South Africa’s state-owned airline has suspended all its operations as it struggles to raise a bailout of more than 10 billion rands ($591 million).
South African Airways, one of the country’s state-owned enterprises face allegations of corruption and mismanagement, filed for liquidation and bankruptcy protection in December last year.
The business rescue team assigned to manage the company has announced it has failed to raise the money needed to implement a rescue plan for the airline. The suspension of operations may be lifted if the government comes through funds it has promised.
All scheduled cargo and repatriation flights will be undertaken but no new ones will be accepted during the suspension, said the company.
The move will also affect at least three of the airline’s subsidiaries, including the low-cost airline Mango.
South Africa’s tourism industry has been very hard hit industries by the country’s COVID-19 lockdown, but South African Airways’ financial problems existed well before the outbreak of the coronavirus. The suspension comes just as South Africa is to reopen the country to international flights on Thursday.
Workers unions have warned that the failure to rescue the airline will result in significant job losses in an economy that is expected to shrink by more than 7.2% this year. South Africa’s economy was already in recession before COVID-19 and the country’s strict lockdown in April and May caused further contraction of the economy. Unemployment has risen dramatically to 42%, according to statistics released this week.
The airline is currently the subject of a state investigation into wide-ranging allegations of corruption, fraud and mismanagement during former President Jacob Zuma’s time in office.
Inventors in self-service spit test have signed a deal with airport security giant to pilot tech on the continent, predict it will be a ‘de facto solution for air travel’
A mask-wearing traveler looks at his cellphone in front of a flight panel (Vergani_Fotografia; iStock by Getty Images)
A new made-in-Israel gargle test for coronavirus is being deployed in European airports, after a leading aviation security company threw its weight behind the tech.
A freshly inked agreement will lead to the tests being piloted in two European airports within days or weeks, and comes as pilot programs for the tests are already underway in 12 hospitals internationally, Eli Assoolin, who led the development team, told Times of Israel.
The SpectraLIT test, which eliminates the need for swabbing and lab processing, works on a self-service basis, with passengers simply asked to gargle with 10 milliliters of a special mouthwash, and then spit into a tube. “It will prove no more inconvenient than fingerprint checks,” said Assoolin.
In the initial pilot phase, a passenger who tests positive will be sent for a standard swab test.
The test, developed by Assoolin’s company Newsight together with Sheba Medical Center under the freshly formed Virusight Diagnostic, is being taken to airports by ICTS Europe, a security company that operates in more than 120 airports across 23 countries.
The self-service passenger stands in to which Virusight Diagnostic and ICTS Europe plan to integrate Israeli-developed gargle COVID-19 tests for airports. (courtesy of ICTS Europe)
ICTS has just agreed to pilot the SpectraLIT, and signed a letter of intent declaring that it will roll it out internationally if it proves effective, once regulatory approval has been received.
“We think our solution is going to be the de facto solution for air travel,” Assoolin told The Times of Israel, saying he foresees millions of his tests used over the coming months.
Illustrative: A woman gargles while using mouthwash from a glass (Tharakorn; iStock by Getty Images)
He said he expects to see the screening method deployed quickly in two European airports, integrated into self-service stands that ICTS already has for checking body temperature and printing boarding passes.
“Once the device proves itself in one airport we can — within a month including training and everything — take it to dozens of airports,” he stated.
Oren Sapir, ICTS Europe’s president and CEO, commented: “As travel restrictions are gradually lifted, innovation and technology will continue to be central to the industry’s recovery, and so we are proud and extremely pleased to join forces with Virusight to unveil SpectraLIT.”
Left to right: Eli Assoolin, CEO of Newsight, Professor Eli Schwartz of Sheba Medical Center and Eyal Yatskan, co-founder of Newsight, with the machine for testing gargle samples (courtesy of Newsight)
The tech has been trialed on 400 people at Sheba, and showed around 95% accuracy.
“We chose Virusight due to its proven diagnostic track record,” said Sapir.
Regular tests require swabs from the nose or throat and time-consuming lab processes carried out by trained staff. SpectraLIT relies on artificial intelligence to interpret a reading of a gargle sample.
It shines light through the sample and onto a special chip. Part of the light is absorbed, and the rest is captured by the sensors. The process is known as determining the sample’s spectral signature: matter reflects different light signatures, depending on its composition.
An airplane takes off over airport control tower at sunset (satit_srihin; iStock by Getty Images)
Artificial intelligence tools have made it possible for the developers to build a model for the mouthwash signature from a coronavirus-positive person, as opposed to those from non-infected individuals.
Sheba’s chief innovation officer Dr. Eyal Zimlichman described the new agreement as an “important milestone” for Virusight and said: “Digital health will transform healthcare, and this is yet another example of leveraging artificial intelligence technology to mitigate COVID-19.”
Two classic Holland America ships that the line recently removed from its fleet as part of a downsizing move, for instance, have been sold to U.K.-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (yes, the line has a dot in its name after Fred; Fred. is short for Fredrik).
Long called Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the two former Holland America ships that are switching brands soon will be sailing under the new names of Bolette and Borealis.
Also finding a new home recently was Costa Cruises’ neoRomantica, which has now popped up in the fleet of Mediterranean-based Celestyal Cruises.
The former Costa Cruises ship neoRomantica, now called Celestyal Experience, in its new Celestyal Cruises livery. (Photo courtesy of Celestyal Cruises)
Alas, not all the vessels leaving cruise fleets — and there are a lot of them — will have a second act. Quite a few are heading to the scrappers. That’s been the fate recently for three Carnival Cruise Line ships from the line’s groundbreaking Fantasy Class and one of the most iconic Royal Caribbean vessels ever built.
Meanwhile, the fate of some ships that are on the way out from lines remains unknown. Five classic vessels that until recently were operated by U.K.-based Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which collapsed in July amidst a COVID-related halt to cruises and is being liquidated, are going up for auction in October. They could be bought by another line for continued use as cruise ships or by a scrapping firm that would disassemble them for their scrap metal.
The Cruise & Maritime Voyages vessels include classic ships that once sailed for Carnival, Holland America and Princess.
Here, a look at seven of the most notable vessels that have been or soon will be switching brands during the coronavirus crisis (listed by their original names).
Holland America’s Rotterdam
Unveiled in 1997, Rotterdam was the first vessel in Holland America’s much-loved R Class series, and for years it was considered the line’s flagship.
Rotterdam was the sixth vessel in Holland America’a 147-year history to carry the name, which has a long history at the line. Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, notably, christened the vessel on Dec. 9, 1997, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines in July announced that it had purchased Rotterdam from Holland America for an undisclosed price and would be reintroducing it as Borealis.
The ship, which holds 1,404 passengers, is scheduled to sail to various destinations in Europe out of Liverpool, UK, starting in April 2021.
Holland America’s Amsterdam
Unveiled in 2000, Amsterdam was the last of four vessels in Holland America’s R Class to debut, and for many years it shared the title of Holland America flagship with Rotterdam.
Like Rotterdam, the ship has joined the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines fleet, where it has been renamed Bolette. It initially will sail out of Southampton and Dover in the UK to destinations in Europe. It’ll eventually work its way to South America.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines recently announced that it was retiring two of its four ships — the 853-guest Boudicca and 799-guest Black Watch — to make room for the two newcomers.
“We have chosen these (Holland America) vessels as they will fit seamlessly into our existing fleet of small ships, each carrying under 1,500 guests, bringing with them new and larger public areas whilst not compromising on our small ship experience,” Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines chairman Fred. Olsen Jr. said in a statement accompanying the announcement of the ship purchases.
The additions will increase Fred Olsen Cruise Lines capacity by about 30%.
The line primarily draws British passengers.
Costa neoRomantica
Dating to 1993, the 1,578-passenger Costa NeoRomantica until recently was one of the smallest ships at Costa Cruises. But it was sold over the summer to Cyprus-based Celestyal Cruises and has been renamed Celestyal Experience.
It’ll now offer week-long trips in the Eastern Mediterranean, which is Celestyal’s specialty, starting with a March 6 voyage. The “Three Continents” itinerary will include stops in Greece (Athens and Rhodes), Turkey (Kusadasi), Israel (Ashdod), Egypt (Port Said) and Cyprus (Limassol).
Beginning on April 3, the ship will operate Celestyal’s “Idyllic Aegean” itinerary, which brings visits to Athens, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, Milos, Mykonos and Kusadasi, Turkey (for a visit to the ancient ruins of Ephesus).
Celestyal caters to an international mix of customers including Americans.
Holland America’s Maasdam and Veendam
These two Holland America vessels have been sold to the Greek ferry company Seajets, which appears to be getting into the cruise business.
Unveiled in 1993 and 1996, respectively, the ships were part of Holland America’s S Class. With their departure, Holland America no longer has a single S Class vessel.
The 1,258-passenger Maasdam as it looked when sailing for Holland America. (Photo by Tamme/Adobe Stock)
Many Holland America fans loved the S Class ships for their small size. Maasdam and Veendam carried just 1,258 and 1,350 passengers, respectively.
Seajets has renamed the ships Aegean Myth and Aegean Majesty.
P&O Cruises’ Oceana
Initially built in 2000 for Princess Cruises as Ocean Princess, this 2,016-passenger vessel also has been sold to Seajets.
It’s not the first time the ship has transferred between brands. After a brief stint at Princess Cruises in the early 2000s, it was transferred to the line’s sister brand, P&O Cruises, where it sailed for many years as Oceana.
Seajets has renamed it Queen of the Oceans.
The vessel was named Ocean Princess in 2000 with much fanfare by Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal. It later was rechristened by Anne, Princess Royal (the daughter of Queen Elizabeth II), and her daughter, Zara Phillips.
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises has said in recent days that this 2,000-passenger ship is leaving its fleet, and the vessel reportedly soon will be operated by Peace Boat.
Peace Boat is a Japan-based non-governmental organization that runs educational voyages as part of its mission of working toward peace, human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Princess Cruises is removing Sun Princess and sister ship Sea Princess from its fleet. (Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises)
Peace Boat recently announced that it soon would be using a new vessel that it is calling Pacific World. It didn’t say that the vessel was Sun Princess, but it used a photo of the Sun Princess in its announcement, and its description of the ship was a match for Sun Princess.
A tractor at Champagne Louis de Sacy, armed with garlic spray. It is also rumored to ward off Champires. (Anthony Chaudron)
A Champagne vine expert and a Bordeaux lab have developed potential keys to winning winemakers' eternal war with powdery and downy mildews
Winemakers have numerous adversaries: phylloxera, smoke taint, birds andsaboteurs, to name just a few. But one of their most persistent foes has been that oddly unthreatening-sounding scourge, powdery mildew (akaoïdium). This fungal disease, a menace to wine regions around the globe, creeps its way across vines’ leaves and onto grapes, ultimately choking yield and quality if not managed. Given the damage it inflicts, winemakers have long wondered what can be done to stop its spread. Some vintners turn to sulfur sprays, some to synthetic fungicides. But for French vineyard specialistAnthony Chaudron, the new weapon of choice is a familiar friend to gastronomes and chefs: garlic.
“Garlic is an anti-fungal, so it naturally fights off powdery mildew,” Chaudron told Unfiltered via email. “[It] reverses the [vines’] pH. The fungus no longer feels comfortable on the [vine].”
Chaudron first heard of using garlic as a preventative fungicide almost a decade ago. Gardeners and farmers have known for a long time that the foodstuff was a fungus fighter, which could be attributed to garlic's high concentration of allicin, a sulfur-based acid with several supposed health benefits for humans and plants alike. With the help of his friend and associate Jonathan Sacy, now the operations manager at his family’s winery, Champagne Louis de Sacy, Chaudron was able to do full-scale vineyard trials of garlic spray on 22 acres of vines, determining that his scampi-friendly method does the best job of keeping oïdium at bay (as far as produce goes).
Another tractor goes to war at Champagne Louis de Sacy(Anthony Chaudron)
“To my knowledge, I don't know of anyone who uses this method in Champagne,” said Chaudron, besides Louis de Sacy. “So I might be the first to use garlic against powdery mildew.” Now, the mildew-busting pair use organic garlic from France’s Lorraine region, macerating it in oil for 12 to 24 hours before making it into a rainwater-based spray. The spray is applied long before harvest in the growing season, so garlic aromas in the grapes are not an issue.
Per Chaudron, the use of garlic doesn’t break any of Champagne’s strict viticultural regulations and could even benefit winemakers’ wallets, being a cheaper alternative to sulfur. Some members of the Champagne community have been skeptical of his technique, he claimed. Nonetheless, Chaudron is hopeful that his pungent protective can fight the good fight at other estates. “Obviously, this method should become more widespread in all vineyards,” he said.
But the crisper drawer isn’t the only source of potential mildew solutions. On the laboratory side, a group of researchers have been developing a way to keep another disease, downy mildew, out. Simply put, they’re looking to throw off the flirting game of the microorganism that causes it.
The deviants in the act of germinating: Plasmopara oospores, left((c) INRAE, Isabelle Demeaux)
The idea appears in new paper published last month in Current Biology, “Identification of the first oomycete mating-type locus sequence in the grapevine downy mildew pathogen, Plasmopara viticola,” based on work from researchers at France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) in Bordeaux and a few partner labs. The paper’s chief researcher, François Delmotte of the INRAE, gave us the lowdown on what it all means.
Delmotte and his team researched the DNA of several strains of Plasmopara viticola, the microorganism responsible for causing downy mildew in vineyards, taken from afflicted Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and other varieties. (Powdery mildew is a true fungal disease, while downy mildew is not; they tend to prefer different climate conditions and present similar, but distinguishable, patterns of infection on vines.)
“The discovery we have just made is fundamental,” said Delmotte. “We have identified the mating-type locus of grapevine downy mildew.” That's the part of the microorganism’s genome relating to mating and reproduction compatibility. Now that researchers know the genes that spur plasmopara’s reproduction, they could one day understand how to interrupt the organism’s microscopic mating rituals. Add this to research from Japan that identified the hormones involved in a similar microorganism's reproduction, and science is arming up to shut down downy mildew epidemics.
The telltale yellow-red-brown spots of downy mildew on a grapevine leaf((c) INRAE, F. Delmotte)
This practical application isn’t science fiction. It's been done before. Between 1974 and 1995, INRAE found a method to fight another vineyard pest, Lobesia botrana—the European grapevine moth—by disturbing its mating cycle with artificial pheromones, confusing communication between the female and male moths. “Today, up to 10 percent of the French vineyards [are using] ‘mating disruption,’” Delmotte observed. “The [new] method, when it will be fully developed, would prevent the epidemics [from starting].”
This technique could be used to defend crops other than vines, too. Potatoes are susceptible to another, similar microorganism. But more research is necessary: Next up, Delmotte’s team is planning to identify the exact genes involved in downy mildew’s mating hormone signals. They're also trying to reconstruct the history of its invasion of Europe from North America centuries ago, to determine how these shenanigans got started in the first place.
The samba league says it will postpone its parade indefinitely due to the pandemic
Rio de Janeiro's carnival parade, due to be held next February, has been postponed indefinitely, organizers say.
The samba schools involved in the parade had previously warned it would be difficult to organize without a vaccine.
Rio's carnival attracts millions of visitors every year.
Brazil has been one of the countries worst affected by the pandemic with 4.5 million infections and more than 138,000 deaths.
Jorge Castanheira, president of samba league Liesa said schools would not have time to prepare or organize for the February event.
"We are looking for an alternative solution, something we can do when it's safe to contribute to the city. But we aren't certain enough to set a date," he said.
The announcement applies to Liesa's formal carnival event but does not apply to the local street parties that take place at the same time. It is currently unclear if those will be allowed to take place.
There is concern that the economic impact of Brazil's delayed carnivals could hit families who depend on the events for income. Tourism represents about 8% of Brazil's GDP.
São Paulo's carnival parade has already been delayed by eight months until October 2021.
Brazil is still registering thousands of new infections daily. On Thursday the country recorded 32,817 cases and 831 deaths.
At the opening of the UN Assembly earlier this week, President Jair Bolsonaro rejected criticism of his handling of the pandemic.
In a pre-recorded speech, the blamed the media for causing panic and "politicizing" the pandemic.
United says customers traveling from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Hawaii will have the option to take a rapid test at the airport for $250.
United Airlineswill be the first airline to offer COVID-19 tests to some of its passengers as the industry urges governments to agree on an international testing protocol as a way to safely reopen travel routes that have been cut amid thecoronavirus pandemic.
Passengers traveling from San Francisco International (SFO) to Hawaii will be tested and allowed to bypass quarantine restrictions upon arrival. Testing will be available starting Oct. 15, and passengers will have the option of taking a rapid test at SFO or a self-collected mail-in-test before departure.
Those who opt to take the rapid test for $250 would get swabbed before going through security on the day of their flight from SFO, a United spokesperson explained. The airline says the test provides results in approximately 15 minutes. If a customer gets a positive result they won’t be allowed to travel or enter the terminal.
The mail-in test sample requires a bit more planning -- passengers have to order the kit 10 days prior to departure and send in a sample within 72 hours of their trip. But it is considerably cheaper, costing around $80.
After passengers land, Hawaii officials will verify their results and waive the requirement to quarantine for two weeks. In June, 21 travelers were arrested on suspicion of violating Hawaii's quarantine order.
"Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations’ entry requirements, safely and conveniently," United Chief Customer Officer Toby Enqvist said in a release. "We’ll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. airports later this year to complement our state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures."
Industry stakeholders want the U.S. to reach an agreement on pre-flight COVID-19 testing procedures with Europe, Canada or the Pacific as part of a "limited testing pilot project" to restore global travel.
"These rapid tests are critical for understanding community spread, doing contact tracing and helping people do their jobs, be in school and live their lives safely," ABC News Medical Contributor Dr. Jay Bhatt said. "Still, we need better tests and better access to them. The tests should have rigorous review by the FDA as soon as possible and we continue to need to improve our turnaround times for results."
United Airlines Chief Communication Officer Josh Earnest said the current limiting factor for U.S. airlines to implement these programs before international flights is not so much reliability, but availability of tests.
"We would love to see the U.S. government work with international authorities to lower the barriers to international trade and commerce," Earnest told ABC News last week. "That would be good for the broader economy, it certainly would be good for a lot of U.S. citizens that are eager to travel, and obviously it would be really good for our business. ... We just don't have the capacity as a country, to do that many tests."
HELSINKI (AP) — Finland has deployed coronavirus-sniffing dogs at the Nordic country’s main international airport in a four-month trial of an alternative testing method that could become a cost-friendly and quick way to identify infected travelers.
“It’s a very promising method. Dogs are very good at sniffing,” Anna Hielm-Bjorkman, a University of Helsinki professor of equine and small animal medicine, said.
“If it works, it will be a good (coronavirus) screening method at any other places,” she said, listing hospitals, ports, elderly people’s homes, sports venues and cultural events among the possible locations where trained dogs could put their snouts to work.
While researchers in several countries, including Australia, France, Germany the United States, are also studying canines as coronavirus detectors, the Finnish trial is among the largest so far.
Hielm-Bjorkman told The Associated Press that Finland is the second country after the United Arab Emirates - and the first in Europe - to assign dogs to sniff out the coronavirus. A similar program started at Dubai International Airport over the summer.
Passengers who agree to take a free test under the voluntary program in Helsinki do not have direct physical contact with a dog.
They are asked to swipe their skin with a wipe which is then put into a jar and given to a dog waiting in a separate booth. The participating animals - ET, Kossi, Miina and Valo - previously underwent training to detect cancer, diabetes or other diseases.
It takes the dog a mere 10 seconds to sniff the virus samples before it gives the test result by scratching a paw, laying down, barking or otherwise making its conclusion known. The process should be completed within one minute, according to Hielm-Bjorkman.
If the result is positive, the passenger is urged to take a standard polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, coronavirus test, to check the dog’s accuracy.
Timo Aronkyto,, the deputy mayor of Vantaa, the capital region city where the airport is located, said the program is costing 300,000 euros ($350,000) - an amount he called “remarkably lower” than for other methods of mass testing arriving passengers.
The four sniffer dogs are set to work at the airport in shifts, with two on duty at a time while the other two get a break.
“Dogs need to rest from time to time. If the scent is easy, it doesn’t wear out the dog too much. But if there are lots of new scents around, dogs do get tired easier,“ Anette Kare of Finland’s Smell Detection Association - also known as Wise Nose - said as she gently patted ET, her white shepherd.
Major cruise lines say they will test all passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to boarding as part of their plan for resuming sailing in the Americas.
The Cruise Lines International Association, a trade group that represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise capacity, said Monday that its members will also require passengers and crew to wear masks while onboard whenever physical distancing can’t be maintained.
No date has been set for the resumption of cruising in the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a no-sail order for U.S. waters through Sept. 30. The association’s safety plan will now go to the CDC, which will consider it as the agency decides whether to lift the no-sail order. The order has been extended twice since March.
The cruise association has issued a voluntary suspension of cruises through Oct. 31. In a conference call Monday, Arnold Donald, the president and CEO of Carnival Corp., said once the CDC lifts its order, it will probably take cruise lines at least a month to prepare their ships and train crew before they can sail.
The safety plan requires testing of passengers and crew, but doesn’t specify the types of coronavirus tests that companies must use, CLIA Chairman Adam Goldstein said. Passengers and crew must test negative to board.
The plan permits limited shore excursions and requires passengers to wear masks and stay apart from other people during those excursions. Passengers who don’t comply won’t be allowed to reboard.
The plan also requires ships to increase the amount of fresh air in their ventilation systems and use advanced filtration methods where feasible.
Cruise company executives said the limited resumption of cruising in Europe and elsewhere over the last few weeks has convinced them that cruising can be done safely. Costa Cruises, which is owned by Carnival Corp., has two cruises of Italy this month. The ships aren’t at full capacity and only Italian passengers are on board.
In August, a passenger on board the Paul Gauguin, a ship owned by Tahiti-based Paul Gauguin Cruises, tested positive for COVID-19 despite a health screening prior to boarding, CLIA said. The passenger and a family member were removed from the ship and placed in isolation on land. No other passengers were affected, CLIA said.
The safety agreement is an unusual one in the fiercely competitive industry, which has been seriously shaken by the coronavirus.
“We all share the same goal, and we’re going to get there through collaboration, not competition,” said Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean Cruise’s chairman and CEO.
Hundreds of people fell ill aboard crowded cruises earlier this year before the CDC’s no-sail order went into effect. Fourteen passengers died after an outbreak aboard Carnival Corp.’s Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off the coast of Japan in February.
Since then, the industry has furloughed thousands of workers and obtained billions in bank loans to stay afloat. CLIA says the U.S. cruise industry supports more than 400,000 jobs and generates $53 billion annually.
