person group we put together are looking at all possibilities of what is happening now. we have a pandemic among the nonvaccinated. those who are not vaccinated. if you are vaccinated, you are safe. >> vaccination rates are down to their lowest point since january, less than half of americans are fully vaccinated, far from the number needed to reach herd immunity. and there are plenty of vaccines

available. the white house also providing more resources to increase vaccination rates. the administration will inject $100 million into rural health clinics to support vaccine education and outreach efforts. as well as $1.6 billion into testing and mitigation measures. the white house covid-19 response coordinator said he is confident about the vaccines despite breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals. >> we will see some cases among those who are vaccinated as to be expected with any vaccine, these cases are generally mild and oftentimes asymptomatic, which is just more proof that the vaccines work. >> the rise of the delta variant has left many people wondering if the u.s. could head for another lockdown just as we've seen in many other countries. dr. anthony fauci told cbs news that it is not something that he

can see happening. >> i don't see a lockdown in the future, norah. remember when you are dealing with a sharp incline in cases, you are talking about overwhelmingly that is among unvaccinated people. >> now, despite some discussion over whether mask mandates need reviewing, the cdc is not changing its recommendation on masks. dr. rochelle walensky said thursday that the unvaccinated though, they should still wear masks. but if a person is vaccinated, it becomes a personal choice. >> communities and individuals need to make the decisions that are right for them based on what is going on in their local area. so if you are in an area with a high case rate and low rates of vaccination where delta cases are rising, you should certainly be wearing a mask if you are unvaccinated. if you are vaccinated, you get

exceptional protection from the vaccines but you have the opportunity to make the personal choice to add extra layers of protection if you so choose. florida is leading the u.s. in new daily coronavirus cases. racking up an average of nearly 6500 new infections a day. it is the current u.s. hot spot. but if you listen to the state's governor, who has played down the pandemic since the beginning, it is just a season of illness. and he is shooting down any suggestion that there will be any rockefellerlockdowns or mas. >> if anyone is calling for lockdowns, you are not getting that done in florida. >> reporter: governor desantis refusing to back down from his conviction that he is successfully handling covid in his state. >> i have a 3-year-old son and you have people like fauci saying that he should be muzzled, throwing masks on these 3-year-old kids. that is totally unacceptable. >> reporter: the state is.

>>ing 6492 cases a day, a figure that has doubled in a week. and in just one week from july 15th to july 21st, florida has 45,449 new cases and is once again leading the nation in the number of new covid-19 cases. desantis says it is just a seasonal thick. thing. >> we have a summer season here. started a little later this year. so you will have higher prevalence the rest of july, probably into august. and then it goes back. >> reporter: doctors disagree. >> we have a much more contagious variant that we didn't see in december or april. >> reporter: but then there is also this messaging -- >> these vaccines make it so that your chance of survival is pretty dog gone close to 100%. >> reporter: which is a far cry from his tone last may. gla becaus >> you got a lot of people who wax poetically for weeks and weeks how florida was going to

be just like new york. wait, florida will be next, just like italy. hel hell, we're eight weeks away from that and it hasn't happened. and so we've succeeded and i don't think people want to recognize it. >> reporter: a little less than 10 weeks after that press conference, florida became a global covid epicenter, only california with its larger population recorded more cases at the time. so while desantis is encouraging vaccines, he is continuing to push back on masks and dr. fauci. his political operation is selling merchandise that reads don't fauci my florida and how can i drink a beer with my mask on. right now about 49% of florida residents are vaccinated and the state is recording the most deaths in the country this month. yet desantis stands firm. >> we've never had any mandates in the state of florida and well not have any mandates. >> reporter: and he was met with

quite a bit of applause by supporters surrounding him. and in 2022, he is up for re-election. but plenty out there are wondering if he has his eyes on 2024 for a presidential bid. leyla santiago, cnn, miami. the nfl has a new policy for coronavirus outbreaks. the league warns that if a game is canceled and can't be rescheduled because of an outbreak among unvaccinated players, well, that team with the outbreak will forfeit and it will be counted as a loss. not only that, the team with the outbreak will have to pay the expenses of the other team. it is all part of their push to get players and staff vaccinated before the nfl season kicks off. the nfl reports they are seeing an increase in vaccination rates. 14 teams are above the 85% threshold now. and this is an interesting one. musician eric clapton says that

he will not perform at venues that require a covid-19 vaccination for entry. according to a statement posted on the social media account of an anti vaccine activist, clapton says that he will not play anywhere that there is, a quote, discriminated audience present. in a followup email, clapton said that he is not a covid denier or anti-vaxxer, he calls it an issue of human rights. important to note that medical professionals say that vaccine is safe and effective and it prevents death and serious illness. britain will make some 10,000 key workers exempt from self-isolation to prevent critical shortages in the food chains. this coming after a record number of people across england and wales were pinged by the test and trace app and told to isolate because they had been in close contact with someone who has covid.

nina dos santos is live in london for us. tell us about how this is working, who is accepted and who might be in the future? >> reporter: it is all a bit complicated. what we know is that obviously food supply workers, not necessarily people who stock the shelves, is more people inside the food depots, also people having to transport food from one part of the country to the next. those are the types of people who will be exempt from this. as you said, it will be a scheme that at the moment will be in the early stages encompassing about 10,000 workers to try to alleviate acute shortages in the labor supply chain particularly of the food industry but also in the field sector as well. even people like the metropolitan police here in london are contending with large numbers, having to isolate as well. so this is certainly broader than the food sector, but the government was concerned in

particular about lack of food on shelves and then people panic buying and getting in to a vicious cycle. so the way it will work, we'll see the scheme rolled out where for people who have been contacted or pinged as you said and told that they will have to isolate, they can go to work but by doing daily testing for seven days instead of having to isolate for ten days which is the current rule. obviously there are other business leaders from other sectors that say that they want this type of help as well. at the moment this appears to be limited in fashion, it doesn't alleviate the concerns that many people have across this country. but the government is trying to take these emergency measures but the rest of the economy in theory is open and covid restriction free. >> while the prime minister isolates. nina dos santos, appreciate it. cases are surging in much of asia fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.

south korea is being battling a new wave of the pandemic and will be extending its toughest social distancing measures in the greater seoul area for another two weeks. cyril vanier with more on how south korea and how other nations in asia are coping with soaring infections. >> reporter: lockdown in indonesia, emergency restrictions in place until july 25th, more than 54,000 new cases reported wednesday. the island nation now surpassing india with the most daily infections as the government struggles to vaccinate its population. not surprisingly, the delta variant will be the dominant strain over the next few months says the world health organization. the highly contagious strain is already in 124 territories. like in bangkok, this was the scene there tuesday. hundreds of people lining up to get the vaccine at a bus station. no social distancing possible here. thailand is facing its worst covid outbreak so far.

>> currently south korea is in the middle of the fourth wave and the outbreak of more than 1,000 patients a day continues for more than 15 days. >> reporter: this is what hospitals in south korea have been dealing with. it is also their worst outbreak. the government says it may expand lockdown restrictions in seoul. more than 500 flights were canceled at a major airport in eastern china. 17 cleaning workers tested positive for the virus. the city says it is now on a soft lockdown as it tests all of its 9 million residents. oxyge oxygen cylinders are hard to come by. there is a bed shortage in hospitals. this as the country remains in crisis after february's military coup. coronavirus misinformation now a big problem in india. one radio station uses the airwaves to raise awareness.

>> to communicate to the community that this is a problem, it is a global problem, there is a lot of fake news. do not follow that. >> reporter: getting a ahead of the problem, convincing people to get the vaccine, just as important as tackling the disease itself. cyril vanier, cnn. the u.s. house investigation into the capitol riot might soon get a bipartisan boost. speaker nancy pelosi is said to be considering another republican to serve on the committee. also devastating wildfires scorching huge swathes of western united states and extreme heat and drought only making it worse. find out when conditions could improve after the break. ♪ ♪ (sounds of car doors closing) (screaming & laughter) ♪ ♪ (sounds of car doors closing) (crash sound & tires squealing) (phone chimes) this is onstar.

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the u.s. house panel investigating the capitol riot might soon get a second republican, that is despite gop leadership refusing to put anyone on the democrat-led committee. man u raju with more. >> reporter: despite the blowup between nancy pelosi and the house speaker and the house republican leader kevin mccarthy over the january 6 committee that would investigate the attack that happened here in the capitol on that day, it is still moving ahead. nancy pelosi does have eight members, one republican, that she has named to the post, the republican liz cheney, she believes that she has a bipartisan quorum regardless of the fact that kevin mccarthy does not plan to appoint any five members to serve on this committee. they are still moving ahead. this is after nancy pelosi rejecting two of mccarthy's picks because she believed those two congressmen jim jordan and jim banks would undermine the integrity of the investigation.

mccarthy as a result pulled out all of his picks. now, pelosi is still considering adding another republican to this panel. that is republican adam kinzinger. he and cheney were the two foremost trump critics, the only two republicans to vote to create this select committee. whether she does remains to be seen, but it is actively being discussed. at the same time she is also considering allowing an outside adviser to come in who is a republican, denver riggleman. there will be a hearing next week with capitol police and d.c. police about their experiences in the capitol defending the capitol on january 6 and then the investigation will take shape in the months ahead. key staff have already been hired and they plan to lay out their plan about the investigation now that they have the staff and the personnel expecting to pick up in the months and weeks ahead. but this will him certainly drag

into next year, an election year will control of congress is at stake and republicans don't want this discussion to be about january 6th as they try to take back control of the house. man new u back control of the house. man new raju, cnn, capitol hill. dozens of wildfires are burning across the western united states. the largest fire in the country has consumed nearly 400,000 acres in southern oregon. officials say the bootleg fire is just 40% contained. and to make matters worse, nine people working the fire have been forced to the sidelines after testing positive for covid-19. have a look at this, this is the tamarack fire, it is burning along the california/nevada border. just have a look at the terrifying scene there the crews had to battle through while fighting this inferno. it has burned through horn 50,000 acres, or 20,000 hectares, with just 4% contained.horn 50,000

acres, or 20,000 hectares, with just 4% contained. extreme heat and drought are fueling the flames of some of these fires. let's bring in derek van dam. what are you seeing? i think that it is just going to get hotter, isn't it? >> yeah, you're right. that is the name of the game, it is summertime. but i think smoky the bear from the u.s. national forest service is on to something here, warning people that there is an extreme fire danger. it was a slogan, something like only you can prevent wildfires, right? well, he is on to something across central oregon because it is extremely dry there and he has warned the tourists and the residents that fire conditions are indeed high. one of the parameters that we often get overlooked is how bad this impacts the quality of the area across the u.s. we've been covering this the past 24 hours or so. because the smoke from the wildfires over southern canada and the western u.s. has drifted, it has gotten caught into the upper levels of the atmosphere, and drifted eastward.

in fact here in atlanta, georgia where the cnn center is located, there was some kind of haze to the sky tonight with a nearly full moon. that coloring that you see on the tv screen is the smoke predicted into the weekend that will impact much of the southeastern u.s. even though the major metropolitan areas d.c., new york, boston should stay haze-trfree. 79 large active fires over the western u.s., today we have the potential for dry lightning taking in a and idaho. and so a red flag warning. we are getting much needed relief, but perhaps a bit too much too soon. and too quickly. because flash flood warnings are taking place including the maricopa county region where phoenix is located, they have had extremely heavy rainfall within the past six hours or so

leading to localized flash flooding throughout the region. you can see the high resolution forecast lighting up like a christmas tree because there is a lot of rain in the forecast across the area thated for so l. when the ground is so dry, it doesn't have the ability to absorb the rain and so that is why we see the flash flooding. >> what a combination. dereking derek, thanks. search crews are still rescuing people in central china. these are pictures coming into us live here from henan province in china as the rescues continue. there have been survivors trapped in their homes without food, water or electricity. just have a look at how high the water still is. 33 people have been killed, hundreds more are missing or still stranded. and a lot of people are asking why authorities weren't better prepared after the region got a year's worth of rain in just three days.

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show me the olympics. [ "bugler's dream" playing ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ we are live in tokyo where the olympic games are set to get under way. welcome back to "cnn newsroom." i'm michael holmes. after a year long delay, it is the final precedent to the olympics in japan, we're now just about 2 1/2 hours away from the official start of tokyo 2020. as covid cases surge, the opening ceremony will look vastly different with only select vips and athletes in

attendance. australia's team says that it will have about 63 athletes and officials in the ceremony. the team has about 470 athletes in all. south korea says 26 out of 2 # 2 a 232 athletes will take part, indep i said i cndependent i can't says0 out of nearly 230 will take part. as olympians gear up to take center stage, so too of course is japan. the world is watching how the country will host the world's biggest sporting event in the middle of a pandemic. dr. sanjay gupta looks at the challenges it faces. >> reporter: it was never going to be easy. the olympic games in the medal of a pandemic in a city now in a state of emergency. the usual fanfare, muted. making way for concerns over covid-19. while it is true that no kuchb

in country in the world was prepared for this pandemic, japan faired better than most. they are an island nation, it wasn't that hard to get people to isolate here, people wore masks without much dipgtfficult. and they also have hundreds of these, think of them like hundreds of cdcs all over the country. i spoke with the director of one of these. >> translator: we have been preparing for seven years to prevent risks for the tokyo olympics. >> reporter: according to a poll about 80% of residents here in japan did not want the olympics to happen here at this time. what about you? what do you think? >> translator: in 1964, the last tokyo olympics, because japan lost the war, the games worked as an opportunity for us to come back. in this olympics, we have fukushima. >> reporter: he is talking about the nuclear disaster triggered by an earthquake that claimed nearly 20,000 lives. but coronavirus has been a

different type of disaster, putting constant pressure on japan to battle rising infections and to get vaccines into arms as fast as possible. >> translator: the coronavirus cases may rise or fall. so we will think about what we should do when the situation arises. >> reporter: canceling the olympics at this point seems inconceivable. but there is one thing dr. zuka does appear about. >> translator: i think that japan could be rated a "c" for its measure against covid-19. >> reporter: while there are 400 icu beds in tokyo, only half are available for covid-19 patients. that combined with the rising number of cases and hospital sa izations doesn't leave a lot of room for a surge in a city of 14 million. is there a criteria by which you would start to become concerned? >> mostly what we look at is changes this pattern. so if we started to see infection in people who weren't part of close contact groups, if

we started to see a rising number of cases, doubling more rapidly than we thought. and particularly if we started to see cases appearing in the local population that seemed to be linked back into the village or vice versa. >> reporter: so far, that hasn't happened. but for the head of the world health organization, the olympics is a balance. the fess health of a nation versus the mental health of the world. >> may the message of hope resound, resound there tokyo around the world in every nation, every village. and every heart. >> reporter: dr. gupta, cnn, tokyo. and you can follow the games with cnn's instant coverage on our website, just point your browser to cnn.com/olympics. and we're standing by for a decision from the unesco world heritage committee on australia's great barrier reef. the marine wonder has been deteriorating for years due to

climate change and natural disasters, but the australian government is fighting hard against a possible in danger listing. anna coren is following this for us live from hong kong. so what would a classification mean for the reef and what is the australian government worried about? >> reporter: i just got off the phone from another scientist who studies the reef. and she said that if the listing went ahead, that if the great barrier reef was to be listed as in danger, that basically all that does is shine a global spotlight on the problems. the problems of climate change facing the great barrier reef. as you say, one of the, you know, great natural wonders of the world. it is the largest living infrastructure on the planet. you can see it from space. and people are sort of shaking their heads as to doctor worpt

the uaustralian government agre to this, put in all measures necessary to reserve this fragile ecosystem which is basically leak the amlike the a of the ocean. it is such a special place. but the australian government as we know has been fierceless fighting this listing, it has been lobbying other member countries of unesco. the federal minister spent eight days traveling around the world visiting these places, visiting these members to lobby them to go with australia. i mean, you can't imagine the amount of taxpayer dollars as well as emissions that were spent on this trip. they want the decision to be postponed until 2023. is that two years away. the damage that -- further damage to the reef that could be done is just mind boggling. but as you say, we should know in the next couple of hours.

if however it goes to a secret ballot, then that decision will be made tomorrow. >> keeping an eye on it for us, anna coren there in hong kong. thanks so much. coming up after massive protests in cuba, the u.s. is imposing new sanctions on parts of cuba's government. we'll have the response from havana.

show me the olympics. [ "bugler's dream" playing ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ the united nations is warning of increased threats from terror groups linked with is isis and al qaeda detailing excalating activity as efforts to combat it wind down. it says north africa is a particular growth area as is an old familiar location, afghanistan. as nic robertson reports, the easing of covid lockdowns may provide jihadists with

additional opportunities. >> reporter: covid-19 travel and other restrictions have kept international islamist terror threats at bay, a new u.n. report reveals. but it hasn't killed their threat. >> one of the things that we highlight in the report that has just come out is the possibility that the relaxation of lockdowns might mean that some pre-planned attacks can then take place. >> reporter: the report, 20 years after al qaeda's horrific 9/11 attacks, reveals a world of growing jihadist threats and waning efforts to counter them. from somalia in east africa where u.s. forces backing the government left this year, al qaeda affiliate al shabaab is spreading its brand of violence south into kenya. other al qaeda affiliates making gains through the sahal region

too. and they are crossing borders from mali and into nigeria. in nigeria, the death of an al qaeda leader likely maybes the isis affiliate the biggest outside of syria. >> part of their vision is that these will enable them to increase the interoperability of their global network and ultimately mount a more effective threat particularfully in in the west. >> reporter: another risk gaining momentum, the birth place of the 9/11 attacks, afghanistan. although it is too soon for the report to conclude the impact of the taliban's recent gains and the u.s. drawdown, one member

state estimates isis who claimed a rocket attack narrowly missing afghan leaders, attending prayers in the capital tuesday to have 500 to 1500 fighters and be focusing on the capital kabul. and al qaeda who u.s. forces chased from the country after 9/11 now have a presence in at least 15 of the country's 34 provinces, fighting alongside the taliban and appear to be counting on a military victory. >> that gives them time in which to stabilize to continue to use afghanistan as a platform and then in the longer term to review whether it is possible to use it as a platform also for international attacks. >> reporter: 20 years on from the 9/11 attacks, al qaeda's then number two, now its chief, zaw zawahri, is thought to be unwell. his expected replacement the

report says is in iran. likely assessing if afghanistan is safe for his return. nic robertson, cnn, london. the u.s. is imposing new sanctions on parts of the cuban regime following massive protests on the island nation. u.s. president joe biden says that the sanctions are just the beginning. and now havana has responded. patrick oppmann with the details. >> reporter: the biden administration has left new sanctions on cuba and couluban officials are firing back. thursday president biden announced that there would be sanctions on cuba's defense minister and a special brigade of cuban troops, these are special forces troops, known as the black brigades. and the cuban government has september them in the streets that you usually don't see here to deter protestors from again

going out and calling for liberty, calling for change, calling for better conditions and less shortages. the cuban government doesn't seem like they are going to be deterred in any way by these new sanctions, cuba's foreign minister tweeting out that the u.s. should sanction itself for all the police violence that takes place in the united states he said. so while the biden administration is certainly hoping that sanctions and threats of more sanctions could force the cuban government could allow the protests to go forward, already the cuban government saying that they won't have any impact. patrick oppmann, cnn, havana. and when we come back, c china's top ride sharing company skidding into the regular late t regulator's crosshairs. also, the tokyo olympics opening ceremony just a couple

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shares of the chinese ride hailing company losing more than 11% as bloomberg news reports that china is considering penalties against it. the company has been in crosshairs ever since it went public in new york last month. before that ipo, 2021 was shaping up to be a huge year if chinese listings in the u.s. but clare sebastian reports that those expectations are changing. >> reporter: in the spring of 2019, china's answer to starbucks opened trading in new york, promising to convert millions of chinese tea loves to low prices and high tech convenience. >> it was just so attractive because on a per store basis, market cap was very low. >> reporter: and then 23-year-old ryan cohen a finance

professional in ohio was sold. >> i saw it as an opportunity to get in on a fast growing company and china for me as always been an untapped frontier. >> reporter: for years american investors have flocked to chinese companies listing in the u.s. as an easy way to own a piece of china's fast growing consumer market. and for years china has resisted complying with a requirement for public companies here that the u.s. be allowed to inspect the accounting firms that aud either th these companies. >> everyone has to comply. american companies, malaysian companies, british companies, except one. chinese companies. they just say no. >> reporter: compliance with that rule may not have prevented what happened next. >> turned out that the company had fabricated sales to the tune of about $310 million. >> reporter: and it eventually led to its delisting.

a brup bankruptcy filing and bi losses for investors leak rhee cohen. >> they got a bunch of capital from its ipo and then sort of left. and it left a lot of american investors holding the bag. >> i have a bill that is very simple. >> reporter: and it helped spur action in congress. last december then president trump signed the holding foreign companies accountable act forcing companies to potentially be delisted. the s.e.c. is still figuring out how to enforce the law. >> it has always been clear that the situation of uninspectable auditors in one country just couldn't go on. >> reporter: and if the u.s. rec late tors don't deter chinese leaders, didi was hit with a

review and then kicked off app stores. >> they are handling huge amounts of data that is deemed sensitive. >> reporter: and china has proposed all large tech companies to undergo a cybersecurity review. and allcated by tensions between the u.s. and china. >> didi and the recent events here have sort of given ammunition to those this congress for example the china hawks in congress, who really want to accelerate this process and are saying that this is not good for u.s. investors. but if it looks like the relationship is sort of going further south, then i would say that the chinese government may decide that, hey, why should we agree to auditing of our companies. >> reporter: it is clear after years of a fragile but mutually beneficial status quo, something has to give. and investors could be caught in the middle. clare sebastian, cnn, new york.

a u.s. sports caster is making a case for covid vaccines despite having a so-called breakthrough infection. nfl network host rich eisen contracted covid despite being fully vaccinated. research suggests that breakthrough infections are rare and typically lead to only minor symptoms. eisen said getting a vaccine was a good decision because without it, he could have ended up in a much worse position. >> i'm not vent lated, i'm not in a hospital, i never was in a hospital. also, my daughter got it. nothing is more personal than your 7-year-old daughter getting it and it is entirely possible, very feasible i gave it to her. she is okay right now. but that is harrowing, that is as white knuckle an experience as you possibly can get. plus the fact that i attempted to have a normal summer. my wife and i were heading on vacation out of the country, which is why i tested.

otherwise i would have thought maybe it is just some sort of an allergy and i could have spread it around even worse. >> right now we're around two hours away from the official opening of the olympic games. these are live images coming to us from tokyo. some events already under way. in fact a record that stood for 25 years was broken a little bit earlier, that was in archery. plus two football giants square off on the pitch. don riddell has that and more in a minute in sports. >> many people thought that it would never happen, but the 2020 summer olympics in tokyo are finally upon us. the competition is already under way, but within the next couple of hours, it will be official. the opening ceremony due to get under way at 7:00 p.m. local time. we've already witnessed a new olympic record, it happened in the women's archery on friday when south korea's ann san showed a score of 680 in the

individual ranking round as she shot 36 tens and 16 xs to set a record which stood since 1996. the men's football competition has witnessed a heavy weight clash in what was a repeat of the last olympic final. brazil played germany on thursday. and brazil just like they did in rio, they won it. the striker stealing the show with a hat trick as they ease to a 4-2 win. all of his goals came in the first 30 minutes. and they also played here back in 2002. that was the world cup final. brazil won that as well. back to you. our thanks to don riddell. and that is it for "cnn newsroom." i'm michael holmes. appreciate your company. follow me on instagram and twitter. "early start" is next. it's a simple fact: nothing kills more germs on more surfaces than lysol spray. it's a simple fact:

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show me the olympics. [ "bugler's dream" playing ] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. we have reports from tokyo, oregon, hong kong, washington, beijing and more. this is "early start." i'm laura jarrett. >> and i'm julia chatterley in for christine romans. happy friday. >> so nice to have you this week. it has been such a treat. >> a joy and a pleasure. >> we have an olympic games coming up like none before, folks. they are about to begin in tokyo, we are just two hours away from the opening ceremonies of the 2020 olympics, delayed one year by the pandemic of course. and while the next several weeks have with their shof