with alisyn camerota and john berman. >> welcome to our viewers in the united states and all around the world. this is "new day." it's tuesday, march 16th. it's 6:00 here in new york. alisyn is off, erica hill with me. >> always a pleasure. >> director of the cdc is practically begging americans to stay vigilant a while longer and keep up the coronavirus precautions as new cases plateau at 55,000 a day. dr. fauci is warning the surge we're seeing in europe could happen here. the president is asking doctors and local leaders and religious officials to help get more americans vaccinated, a vaccine that was developed under the former president standing in the way of this message is a mountain of misinformation and possible ma lev lance. case in point. >> the administration would like you to take this vaccine, joe biden told you last week if you don't, you can't celebrate the fourth of july. but it turns out there are things we don't know about the effects of this vaccine. >> and he went on and on and on. so why would this television character spend so much time on his show throwing shade at vaccines? feeding the fears of half of republican men who say they do not plan to take it? this television character likes to say he's just asking questions. so here are some questions. does this character think it's important to slow the spread of the virus? just asking. does this character care if the country reaches herd immunity to return to life and work safely? a, it's a question. does tucker carlson really want his view herbs to live? look, this guy bemoans so-called cancel culture more than anyone on earth. he should look in the mirror. you can't get any more cancelled than dead. >> you need a beat after that one. cnn learning the white house is drawing up plans to increase vaccine supply in emerging hot spots. we should point out the vaccination rate in the u.s. is accelerating. standing now at 2.4 million shots a day on average. and president biden is heading to pennsylvania today. that's his fist stop of the administration's help is here a push to highlight the benefits of his coronavirus relief bill. let's begin with randi kaye live in west palm beach. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, erica. we're at the south florida fairgrounds which is now a vaccination site. we're expecting long lines here today as just this week the state of florida lowered the vaccination age to 60 and above. this is one of more than 1,000 vaccination sites across this state. already more than 2.3 million floridians have been vaccinated, but the state is hoping to ramp that up. spring breakers are flocking to florida for an escape, packing the beaches and bars. but health experts urging the public to remember, despite the sunshine, coronavirus is still here. >> we have seen footage of people enjoying spring break festivities maskless. this is all in the context of still 50,000 cases per day. >> reporter: the director of the centers for disease control and prevention point abroad to europe, parts of italy entering another lockdown and new coronavirus cases surging. >> they simply took their eye off the ball. i'm pleading with you for the sake of our nation's health, these should be warning signs for all of us. >> reporter: europe's covid-19 vaccine rollout is also much slower than it is in the u.s. more than 71 million people in the u.s. have received at least one dose. and despite more than 2.4 million shots going into arms everyday on average, president joe biden is facing an uphill battle, convincing a large number of his predecessor supporters to get vaccinated. >> the thing that has more impact than anything trump would say to the maga folks is what the local doctor, what the local preachers, what the local people in the community say. >> reporter: the white house says it would welcome former president's donald trump's help in promoting the vaccine while also noting it's not necessary. >> former president trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to be more vocal about the safety and efficacy of the campaign, of the vaccine, certainly we would support that. >> reporter: meantime, expected increase in vaccine supply, more states are expanding who can sign up for a shot. this morning in mississippi, all people 16 and older can get vaccinated. and connecticut announcing they'll open up eligibility to the same ages by april 5th. but even as more people gain access to vaccines, health experts say it's key to stay vigilant. >> the way the variant spread is by letting our guard down, by not wearing masks, by not social distancing. if we can hang in there for a few more months, there will be enough vaccine for every adult in america to be vaccinated. and then we can truly let go of some of the restrictions that are in place. >> reporter: and with more and more states easing restrictions, we're still seeing about 50,000 to 60,000 new cases a day. that's exactly why the head of the cdc is reminding people that cases jumped in the spring. they climbed again over the summer, and she's warning that they will climb again unless more precautions and all precautions are taken. erica, back to you. >> randi kaye, thank you. developing overnight a growing number of countries temporarily suspending their rollout of astrazeneca's coronavirus vaccine. cnn's melissa bell is live in rome with more for us. melissa, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. it was yesterday the first day of italy's second lockdown in just over a year that the news came that it was joining that growing list of european countries who announced the suspension of the astrazeneca vaccine. one of the most important in terms of europe's rollout not only the first contract signed by the eu, it was one of its largest. as a result of that series of suspensions, country after country saying they're stopping, it is 8 million doses currently sitting on shelves that cannot be used while we wait to find out what the european medicine's agency has to say ability. it is investigating these fears that have led to these suspensions, essentially that some patients who have been inoculated with it went on to develop blood clots. astrazeneca itself points out of the 17 million people so far inoculated with their vaccine in the united kingdom and here in the eu, it is just over 30 of them who have gone on to experience difficulties. that they say is either equal or inferior to what you find in the general population. i think what really changed yesterday and led a number of countries who so far been defending the continued use of the vaccine was the news from denmark it wasn't so much about the numbers of people but the nature of the symptoms they had shown before they died. that led even countries like france that had so far defended the use to change their advice. so until thursday when we expect the european medicines agency to give its decision on whether the astrazeneca vaccine should continue or not, a bunch of countries waiting to find out and of course the problem with that is that this was a naturally vaccine-hesitant part of the world. this is only likely to increase that almost whatever the science at this stage and the findings of the european medicine agency. this is a issue way beyond the borders of europe. 3 billion doses of the astrazeneca vaccine sold worldwide. it is crucial in trying to fight the pandemic because it's the one being used primarily in the developing world. so, a huge story here in europe and one that's being very closely watched even as those covid-19 figures continue to rise and third wave restriction and restriction in growing number of countries. >> melissa bell in rome. thank you very much. that is very important. joining us now, dr. chris parnell fellow at american college of preventive medicine. we'll get to astrazeneca in just a second. first, i want to start with vaccines here in the united states where the news has been remarkably promising, right? we're vaccinating average of more than 2 million people a day now. we've had days of over 3 million. yet, and i played at the top and i want to play it again, you have very influential people on a soap box now trying to throw shade at vaccines and vaccinations. what's the impact of that sitting where you sit, what kind of concern does that cause? >> it causes a lot of concern, john. any type of reckless or destructive behavior, anti-science behavior is not what we can afford as a nation. as we push forward, as we look to achieve herd immunity, meaning anywhere between 70 to 85% of the american adult population is vaccinated. we can't afford to have influencers, influencers in any circles, republican or conservative circles come promoos the safety of the known efficacy of the vaccine. a lot has been said about hesitancy in communities of color. what we need to talk about is hesitancy that might be partisan or political in nature and it's just dangerous when science is politicized. >> that's absolutely what we're seeing. we're putting up on the screen right now dr. pernell, our cnn poll found 46% of republicans say they won't try to get the vaccine. we know this is especially concerning when it comes to white republicans. i wonder, too, your thoughts on what you're seeing act astrazeneca and want your thought in the reporting from melissa bell. are you concerned about the message that may send here in the united states, this vaccine has not even yet applied for emergency use authorization. >> right. i want to emphasize what the process is. we've been doing quite well with pfizer and moderna and j&j and the public understanding these vaccines are properly vetted. i would caution us to see what the science will show when emergency use authorization is applied for by astrazeneca. it is concerning, right it? does give you caution to say are there an increased incidence of blood clots those received this vaccine. the science doesn't definitively state that. the countries in the european union and britain considered pausing or suspended are showing a appropriate levels of caution, but for us here in the american public, i want us just to focus on what the process is able to do. it's a very rigorous process. when we follow that process, no product, no vaccine, no therapy pudic will get to the american people that has not been proven to be safe and effective and thoroughly tested. >> as of now, there is no evidence that these blood clots and the incidents that they're worried about are occurring at any higher rate among people who have been vaccinated versus unvaccinated. that's what they're looking into to see if there is evidence but they haven't found it correct? >> correct. just so people can understand, there's a difference between a core relation and causation. there's no evidence there's a direct root or direct link between the astrazeneca vaccine and the formation of blood clots. when you begin to see symptoms or begin to see certain signs emerge in the vaccinated population, you want to compare that to the unvaccinated population and you want to say, is this occurring at a higher incidence that you would normally see in the general population. that's not true. while i said it is appropriate for there to be caution, it is necessary for all of us to understand how science works. and right now, there is suggestive correlation, but it's not definitive and we just have to respect the process and allow itself to declare itself fully. >> one thing we do know that is definitive is the science has shown us the power of masks. we know these public health measures and how important they are. dr. roeshl walensky pleading with the american public not to give up on these precautions at this point and stay vigilant as we're seeing these images of people being out and about, understandably happy to try to regain some of that pre-pandemic life. do you share the same concerns as dr. woe len ski this morning? >> most certainly. we all want to go back to our pre-pandemic state, right? we all want to be able to enjoy our family and enjoy our friends. we've been through unprecedented public health crisis, very traumatic experience, but we cannot afford to cost our success and victory to date. i deliberately use that word victory. the fact that we had over 100 million americans either receive one or two doses over 38 million fully vaccinated is something that we all should celebrate as we continue to accelerate toward our goal. we know from over the summer federal researchers have shown when ever states relax their universal mask mandates, you do see a rise in infection. like wise, when states ease those restrictions in their restaurants, whether it's indoor or even outdoor eating, you can see a rise of infections within six weeks and rise in deaths by two months. we don't need to see more destruction that we've already seen. that's why it's so destructive when you have a tucker carlson who politicizes the vaccine. we know that this vaccine, all three of these vaccines that have been approved by emergency use authorization, we know they're safe. we know they're effective. we all need to get on the same side. this isn't a republican virus or a democrat virus. isn't a conservative virus or liberal virus, this is a virus stealing lives and virus that has undeniably changed the course of our civic, our social and our cultural interactions so we all need to be rowing in the same direction. >> dr. pernell, always great having you on. thanks so much for helping us this morning. >> thank you. two men charged with assaulting capitol police officer brian sick nick before he died. the charges they face creating new questions. that's next. ♪ ♪i've got the brains you've got the looks♪ ♪let's make lots of money♪ ♪you've got the brawn♪ ♪i've got the brains♪ ♪let's make lots of♪ ♪uh uh uh♪ ♪oohhh there's a lot of opportunities♪ with allstate, drivers who switched saved over $700. saving is easy when you're in good hands. allstate click or call to switch 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(vo) buy your next car 100% online. with carvana. psst! psst! allergies don't have to be scary. spraying flonase daily stops your body from overreacting to allergens all season long. psst! psst! you're good. i'm a verizon engineer. we built our 5g nationwide so millions of people could do what they love in verizon 5g quality. and in parts of many cities, we have ultra wideband, the fastest 5g in the world. this is 5g built right. only from verizon. developing this morning, two men arrested for allegedly assaulting u.s. capitol police officer brian sicknick during the storming of the capitol on january 6th. sicknick died a day later. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you, erica. this represents a major break in this case. prosecutors and investigators have spent weeks pouring over pictures and videos, trying to figure out who the two men were who actually assaulted officer brian sicknick and what they found was that the entire incident was caught on body camera video. they have video now of these two men spraying some sort of chemical irritant at officer brian sicknick as well as two other officers. together these two men are facing nine charges. these are charges of violence, charges of assault. however, there's a footnote here, erica, which is neither man is actually charged in the death of officer brian sicknick. so still a little bit of justice there hanging in limbo. however, this is a major development, major progress. that's really one of the themes here in d.c. right now because we're standing outside the capitol along this outer perimeter fencing. we have learned that some time in the next two weeks fencing like this surrounding the capitol grounds will be taken down. uscp feeling more confident they can take on any potential threats. they acknowledge we are still in this heightened threat environment. we're still in a toxic political climate. however, at this point they think lone wolf style attacks present the biggest risk and feel more confident in their intelligence flow, more confident in their ability to handle possible threats. a couple weeks after this outer fencing comes down, they're going to re-evaluate the need for the national guard. so, things slowly returning to normal here in d.c., erica. >> whitney wild with the latest for us this morning. thank you. joining us now cnn counterterrorism analyst phillip mudd. good to see you this morning. so as whitney just laid out for us, nine charges, neither man is charged in sicknick's death. what do you make of the charges that you're seeing and where this investigation stands. >> well, you can assume one thing and that is prosecutors at the department of justice will want to bring murder charges. the question in their mind is whether they can. we have one missing element here and that is the medical report. before you can bring a murder charge, you have to know why officer sicknick died and whether there's a district link between the spray used by these individuals now charged for assault and the death of the officer. and until we have the medical experts explaining exactly what happened to him, it seems to me you'll have a prosecutor saying i can't charge somebody with his death until we know whether they're responsible for it. i'm telling you they want to charge these guys, but until the doctors speak, the people assessing why he died the toxicologists can't bring those charges. >> it's worth noting it's still a serious crime whether or not it's charged in the death of the officer, just assaulting the officer is still a very serious charge that carries very serious jail time. phil, removing some of the fencing around the capitol because we're now told there is no direct credible threat on the building itself. what does that tell you? >> it tells me a couple things. first, if you think about the intelligence that the capitol police are collecting, i'm sure they're talking to people like the fbi, the intelligence before january 6th you didn't need intelligence. you could watch cnn. a mountain of intelligence about people approaching the capitol. you have to believe all the analysts and they have analysts at the capitol police, seeing not only do we see a mountain of people coming to washington, d.c., obviously not, but do we see these groups talking about going to washington. and the message by removing the fencing is they don't. one other thing behind the scenes, john, that is the cooperation among the agencies that clearly didn't cooperate well before january 6th has got to be improved and so the information flow of any agency that might see stuff that would lead to threat that stuff is going to go to the capitol police now even if it wasn't perfect before january 6th. so i think they're just not seeing very much and that's why they're taking this down. >> in terms of seeing stuff, you know, you've looked at this and said it's not just about there's a lot of talk about some of the groups who were represented on january 6th. but i know you made the point it's not just about these groups. this is also about individuals and how they are feeling and were feeling and the license they saw they were given. can you touch on that first a little bit. >> yeah. i think this is really important. i spent almost my entire career looking at extremism. we're looking at this through the wrong lens. we're looking at this as ideology as maga, for example. this is not an ideology. this is an excuse. think of the motivations that led pe