Summer 2021 In Philadelphia Welcomes Visitors Back With Many Celebrations, New Hotels And Events Including Philadelphia Flower Show Blooms Outdoors For The First Time, Faith and Liberty Discovery Center Debuts On Independence Mall & Wawa Welcome America Fourth Of July

Rendering of Faith & Liberty Discovery Center

PHILADELPHIA– Greater Philadelphia has a big summer planned for visitors eager to safely explore once again. As the warm-weather season nears and COVID-19 restrictions continue to lift, the region is ready to welcome visitors back as it debuts long-awaited new and renovated museums, unveils inspired exhibits, celebrates the return of beloved annual events and opens brand new hotels that have been in the pipeline for years.

Those looking to connect and reconnect with loved ones after a long hiatus from travel can tour the brand-new Faith and Liberty Discovery Center, making its debut just steps away from Independence National Historical Park’s Liberty Bell Center and Independence Hall on May 1, 2021; explore the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show outdoors for the first time in its 192-year history; and celebrate the nation’s birthday in its birthplace during the annual Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July festival.

When it’s time to take a break after days spent touring the town, visitors can do so at the city’s first W Hotel or at the Guild House Hotel, a boutique property in a National Historic Landmark building, both opening this summer. Another great option for spending a night or two is the ever-popular Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package, which includes hotel parking and buy-one-get-one-free tickets for 19 attractions, many of which are hosting special exhibits this summer (see below). It’s available at 40 hotels and bookable at visitphilly.com/overnight.

There is so much to celebrate in Philadelphia this summer. Here’s a look:

Attraction Openings & Renovations:

Faith and Liberty Discovery Center – This $60 million, 40,000-square-foot immersive experience is the latest development in a decades-long transformation of Independence Mall. It will explore the nation’s founding tenets shared in the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and the Bible. The space will include interactive galleries, a 3D theater and an education center. Among the highlighted Americans: civil rights and Baptist leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Catholic anti-war activist Dorothy Day and Quaker William Penn, founder of colonial Philadelphia. The Center will also direct visitors to explore the Faith and Liberty Trail, including some of the nation’s early religious institutions such as Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, home to the denomination’s founding congregation, and Mikveh Israel, home to Philadelphia’s oldest Jewish congregation. May 1, 2021.

Philadelphia Museum of Art – When the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art debuts its much-anticipated interior expansion and renovation by Frank Gehry, the museum will inaugurate the Robert L. McNeil, Jr. Galleries, dedicated to American art from 1650 to 1850, with the first major reinstallation of the American Art collection since the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976. The space features the work of the Peale family of artists, presidential china, American landscape paintings, works by German and British immigrants and much more, encouraging visitors to think broadly about art, history and geography as it presents the work of many groups—Indigenous, European and African. On permanent display beginning May 7, 2021. In the new Daniel W. Dietrich II Galleries, New Grit: Art & Philly Now shows off the work of 25 living artists with ties to Philadelphia. The artists work across a range of media, including ceramics, glass, painting, sculpture, photography and video. Planned over a multi-year period, the works reflect on Black Lives Matter, immigration, incarceration and other timely societal issues. May 7-August 22, 2021. Visitors to the museum can also enjoy the renovated Lenfest Hall, a new Forum space and views that show off the city skyline from inside the building.
Dilworth Park Roller Rink – For the first time, visitors to Dilworth Park can roller skate in City Hall’s front yard. The retro rink features a funky checkerboard floor, market lights and a rainbow of
overhead hula-hoops designed and fabricated by the local Lucky Dog Studio. Hour-long skating sessions are available seven days a week; advanced reservations are encouraged. April 30-June 27, 2021.

Museum Exhibits & Events:

Gideon Mendel: Drowning World, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University – On display at Philadelphia’s natural history museum, this exhibit offers a unique photographic exploration of flooding and a stark portrayal of the human condition within the context of overwhelming climate events around the world. The show features 37 photographs, two found-object displays and a video by Mendel, a leading contemporary photographer and a native of Johannesburg, South Africa. May 1-October 17, 2021.

Designing Motherhood, The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia – Philadelphia’s fascinating museum of medical history mounts an exhibition that looks at the political, economic and social implications of how the world has medicalized reproduction. Produced in collaboration with the Maternity Care Coalition and others, the exhibit tells five stories: Means of Reproduction, Midwives, Parturition, Exam and Milk. Visitors can use their smartphones to scan QR codes to learn about the objects on display. May 6, 2021-May 8, 2022.

Night Tours: Summer Twilight, Eastern State Penitentiary – During new night tours, visitors can explore the historic cellblocks of Eastern State Penitentiary as the sun goes down. Admission includes an audio tour, featuring the voices of former prisoners and correctional staff, along with access to the Prisons Today exhibit and points of interest like Al Capone’s cell. Also new: the Fair Chance Beer Garden on the penitentiary’s baseball diamond, offering craft beer from Triple Bottom Brewing Company, and an Andrea Walls digital art installation to be projected onto the exterior of Eastern State. Thursdays through Saturdays, May 7-September 4, 2021.

Measurement Rules, Mercer Museum – This interactive, family-friendly exhibit explores different measurements of length, time, volume and weight in a variety of ways, including giant tape measures, treadmill odometers, bead tables, balance scales and more. The Mercer Museum adds its own perspective to the traveling display by showcasing rare and early examples of historical measuring instruments drawn from the private collection of Bucks County residents Jim Hill and Kathy Hausman. May 23-September 6, 2021. Flags and Founding Documents, 1776-Today, Museum of the American Revolution – Just in time for Flag Day, this red, white and blue exhibit showcases dozens of rare American flags alongside historic early state constitutions and the first printing of the proposed U.S. Constitution of 1787 to shed light on the triumphs and tensions that the United States faced as new states joined the union. June 12-September 6, 2021.

Graphic Content, National Liberty Museum – On display summer through fall, this exhibit gives space to graphic-centered artworks that act as social commentary, taking inspiration from counterculture traditions and giving voice to those outside the mainstream. The artwork on display embodies each artists’ unique, uncensored response to the current social and political climate. June 18-Fall 2021.

Ralston Crawford: Air + Space + War, Brandywine River Museum of Art – After months of renovations, the Brandywine River Museum reopens with an exhibit that explores U.S. aviation and military history through the art and personal experiences of American Modernist Ralston Crawford. The show features nearly 80 works by the artist, including drawings, photographs, paintings and lithographs from the 1940s that narrate his involvement with World War II. June 20-September 19, 2021.

Crayola IDEAworks: The Creativity Exhibition, The Franklin Institute – Philadelphia’s beloved science museum begins the year with a world-premiere exhibit that helps guests hone problem-solving skills and fosters creativity. Visitors will put their creative skills to action by testing solutions to problems based on current scientific research, including designing a ball that works for astronauts in low gravity, building a sustainable neighborhood and restoring sea life to coral reefs. Through July 18, 2021.

Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint, Barnes Foundation – In its world premiere and only U.S. showing, this groundbreaking exhibition explores the affinities between the work of Chaïm Soutine and Willem de Kooning. Organized by the Barnes Foundation and the Musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint presents nearly 45 works by these titans of 20th-century art and considers how Soutine’s paintings served the art of de Kooning, shaping his groundbreaking figurative/abstract works in the late 1940s and beyond. Through August 8, 2021.

Through the Lens: Modern Photography in the Delaware Valley, James A. Michener Art Museum – On view in Bucks County, this exhibition explores nearly 70 years of artistic experimentations with photographic processes and subject matter by artists in the Delaware Valley region, including Paula Chamlee, Susan Fenton, Emmet Gowin, Jack Rosen, Charles Sheeler and others. Work ranges from carefully hand-painted, bucolic landscapes to decisive snapshots taken on the street and features highlights of the Michener’s photo collection, including many never-before-on-view images. Through August 15, 2021.

Multiple exhibits, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts – The first art museum and school in the United States displays two exhibits right through summer. Approximately 25 paintings make up Only Tony: Portraits by Gilbert Lewis, an exhibit that shows off the artist’s exquisite portraits of one model, Tony, and solidifies the importance of Lewis’ work within the history of figurative painting. Also on display: Taking Space: Contemporary Women Artists and the Politics of Scale, inviting viewers to consider how space, size, scale and repetition can be interpreted as political gestures by women artists. Through September 5, 2021.

Big Time: Life in an Endangerous Age, Philadelphia Zoo – During this immersive, multi-sensory experience at America’s first zoo, 24 enormous animatronic dinosaurs take guests on a prehistoric journey, highlighting the volcanic eruptions, asteroid strikes and other powerful occurrences that changed the planet forever. Among the life-like giants on display: T. rex, triceratops, anzu and woolly mammoth, among others. Through September 30, 2021.

Food & Drink:

Terrace on Tap – The popular pop-up outdoor dining experience returns to the second-floor Liberty View Terrace at the Independence Visitor Center this spring and brings with it local brews, specialty cocktails and seasonal bites from Brûlée Catering. Terrace on Tap offers free activities for kids and stunning panoramic views of Independence Mall. Weather-dependent Thursday through Sunday through the summer, based on availability.

Dinner at Dilworth – On 17 Wednesday evenings from spring into summer, diners are encouraged to bring takeout meals from local restaurants to enjoy at Dilworth Park, City Hill’s front yard, featuring a fountain, lush lawn, tree groves and a café serving to-go drinks. Diners will be treated to live performances each week — from orchestral serenades and ballet ensembles to jazz instrumentals and beyond. May 5-August 25, 2021.

New Brewery Openings – The lengthy Craft Beer Trail of Greater Philadelphia — a perfect summertime excursion —will soon grow even bigger with new breweries and expansions debuting in and beyond the city. Each drinking destination offers an experience that’s wholly different from the next. In 2021, look for Victory Brewing Company to open on the Ben Franklin Parkway; Cartesian Brewing to come to East Passyunk; Mystic Ways Brewing in Perkasie; and Aristaeus Craft Brewing Co. in Langhorne.

New Restaurant Openings – The Philly restaurant scene just keeps getting better and better — despite the toughest year on record for restaurants in 2020. Noteworthy additions on the way in 2021 include: Honeysuckle from chef and artist Omar Tate (Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year); Grace and Proper in the Italian Market from the team behind Hawthorne’s and The Cambridge; Lamberti Pizza & Market in Washington Square West; and Middle Child Clubhouse, a second, much-bigger location of the popular Center City sandwich shop.

Shows & Sports:

Is There Still Sex in the City?...An Intimate Conversation with Candace Bushnell, Bucks County Playhouse – Candace Bushnell, the critically acclaimed, international best-selling author and creator of Sex and the City, stars in her new one-woman show, touching on her arrival in New York City with $20 in her pocket, working her way up the ladder, creating Sex and the City and finding herself single again in her 50s. June 22-July 19, 2021.

The Game Together Tour, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center – This five-day event includes a flag football tournament, esports competitions in more than 10 different games, a cosplay contest, basketball events, industry seminars, a streaming area, music performances in the Music Meets Gaming area, an indie developer pitch contest and more. August 25-29, 2021.

Annual Events:

Garden Railway – Morris Arboretum’s display features a quarter-mile track with seven loops and tunnels, 12 different rail lines, two cable cars and nine bridges, including a trestle bridge that visitors can walk under. May 29-October 11, 2021.

Philadelphia Latino Film Festival – For one weekend, film fans can find works by established and emerging Latino and Latin American filmmakers. The lineup for the 10th annual festival, which will be virtual this year, includes feature films, shorts, animations and documentaries, along with workshops and discussions. May 30-June 6, 2021.

Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show – This popular twice-a-year event — the oldest outdoor fine arts show in the country (94 years strong in 2021) — turns Rittenhouse Square into an exquisite outdoor gallery featuring works by more than 140 professional artists on the perimeter and works by student exhibitors in the center of the park. June 4-6, 2021.

PHS Philadelphia Flower Show – The nation’s longest-running horticultural event is making history in 2021 by moving outdoors for the first time in its 192-year history. The 2021 show, themed “Habitat: Nature’s Masterpiece,” uses South Philadelphia’s expansive and lush FDR Park as the setting for its breathtaking displays by the world’s premier floral and landscape designers. As always, the annual gardening celebration features top-of-the-line horticulture and landscape design, demonstrations, entertainment, themed nights and a marketplace. June 5-13, 2021.

Flag Festival – Taking place at the Betsy Ross House, the Flag Festival features a flag-raising ceremony with Betsy herself, storytellers and reenactors, the assembly of an American flag made entirely of M&Ms and a naturalization ceremony to welcome 13 new citizens. June 13-19, 2021.

Juneteenth – Philadelphia marks the anniversary of African Americans’ emancipation from enslavement with entertainment, a virtual cultural marketplace and a Juneteenth Freedom Float House tour. June 13-20, 2021.

Linvilla Orchards Festivals – Summer is high season for festivals at this popular Delaware County farm. Family favorites include Strawberry Festival, which kicks off Linvilla’s pick-your-own-fruit season (June 5, 2021); Summer Food Truck Frenzy, complete with international delights from loads of food trucks (June 19, 2021); Blueberry Festival, featuring blueberry-picking, a pie-eating contest and more (July 10, 2021); and Peach Festival, offering peach-picking, hayrides, face painting and more (August 7, 2021).

Philadelphia Auto Show – Traditionally a winter event, the Philadelphia Auto Show cruises into summer this year, transforming the Pennsylvania Convention Center into a car lover’s dream with hundreds of pre-production, hot-production, classic and exotic vehicles from just about every maker. June 19-27, 2021.

Manayunk Arts Festival – Featuring artists from around the country, along with crafts, food and music, the tri-state’s largest outdoor, juried arts festival runs along Main Street in Philadelphia’s Manayunk neighborhood. June 26-27, 2021.

Wawa Welcome America – This Fourth of July festival in the nation’s birthplace includes several days of multicultural, family-friendly programming. The event typically culminates with a stunning fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Late June-July 4, 2021.

Blobfest – Phoenixville, Chester County, where parts of the campy 1950s horror/sci-fi flick The Blob were filmed, hosts a wacky three-day extravaganza of screenings, themed competitions, a street fair and the recreation of a pivotal scene, during which frightened townspeople flee the still extant Colonial Theatre. July 9-11, 2021.

Philadelphia Folk Festival – The hills of Schwenksville, Pennsylvania come alive every summer with the sound of folk music during the long-running Philadelphia Folk Festival at Old Pool Farm. Thousands of attendees gather to sing along, clap or just enjoy the music of new and favorite performers. The annual fest features a jam-packed lineup, workshops, activities and events for those of all ages. The festival is the longest-running outdoor music festival of its kind in North America. August 19-22, 2021.

Citadel Country Spirit USA – Ludwig’s Corner House Show Grounds in Glenmoore, Chester County hosts three days of performances by country music’s biggest stars and serious up-and-comers, now a late summer tradition in the Brandywine Valley. Among this year’s lineup: Brantley Gilbert, Miranda Lambert and Chris Young. August 27-29, 2021.

Chester County Balloon Festival – Celebrating its 14th year, the Chester County Balloon Festival features 15 hot air balloons taking flight twice per day, a balloon glow and balloon rides. Adding to the fun: a beer garden, live music, crafts, food, Saturday night fireworks and more. On September 11, the festival will host a 9/11 Memorial Flight to honor the lives lost during the terrorist attacks 20 years ago. September 10-12, 2021.

Kennett Square Mushroom Festival – The “Mushroom Capital of the World” hosts a two-day festival in honor of the beloved vegetable every September. It’s full of mushroom-themed food, music, exhibits and activities. September 11-12, 2021.

XPoNential Music Festival on the Camden Waterfront – WXPN, the public radio station of the University of Pennsylvania, brings together musical legends and new performers for this can’t-miss fest at Wiggins Waterfront Park and BB&T Pavilion. September 17-19, 2021.

Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show – The fall edition of this twice-a-year event — the oldest outdoor fine arts show in the country — brings paintings, glassware, sketches and more art to Rittenhouse Square for an outdoor gallery sale. September 17-19, 2021.

Philadelphia Distance Run – On hiatus since 2010, the Philadelphia Distance Run makes its return this fall. Known for its fast, flat course, the iconic half-marathon hopes to draw both elite and endurance runners. Students Run Philly Style will be beneficiary. September 19, 2021.

New Hotels:

Element Philadelphia Hotel – Element’s largest global property opens in the very center of Center City, next door to its dual-branded property, the W Hotel Philadelphia. Element guests will enjoy a kitchen in every guest room or suite, a signature Westin Heavenly® bed, onsite Italian restaurant Dolce and both complimentary breakfast each morning and glass of wine or beer each evening. May 2021.

Guild House Hotel – Summer brings the grand opening of a boutique property in a National Historic Landmark building that belonged to — and will honor — a 19th-century working women’s advocacy and support group known as the New Century Guild. The rooms and suites — 12 in total — in the Midtown Village hotel are named after members of the Guild, which included notable abolitionists, suffragists, activists, poets and artists. Among them: Eliza Sproat Turner, a teacher, writer and New Century Guild founder; Florence Kelley, a founding member of the NAACP; and Emily Sartain, artist and director of the Philadelphia School of Design for Women (now Moore College of Art and Design). Amenities at the invisible service hotel include luxury bath and body products; specialty coffees, teas and chocolates; and customized itineraries, airport pickup and curated experiences upon request. June 6, 2021.

W Philadelphia – Less than one block from iconic City Hall, this 295-room hotel will bring modern luxury with a stylish dose of Philly vibrancy and artistry. Among the amenities, including the FIT gym, the Living Room cocktail lounge and bar terrace, is a year-round heated pool — outdoor pool, that is. Summer 2021.

On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets. 6th & Market Streets, (800) 537-7676

Fully vaccinated? How to Keep Yourself COVID-Safe After Vaccination

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have been over 212 million COVID vaccinations administered around the country. As millions of people get the vaccine, they may still be wondering how they can continue to minimize their risks of contracting the virus. The good news is that there are ways to help reduce risks and keep healthy.

“It’s a great idea to get the vaccine, but getting it doesn’t mean you can completely let your guard down,” explains Shan S. Haider, chief executive officer of CurexLab, one of the largest suppliers of COVID-19 PPE and lab supplies. “The vaccine is the first step in protecting yourself, but there are other things you can do to keep you and your family healthy.”

First, it’s important for people to know what being “fully vaccinated” means. Getting the vaccine doesn’t mean that one has reached full vaccination. According to the CDC, people are considered to be fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received their final vaccine. For those who have received the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, that would mean two weeks after their second dose. For those who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, that would be two weeks after their one shot.

Additional things that you can do to stay COVID-safe after being fully vaccinated include:

Continuing to make hand washing a priority. Wearing a mask in public places where there will be others nearby. Avoiding large crowds and especially those that are indoors or are in poorly ventilated areas. Avoid those who may be at an increased risk for COVID or other illnesses. Adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating healthy, getting plenty of physical activity, and losing weight if you have extra pounds. When traveling, be sure to take sanitizing wipes along to clean your immediate area, such as on an airplane, and take hand sanitizer with you for when you can’t find a sink right away.

“The more we can make these things a regular part of our lives, the safer we will be,” added Haider. “Once fully vaccinated, we can start getting back to our normal lives, but it’s also wise to take some precautions, especially if you are in a higher risk category.”

CurexLab Inc., pioneers in clinical diagnostic kits, offers a range of COVID-19 PPE supplies and lab supplies at affordable costs. Its product line includes antibody rapid testing kits, RNA COVID-19 extraction kits, inferred thermometers, ventilators, face shields, hand sanitizer, nitrile gloves, KN95 masks, three and four-ply masks, isolation and surgical gowns, and coveralls. To get more information or see the line of COVID-19 PPE and lab supplies, visit the site at: https://www.curexlab.com.

US ‘Real ID’ Deadline Is Now May 2023 Because Of COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans will have more time to get the Real ID that they will need to board a flight or enter federal facilities.

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday extended the Real ID deadline until May 3, 2023. The deadline had been Oct. 1, 2021, but it was becoming clear that many people wouldn’t make it, in part because the COVID-19 outbreak has made it harder for states to issue new licenses.

Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.

The updated cards will be required for airport check-in and to enter federal facilities.

People are getting compliant IDs as they renew, but it takes time and the process has been slowed by the pandemic, with many state agencies operating at limited capacity.

DHS says only 43% of all driver’s licenses and identification cards are compliant.

Older IDs will be suitable to allow people to drive, buy liquor or other age-regulated products, and gamble at casinos. Travelers also can use military IDs or passports to access flights and federal facilities.

Italy Opens Again Amid Hopes For Real Economic Relaunch

MILAN (AP) — Lunch-time diners filled tables on Milan’s landmark Piazza Duomo even on a cloudy, windswept Monday, proof of the pent-up demand for eating out as Italy begins its second, and many hope last, reopening of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After six months of rotating on-again, off-again closures, restaurants, bars, museums and cinemas opened to the public in most of the country under a gradual reopening plan that is seen as too cautious for some, too hasty for others.

The nation’s weary virologists and health care workers fear that even the tentative reopening laid out by Premier Mario Draghi’s government will invite a free-or-all, signs of which were seen over the weekend with parks and squares filling up in cities from Rome to Turin, Milan to Naples.

“It is illusory to think that you give a sign of opening, and you don’t see people around. Perfection doesn’t exist,” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said Monday. “You also have to be a little tolerant, and also a little careful.”

For restaurant owners struggling to survive, the return of outdoor dining is too little, too late, and the continued 10 p.m. curfew puts a damper on theater re-openings and sends a bad public relations message for international tourism heading into the second pandemic summer.

Pizzeria Pino was granted rare permission by Milan officials to set up tables along the porticoes lining Piazza Duomo, some compensation for the lost indoor seating, as it served seated customers for the first time since February. The permit will last through the summer.

“We can only be happy,” waiter Antonio Carullo said. “Because we have many friends who have restaurants who don’t have a lot of space outside, or none at all, and they are still at home, out of work.”

The government’s vision is that the renewed economic activity of the gradual reopening — continuing with outdoor pools next month, gyms after that and larger events and fairs from mid-June — will be turbocharged by 200 billion euros ($241 billion) in EU and Italian recovery funds that was outlined in parliament on Monday.

”I am sure that honesty, intelligence and the taste for the future will prevail over corruption, stupidity and vested interests,” Draghi told lawmakers in Rome.

Under pressure from right-wing partners, the government moved the openings a week earlier than initially planned, allowing free travel for the first time in months among 15 of Italy’s 21 regions and autonomous provinces under the lowest levels of coronavirus restrictions. The number of people who can visit friends and family at any one time was doubled from two to four. Restaurants and bars can seat people for open-air dining. Contact sports resumed outdoors.

In Rome’s Campo dei Fiori, restaurant owners set up tables outside and swept the cobblestones to welcome customers for sit-down service for the first time since mid-March. Venice remained empty of its usual throngs of tourists, but café’ owners wiped tables and chairs and placed them outside hoping for the local customers.

“It’s a bit of a rebirth,” said café owner Stefano Baldan in Campo Santa Margherita

The reopenings come even as Italy’s intensive care wards remain above the 30% threshold for alarm. Italy’s vaccine campaign is also still well shy of its 500,000-shots-a-day goal and is only now moving to protect people in the 70-79 age bracket. The World Health Organization says people over 65 have accounted for the vast majority of COVID-19 deaths in Europe.

That has caused concern among virologists who note that the virus has been adept at transforming itself with deadly variants, and that in Italy the curve has only recently come under control, and could easily spike back up.

The Italian island of Sardinia — the only region that was entirely free of restrictions for a period this winter — has become a cautionary tale. It was plunged into the red zone in mid-April after the all-clear signal resulted in a surge of new infections.

Dr. Massimo Puoti, chief of infectious diseases at Milan’s Niguarda hospitals, said he believes Italy’s monitoring system would allow enough warning if the virus delivered another blow. Right now, he said the focus needs to remain on vaccinations, not so much to contain contagions, but to keep pressure off hospitals.

“That will allow us to return to our usual activity, because we have many patients who don’t have COVID in need of treatment,″ Dr. Puoti said, treatments that cannot be scheduled as long as the intensive care wards are under pressure. “Even if a cancer patient can wait for treatment, they are not waiting with serenity.”

Despite the difficulties, the decision to open was understandable, Dr. Puoti said.

“After all it’s hard to restrain people, and also to cope with a serious economic crisis. There were important reasons behind this political decision,” he said.

In Milan, one movie house, Cinema Beltrade, organized an all-day film marathon, from 6 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. to celebrate with “a little craziness,” owner Monica Baldi said.

A socially distanced capacity crowd of 82 filled the cinema for the sunrise showing of Nanni Moretti’s 1993 film “Dear Diary,” a reprisal of the last film showing before shutdown in November that seemed only appropriate for the relaunch, Baldi said.

While Lombardy’s 500 live-performance theaters are permitted to open, the reality is more complicated. Distancing rules allow a maximum 500 spectators, even in large theaters like La Scala, which seats more than 2,000 people.

La Scala plans a symbolic reopening concert next month conducted by Riccardo Muti. But a relaunch of the season with full calendar is not expected before September, when management hopes the orchestra and chorus can be fully vaccinated, and distancing rules more relaxed. In the meantime, it is planning a series of open-air concerts around the city in the coming months.

“The important thing is that there will be occasions to have the audience return, and recreate the unique emotions of concerts,” general manager Dominique Meyer said.

EU Finalizing Plans To Allow US Tourists Back This Summer

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is finalizing plans to allow tourists from the United States to travel to the 27-nation bloc this summer, officials said Monday.

More than a year after the EU restricted travel to the region to a bare minimum in a bid to contain the pandemic, the European Commission said it would make a recommendation to member states to allow American travelers back.

The commission didn’t say when exactly tourists will be allowed back inside the bloc, and if a reciprocal approach will apply to European tourists willing to travel to the U.S.

European Commission spokesman Adalbert Jahnz told reporters that the EU’s executive body is hoping to restore nonessential “trans-Atlantic travel as soon as it is safe to do so.”

It wasn’t immediately clear if only full vaccination would be accepted for entry, or whether a negative PCR test or proof of recent recovery from COVID-19 could be presented as well.

“These are among the questions we’ll still need to figure out,” Jahnz said. “The proposal is not yet made. For now, we have nothing more to go by than what the (European Commission) president said.”

On Sunday, The New York Times published an interview with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, reporting that fully vaccinated Americans would be able to visit EU countries this summer since all coronavirus vaccines currently used in the U.S. have also been approved by the EU’s drug regulator. But the report didn’t mention whether she was asked about whether Americans could also provide a negative PCR test or evidence of recovering from COVID-19.

“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines,” von der Leyen said in the interview. “This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union. Because one thing is clear: All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by EMA.”

Jahnz insisted that the return of American tourists to EU nations will be conditioned on the epidemiological situation in both the U.S. and within the bloc.

The European Union is putting the finishing touches to a system of certificates that would allow EU residents to travel freely across the region by the summer as long as they have been vaccinated, tested negative for COVID-19 or recovered from the disease. Under the plan discussed with their U.S. counterparts, American tourists could be included in the program.

With more than 15 million Americans estimated to travel to Europe annually before the crisis, the recommendation from the commission is manna from heaven for the heavily hit European tourism sector. But EU member states will have the final say on whether to implement the guidelines.

The commission said other third countries have made similar requests, but didn’t name them. Asked whether negotiations with the United Kingdom were ongoing, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said “no contact to this end” has been made.

Travel to the EU is currently extremely limited except for a handful of countries with low infection rates including Australia and New Zealand. But Greece, which is heavily reliant on tourism, has already lifted quarantine restrictions for the U.S., Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Israel, and non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland that are part of a European travel pact. Travelers from those countries will no longer be subject to a seven-day quarantine requirement if they hold a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test.

“Uniliteral approaches, from our perspective should be avoided,” Jahnz said. “The objective is to continue to have a coordinated approach on the European level.”

By By SAMUEL PETREQUIN

Italy’s Uffizi Discovers Lost Frescoes During COVID Shutdown

MILAN (AP) — The Uffizi Gallery in Florence used the winter COVID shutdown to push ahead with renovations, discovering lost frescoes that will greet visitors when the leading repository of Italian Renaissance art reopens on May 4.

Uffizi director Eike Schmidt said the six months of closure were put to good use: renovating 14 new rooms that will open to the public next month, and discovering frescoes that would otherwise have remained hidden.

But he hopes that the most recent reopening — the third during the pandemic — will be the last.

“We very much hope that now we will be able to open stably and without further closures. We hope so for the museum, but we hope it also for the world and for human society,″ Schmidt said.

The previously hidden frescoes include a life-size figure of a young Cosimo II de Medici — part of the Renaissance family that commissioned the Uffizi — dating from the 1600s, as well as decorative plant motifs from the 1700s on the walls and ceiling of nearby rooms.

They are located in the museum’s west wing, which is where the new visitors’ entrance will be when the Uffizi reopens.

Schmidt said the new entrance facing the Arno River would provide “a glorious introduction” for visitors. Classic statuary will be added to the entrance in the future.

Workers also completed restoration on new rooms dedicated to 16th Century high and late Renaissance art from central and northern Italy, beyond Tuscany. They complete the sweep through art history from the Middle Ages with Giotto, to the Renaissance masters Botticelli, Raphael and Michelangelo, beyond to the counter-reformation and Venetian galleries.

“You can now seamlessly walk through, or hike through, art history if you wish to do so,″ Schmidt said.

Under the Uffizi’s new entry system, visitors will buy tickets, deposit coats and bags in the west wing and cross through a courtyard to the east wing, where they will pass through metal detectors and pick up audio guides before starting their rounds of the museum.

The number of visitors at the museum last year dropped to about a quarter of those in 2019 due to the COVID lockdowns in the spring and fall, with some 1.2 million people visiting in 2020, down from 4.4 million a year earlier.

Booking requests have already started coming in for the summer months, which the museum will be able to satisfy now that an opening date is official, Schmidt said.

With prospects for the resumption of international tourism only beginning to come into focus, Schmidt expects the gallery will operate at about half its capacity for the foreseeable future. Pre-pandemic, peak visitation reached as many as 12,000 people a day.

“Actually to visit the museum now and over the next few months will mean you will really feel even more as if you are part of the de Medici family,” Eike said. “Especially if you come in the early morning, you might be in the Botticelli room to yourself for two or three minutes before someone else arrives. That never, ever happens.”

The Uffizi has been closed since Nov. 5 except for two weeks in January when Tuscany was under Italy’s lowest level of restrictions. Italy on Monday begins a gradual reopening. Along with museums being allowed to open their doors, restaurants in low-risk zones on Monday will be allowed to offer outdoor dining before a 10 p.m. curfew.

By COLLEEN BARRY

Puerto Rico Will Fine Tourists Who Arrive Without A Negative COVID-19 PCR Test.

Starting next week travelers heading to Puerto Rico will face a fine if they arrive without showing proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR Test taken within 72 hours of arriving.

Beginning April 28, travelers who arrive without negative test results will be "imposed a $300 fine" and then required to take a PCR test on the island within 48 hours, according to Puerto Rico's tourism site, Discover Puerto Rico.

All travelers "regardless of vaccination status" will be required to complete a PCR test within 72 hours of arriving in Puerto Rico. The fine will apply even if you have taken a test but haven't received the results back yet. Rapid test results will not be accepted.

Travelers will have 48 hours to receive their test results and upload them to the online "Travel Safe" portal. When the results are received, the fine will be dismissed and travelers can proceed with their trip. Those who receive a positive test result will be required to self-isolate and seek medical attention.

While tourists are welcome to visit Puerto Rico, there are still many COVID-19 precautions in place around the island.

Earlier this month, Puerto Rico implemented a $100 fine for tourists who refuse to wear a face mask in public.

An island-wide curfew is in effect every night from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. Access to Old San Juan during this time is limited to residents and tourists staying in the area. Common areas at hotels are closed at this time, as well.

Public beaches are open, although public alcohol consumption is prohibited. Marinas are open from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. And although museums, pools and attractions are open, travelers are encouraged to make a reservation in advance due to capacity limits.

By BY CAILEY RIZZO, https://www.travelandleisure.com/

Tokyo Under ‘Emergency Orders’ With Olympics 3 Months Away

TOKYO (AP) — Only three months before the postponed Olympics are set to open, Tokyo and Japan’s second largest metropolitan area of Osaka have been placed under emergency orders aimed at stemming surging cases of the coronavirus.

The measures, which take place during Japan’s “golden week” holiday period, are meant to limit travel and keep people out of public places. They are to end on May 11, just ahead of a widely reported visit to Hiroshima by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.

Bach said this week that the visit, reported for May 17-18, is still in the “planning phase.” But Bach’s presence was immediately criticized by opposition lawmakers who say the Olympics are being prioritized ahead of public safety.

“Japan should decide its own public health policies. There is no reason we should be told by Mr. Bach what to do,” said Yuichiro Tamaki, the head of the Democratic Party for the People.

Bach said the duration of the state of emergency had nothing to do with his planned visit to the city, where he would greet the Olympic torch relay. Hiroshima was destroyed in 1945 by the American detonation of an atomic bomb over the city, and is a favorite backdrop for visiting politicians and dignitaries.

“This (state of emergency) is absolutely in line with the overall policy of the government,” Bach said. “But it is not related to the Olympic Games. It is related to the golden week.”

Japan’s third state of emergency is to include shutdown orders for bars, department stores, malls, theme parks, as well as theaters and museums. Even restaurants that do not serve alcohol are being asked to close early, as well as public transportation. Schools will stay open, but universities are asked to return to online classes.

“I hope that the situation is going be better as soon as possible,” Seiko Hashimoto, the president of the organizing committee, said Friday in a online briefing.

Japan has attributed about 10,000 deaths to COVID-19, good by global standards but poor by standards in Asia. It has vaccinated less than 1% of the population and has not enforced lockdowns with people becoming impatient and less cooperative as cases have again accelerated.

Hashimoto said several test events would continue during the emergency period, but without fans. The Olympics open on July 23.

She was asked again if there were any plans to cancel the Olympics. The question had disappeared at briefings, but has surfaced again in the last several weeks.

“As the organizing committee, we are not thinking about cancellation,” Hashimoto said.

The IOC gets almost 75% of its income from selling television rights and has seen that cash flow stalled by the postponement. It needs the games to happen, which will be followed in six months by the boycott-threatened Beijing Winter Olympics.

Tokyo is officially spending $15.4 billion to organize the Olympics, with several government audits suggesting the number is much larger.

The IOC and organizers are hoping to muffle more cancellation questions next week by rolling out the second edition of the “Playbooks,” guides that are to explain how the Olympics can be held safely in a pandemic.

The first edition rolled out in February was vague. Next week promises to offer more details and is likely to include requirements that 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes be tested almost daily while in Japan.

The IOC has said vaccinations are not required to participate in the Olympics, but it has encouraged all athletes to be vaccinated.

The Playbooks are not expected to offer a decision on venue capacities, nor if any fans will be allowed at all. Fans from abroad have already been banned.

Hashimoto, who participated in seven Olympics as an athlete and won a bronze medal in speedskating at the 1992 Albertville Games, has been open about her concerns. Between 70-80% of the Japanese public polled say they games should not go on.

“I understand a lot of people are worried and also healthcare workers might be worried,” Hashimoto said. “I think about the feelings of those people — every day I think about this.”

Hawaii To Begin Vaccine Passports For Travel Between Islands

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials will allow state residents who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to skip pre-travel testing and quarantine requirements for flights between islands.

Hawaii becomes the second state in the nation after New York to implement a vaccination verification program, state officials said at a news conference Tuesday.

The plan does not change anyone’s ability to travel and avoid quarantine by testing, as is currently required for trans-Pacific and inter-island travel, but adds another option for Hawaii residents who are 14 days past their final vaccination shot. People must have received their shots in the state to be eligible for the exemption.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the state hopes to add the option for trans-Pacific travelers this summer, but wants to test the program among island residents first.

“Since the very beginning of this pandemic going back to March 7 of last year, Hawaii has had the best outcomes in the nation from the health perspective,” Ige said, noting that the state has had among the lowest infection and mortality rates in the nation.

The program will begin on May 11. At the onset, vaccination records will be checked manually by people at airports. Soon, travelers will be able to upload their verifications to a state website that is already being used for pre-travel testing.

Ige encouraged people to get vaccinated as everyone over 16 is now eligible across the state and the nation.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green said the islands have had about 2.7 million travelers come through the state’s “Safe Travels” program since its inception in October. The program requires travelers to get a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before the final leg of travel to Hawaii. Some islands have required additional testing upon arrival, and those rules will remain for anyone who is not fully vaccinated.

About 35% of Hawaii residents have received at least one dose of vaccine.

People opposed to using vaccinations to travel or gain access to certain businesses largely focus on privacy and security issues. Questions about how personal information will be stored and concerns about inequality have been raised.

The ACLU in an article published in March said it does not oppose the idea but has some concerns around inequality.

“A system that is exclusively digital, whether by design or as a practical matter, would be a nonstarter because it would increase inequality,” the article said. “Many people don’t have smartphones, including disproportionate numbers from some of our most vulnerable communities, such as people who are low-income, have disabilities, or are homeless, as well as more than 40 percent of people over age 65.”

Ige said that the program will allow people who only have physical paper records to participate in the program. He added that private companies that will get access to people’s records will be required to work with the Department of Health to maintain privacy and security of the data.

Several U.S. states, including Idaho, Arizona and Texas, have banned requiring proof of vaccination for access to certain activities. U.S. federal officials say there are no plans to make vaccine verifications broadly mandatory.

In the UK, the government is testing a system of “COVID-status certification” that would allow people seeking to travel or attend events to show they either have received a coronavirus vaccine, tested negative for the virus, or recently had COVID-19 and therefore have some immunity.

Some worry such passports will benefit people and countries with more access to vaccines. Many countries, especially the world’s poorest, have struggled to vaccinate people.

Half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Sunday.

But the head of the World Health Organization said there is a “shocking imbalance” in global vaccination rates. The organization’s Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreysus said that while one in four people in rich countries had received a vaccine, only one in 500 people in poorer countries had gotten a dose.

The new rules could help Hawaii’s economy as residents are once again able to travel to other islands without having to pay for testing.

“The timing is right,” said Big Island mayor Mitch Roth. “We are islands separated by miles of ocean, but connected by families, friends and a sense of community. This is really the time to do this.”

Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival Is In Full Bloom April 23 Through June 7. More Than Half A Million Flowers And New Dining Pass and Inspirational Entertainment Are Highlights

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee -- Springtime visitors to Dollywood, the world-famous theme park located in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, will find more than half a million flowers blooming throughout the park from April 23 through June 7, all part of the spectacular “Flower & Food Festival.” The air is filled not only with the scent of fresh flowers, but also the smells of some of the best food in the amusement industry (made even more appetizing thanks to a new dining pass) and the sounds of inspirational music.

The park is always noted for its incredible landscaping, but the Flower & Food festival takes that up several notches, delighting guests with lavish landscaping and massive floral sculptures created from more than half a million vibrant flowers. Guests can find fun around every corner, thanks to expansive displays that include a vivid butterfly umbrella, scenes featuring mischievous animals, and even a depiction of Dolly’s mother quilting the Coat of Many Colors. These “Mosaicultures” were developed in partnership with Mosaicultures International, a Montreal-based company that has gained international recognition for its one-of-kind floral creations.

“When I was a little girl, I loved springtime because everything seemed so bright with color,” Dolly Parton says. “It started to get warm outside and you just felt like you could finally get out of the house after being cooped up in there for so long, which is something I know we’re all feeling right now. But the thing I remember most about those spring days were the flowers that would start blooming all over the hills. So, the Smokies really were the inspiration for this festival.

The flowers are only half the story, though. This festival, now in its second year, also celebrates the culinary creations for which this park has won countless awards. The food and beverage team has been busy developing a range of new menu items especially for this event, including these delicious offerings:

Cuban sandwich with plantain chips Fish and chips Mountain paella Summer succotash featuring pan-seared chicken Lobster rolls Beef bulgogi nachos Blueberry and blackberry mini funnel cakes Lemon curd and blueberry Liege waffles

Thanks to the introduction of a new Flower & Food Festival Dining Pass, guests can partake in multiple items at a variety of locations around the park. The dining pass, which is available online or at the park, is just $29.99 plus tax (or $27.99 plus tax for season passholders). With the dining pass, guests can sample five meals at any of the Flower & Food Festival culinary locations.

Entertainment is at the very heart of this park, and therefore also a major component of this year’s festival. Several performances and shows take place each day of the event, and a new concert series, Melodies of Spring, features contemporary Christian artists, Southern gospel groups and other inspirational acts appearing inside DP’s Celebrity Theater every Friday, Saturday and Sunday throughout the festival. All shows are included with park admission and a full schedule of performances can be found at Dollywood.com.

Dollywood is a destination unto itself, complete with its own family-friendly hotel. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa is celebrating the Flower & Food Festival with its own series of special activities and events designed to bring the fun of the theme park straight to the doors of the resort. Here are some of the programs in place during the festival:

Special floral designs have sprung up around the property, including potted flowers at the entryway and vibrant flowers around its fountain. Camp DW, the resort’s kids camp, is offering special festival-themed projects, from painting your own flower pot to designing a birdhouse. Featured festival performers also appear at the hotel.

The resort is serving a family-friendly “drink of the day,” from 4 to 6 p.m. These “agua frescas” are light and full of flavor, and the resort is giving out recipe cards so guests can recreate these refreshing drinks at home.

The Spa is offering treatments fused with lavender, honey, pomegranate, blackberry and other fresh, springtime ingredients. On select days, the resort chefs offer lunchtime cooking demonstrations at Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery.

Song & Hearth also offers a special Spring Celebration menu. The resort is partnering with Biltmore Winery for a Winemaker’s Dinner on Saturday, May 22, pairing festival-inspired dishes with exemplary wines from Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Dollywood specializes in creating exceptional experiences all year round, with each season unlike the next. After the Flower & Food Festival has finished ushering in spring, guests can enjoy Summer Celebration from June 25 through July 31, which this year will feature a new evening drone show and dance party every night. From September 24 through October 30, thousands of pumpkins glow to life as part of the Harvest Festival, and Smoky Mountain Christmas will celebrate the spirit of the season from November 6 through January 2.
For more information about Dollywood, please visit dollywood.com or download the Dollywood App.

Greece Opens To Tourists, Anxious To Move On From Crisis

Greece began opening to tourists on April 19th with few bookings but hopes for a better season to help make up for a 2020 devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

On Rhodes island, where most visitors are from abroad, hoteliers are scrubbing, polishing and painting in anticipation of a make-or-break year.

"We're preparing the hotel in order to start as soon as the government gives us the green light," said George Tselios, general manager of Sun Beach Hotel, whose customers are from Scandinavia, Germany, Austria and Britain.

Greece will formally open on May 14 but starting Monday, tourists from the European Union, the United States, Britain, Serbia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will not quarantine if they are vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19.

Tourism, which generates a fifth of Greece's GDP and one in five jobs, is vital for an economy which had climbed out of a decade-long slump only to slip back into recession last year as COVID-19 struck.

In a normal year, Rhodes would have already laid out the umbrellas for a season that runs from March through October. In mid-April, it resembled a ghost city.

Shuttered luxury resorts towered over a long, sandy, empty coastline. Beach towns normally bursting with crowds of British tourists were silent, with boarded up shops, tavernas and bars.

Many have been closed since 2020, when just 7.4 million people visited Greece, fewer than any year in its decade-long economic crisis and down from a record 31.3 million in 2019.

From hotels to restaurants and daily cruise boats, the many businesses surviving on state aid cannot afford another lost summer.

"Most of them feel the country cannot survive another crisis," Rhodes's deputy mayor for tourism, Konstantinos Taraslias, said.

Nearly 600,000 tourists visited Rhodes last year, down from 2.3 million in 2019. Just over half its 650 hotels opened, the hoteliers' association said.

WIDESPREAD TESTING

Greece says it is better placed this summer thanks to widespread testing, quarantine hotels and plans to vaccinate islanders and tourism workers.

"We've done everything within our power to have a better season," said George Hatzimarkos, governor of Greece's most popular region, the south Aegean islands, which besides Rhodes includes Mykonos and Santorini.

"We'll be absolutely ready," by mid-May, Hatzimarkos said.

But bookings are few and most for August to October, said the president of Rhodes' hoteliers, Manolis Markopoulos, forecasting a year of last-minute reservations.

"We can understand it because guests really want to be sure that they will fly," he said. "But that does not mean that we will not get bookings later."

While Greece fared better than much of Europe in containing the first wave of the pandemic, a continuous rise in infections has forced it to impose several lockdowns to protect its strained health service.

Tourists will be subject to lockdown restrictions, which include night-time curfews. Restaurants and bars have been closed since November.

Giannis Chalikias, who manages nine businesses on Rhodes, said only one is open and struggling to meet the obligations of the remaining eight.

"We're going through an unprecedented situation," he said. "We're waiting day by day for people to get vaccinated... so that we can open and have a normal season."

By Karolina Tagaris

New Digital Exhibition Of The SS United States Explores America's Flagship As Iconic Symbol Of The Ad Age

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) – Today the SS United States Conservancy, the national nonprofit organization that owns the SS United States and is dedicated to saving the historic ocean liner, launched its first digital exhibition, “Advertising the United States: Discovering America’s Flagship through Prints, Posters, and Advertisements.” Available now to the public at https://www.ssusc.org/advertising-the-united-states, the exhibition features a collection of more than two dozen advertisements and other promotional products, featuring both the iconic ship and major American brands, including Alcoa, Goodyear, IBM, and Socony-Mobil.

Viewed through the lens of the nation’s post-World War II economic boom and subsequent social upheavals of the 1960s, the Conservancy’s digital exhibition offers visitors a look at the intricate, exciting, and beautiful visualizations of the SS United States in print advertising at the height of the “Ad Age.” The Conservancy’s curatorial team also explores how the depictions of the historic ocean liner, from her debut in 1952 to her withdrawal from service in 1969, have shaped our understanding, experience, and memories of this iconic American symbol as well as her namesake nation.

“The SS United States is famous for its groundbreaking design, speed, and style, but she also played a key role as a global ambassador for the nation’s ideals – and its expanding economy,” said Susan Gibbs, President of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s famed designer, William Francis Gibbs. “In the post-war era, many marquee brands were eager to associate themselves with America’s Flagship. Advertisers understood and leveraged the ship’s deep, emotional appeal and the connection between the SS United States and the ‘American Dream.’”

Exhibition curator Sydney Sheehan said, “While she was built as a convertible troop transport vessel, America’s Flagship was truly a symbol of the country’s new, outsized role as a global superpower. She portrayed the very best of her country and advertisers understood how to capitalize on those feelings of patriotism and national pride. Even later in her career, when she became eclipsed by jet liners as the preferred form of transatlantic travel, the men and women behind the scenes found a way to recast America’s Flagship as the ‘Unrushable’ option for a more glamorous, immersive travel experience.”

Set to run through August 15, 2021, “Advertising the United States” will include special events and expanded online content.

Since acquiring title to the SS United States a decade ago, the SS United States Conservancy has raised resources to keep the ship safely afloat and advance prospects for her redevelopment as a stationary mixed-use destination. The group has also built a world-class curatorial collection, which will serve as the foundation for an exciting museum and center for innovation on board the redeveloped vessel. Today, the Conservancy has grown a global community of supporters from every state and more than 40 countries to help protect the fastest ocean liner in history and the largest built in the United States.

Those wishing to support the Conservancy’s curatorial work or help save the ship can learn more at www.SSUSC.org.

ABOUT THE SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY A national nonprofit organization, the SS United States Conservancy leads the global effort to save and repurpose America’s Flagship, the SS United States. The Conservancy raises public awareness and financial resources for the maintenance, restoration and ultimate reuse of this iconic vessel and works to ensure that the fastest ocean liner ever to cross the Atlantic remains an inspiration for generations to come. For more information about the SS United States Conservancy and America's Flagship, visit www.ssusc.org or the Conservancy's Facebook page.

French President Foresees Some Summer Tourists In Paris

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says he foresees at least some tourists returning to Paris this summer if they have gotten vaccinated or have proof of testing negative for the coronavirus as France moves to progressively lift infection-control restrictions.

“We are building a certificate to facilitate travel after these restrictions between the different European countries with testing and vaccination,” Macron said in an interview that aired Sunday on the CBS News show “Face the Nation.”

Macron spoke as the French government is preparing to impose tough, new entry restrictions on travelers from four countries — Argentina, Chile, South Africa and Brazil — in hopes of keeping out especially contagious virus variants. The number of countries on the list could grow, France’s foreign minister said Saturday.

The restrictions include mandatory 10-day quarantines with police checks to ensure people arriving in France observe the requirement. Travelers from all four countries will be restricted to French nationals and their families, EU citizens and others with a permanent home in France.

France previously suspended all flights from Brazil. The suspension will be lifted next Saturday, after 10 days, and the new restrictions “progressively” put in place by then, the government said. The flight suspension for Brazil will be lifted followed by the “drastic measures” for entering France from all four countries, plus the French territory of Guiana, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

Macron, summarizing the French approach, said “the plan is always to control the virus, to maximize the vaccination and to progressively lift the restrictions.”

France has been among the hardest hit European countries and is now guarding against highly contageous variants, notably deciding to target four countries at present.

The four countries “are the most dangerous in terms of the number of variants that exist and in the evolution of the pandemic in these countries,” Le Drian said Saturday on the France 3 television station.

The list of countries subject to tougher border checks could be extended, he said.

Under the new restrictions, travelers must provide an address for where they plan to observe the 10-day confinement period and police will make visits and fine those who are found in violation, the government said.

Along with the mandatory quarantine, France is requiring more stringent testing for the coronavirus. Travelers must show proof of a negative PCR test taken less than 36 hours instead of 72 hours before they boarded a flight, or a negative antigen test less than 24 hours

France has reported the deaths of 100,00 people in the COVID-19 pandemic.

A variant first identified in England spread to continental Europe and is now responsible for about 80% of the virus cases in France, while the variants first seen in Brazil and South Africa make up less than 4% of French infections, Health Minister Olivier Veran said last week.

Alaska To Offer Tourists COVID-19 Vaccines Starting June 1

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Friday that COVID-19 vaccines would be made available at key airports in the state starting June 1, in unveiling plans aimed at bolstering the state’s pandemic-battered tourist industry.

Dunleavy, a Republican, outlined plans for a national marketing campaign aimed at luring tourists using federal aid money and said the vaccine offering is “probably another good reason to come to the state of Alaska in the summer.”

Dunleavy and other state leaders have been pushing to allow large cruise ships to return to Alaska after COVID-19 restrictions kept them away last year, hitting hard businesses and communities, particularly in southeast Alaska, that rely heavily on summer tourism.

He said the state has not ruled out suing the federal government, as Florida has, over the issue.

About 40% of those eligible for a vaccine in Alaska, who are 16 or older, are fully vaccinated, according to the state health department, and health officials have been looking for new ways to encourage more people to get vaccinated.

Alaska was the first state to drop restrictions on who could get a COVID-19 vaccine when last month it opened eligibility to anyone 16 or older who lives or works in the state.

Heidi Hedberg, the state health department’s Division of Public Health director, said there is an ample supply of vaccine. She said the airport program will offer the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

Hedberg said officials are hearing from other states that there is “a lot of vaccine availability,” so if travelers are not still in Alaska when it’s time for their second dose, they can follow-up at a clinic or with their provider when they return home, she said. They would need to make sure that if their first dose was with Pfizer, for example, that their second dose is also a Pfizer shot, Hedberg said.

state plans to offer vaccines at airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan, with the clinics outside the security area, she said. Details released Friday differed from a department solicitation in March that included interest in using a one-dose vaccine subject to availability.

Hedberg said officials would do a “soft rollout” at the Anchorage airport for five days in late April, between 5 p.m. and 2 a.m., to work through logistics. The state will use an existing contractor for mobile clinics for the trial run, and it would be for Alaskans traveling in or through the airport, she said.

Vaccinations would open more widely, to anyone passing through, starting June 1, she said.

State health officials also have encouraged travelers to test for COVID-19, though the state no longer requires that.

Alert Level Raised For Aleutian Islands Volcano Emitting Ash

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A volcano in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain has continued to emit ash, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported Thursday, prompting officials to raise the alert level.

Satellite views suggested ash emissions from the Semisopochnoi volcano that started in the morning are continuing with no decrease in intensity. The observatory listed the volcano being under a watch.

The ash cloud extends more than 217 miles (350 kilometers) southeast of the volcano and has reached heights of up to 20,000 feet (6 kilometers) above sea level, the observatory said.

Adak is about 160 miles (257 kilometers) east of the volcano.

Study Finds That Blocking Seats On Planes Reduces Virus Risk

A new study says leaving middle seats open could give airline passengers more protection from the virus that causes COVID-19.

Researchers said the risk of passengers being exposed to the virus from an infected person on the plane could be reduced by 23% to 57% if middle seats are empty, compared with a full flight.

The study released Wednesday supports the response of airlines that limited seating early in the pandemic. However, all U.S. airlines except Delta now sell every seat they can, and Delta will stop blocking middle seats on May 1.

The airlines argue that filters and air-flow systems on most planes make them safe when passengers wear face masks, as they are now required to do by federal regulation.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kansas State University estimated how far airborne virus particles travel inside a plane. They used mannequins that emitted aerosol to measure the flow of virus particles through airline cabin mock-ups.

The study, however, did not take into account the wearing of face masks because it was based on a previous study done in 2017, before the pandemic.

Nor did it consider whether passengers are vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC says vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves, although the agency still recommends against nonessential travel.

Airlines for America, a trade group for the largest U.S. carriers, said airlines use several layers of measures to prevent the spread of the virus on planes, including face masks, asking passengers about their health, and stepped-up cleaning of cabins. The group cited a Harvard University report funded by the airline industry as showing that the risk of transmitting the coronavirus on planes is very low.

Airlines were divided last year over filling middle seats. While Delta, Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue limited seating on planes, United Airlines never did and American Airlines only blocked seats for a short time. It was mostly an academic question, because relatively few flights last year were crowded. That is changing.

More than 1 million travelers have gone through U.S. airports each day for the past month. While that is still down more than one-third from the same period in 2019, more flights now are crowded. Around Easter weekend, Delta temporarily filled middle seats to accommodate passengers whose original flights were canceled because of staffing shortages.

France Suspends All Brazil Flights Due To Virus Variants

PARIS (AP) — France suspended all flights from Brazil on Tuesday amid mounting fears over the particularly contagious coronavirus variant that has been sweeping the South American country.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the suspension to parliament.

“We note that the situation is getting worse and so we have decided to suspend all flights between Brazil and France until further notice,” Castex said, drawing scattered applause from lawmakers.

Although France has seen comparatively few known cases of the P.1 variant striking Brazil, the ravages it is causing in Latin America’s largest nation are increasingly raising alarm bells in France.

Castex noted that travelers from Brazil already needed to test negative for the virus before their departure and upon arrival in France, and also quarantine for 10 days. But the government was also facing mounting calls from health experts for a flight suspension to further limit potential spread.

Boris Vallaud, a lawmaker for the opposition Socialists, called the flight suspension “necessary and a very good decision.”

The prime minister’s office said the suspension would start Wednesday, and concerns flights from Brazil to France. National carrier Air France cancelled all its flights both to and from Brazil on Wednesday and said its flight schedule beyond that would depend on government instructions.

France has had 5.1 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, the highest number in Europe, and has seen over 99,000 people die. The country is struggling with another wave of coronavirus infections and hospitalizations that is straining hospitals in Paris and elsewhere.

To curb France’s surge in cases, restrictions on travel and movement are enforced nationwide, on top of an overnight curfew. Schools are in the midst of a shutdown scheduled to last for at least three weeks.

French Health Minister Olivier Veran told parliament that a variant which first swept through Britain before spreading to continental Europe is now responsible for about 80% of infections in France and that the variants first seen in Brazil and South Africa make up less than 4% of French infections.

“Proportionally, we are seeing a retreat of these variants because they are less contagious than the English one,” Veran said.

Even before the flight suspension, passenger traffic from Brazil had already been drastically curtailed by pandemic travel limits. The transport minister said this week that as few as 50 people per day were flying into Paris’ main airport from Brazil, down from 50,000 per week before the health crisis.

"Travel" Abroad With These Passport-Free Alternatives

As the weather warms, wanderlust is on the rise. But even as the forecast is brightening for domestic travel, COVID-19 restrictions continue to put that dream European vacation out of reach for now. For those would-be international adventurers whose patience is wearing thin, here are three passport-free alternatives:

St. Moritz-style Alpine Adventure (Lake Placid, N.Y.)

Both are two-time hosts of the Winter Olympic Games. Both draw adventurers year-round to their rugged mountains, sparkling lakes and dense forests. But unlike the Swiss resort town of St. Moritz, Lake Placid is within driving distance of New York City, Boston and other points throughout the Northeast. The all-suite Whiteface Lodge, a AAA Four-Diamond luxury resort in this Adirondack village, is tucked into the woodlands of a 36,200-acre forest preserve, giving active travelers direct access to miles of scenic trails for hiking and biking. The resort’s private Canoe Club, slated to open Memorial Day Weekend, is stocked with complimentary kayaks, pedal boats, canoes and more, ready to launch from Paradox Bay. Also nearby are rock climbing, whitewater rafting, fishing and golf.

The Great British Getaway (Westchester County, N.Y.)

Afternoon tea, grand estates, charming towns and gardens galore—Anglophiles can enjoy an English country weekend just a short train ride or drive from New York City. Start in the affluent village of Bronxville, with its quaint downtown full of treasures like the 83-year-old Womrath Bookshop. Bronxville is also home to Sarah Lawrence College, modeled on the Oxford/Cambridge system, and its residential streets showcase a variety of English architectural styles, from grand Tudor and Georgian homes to Cotswold cottages. In nearby Tarrytown, landscape tours resume May 7 at the Gothic Revival mansion Lyndhurst. Untermyer Gardens (Yonkers) is another must, with its 43 acres of distinct, themed gardens ranging from a Walled Garden modeled after ancient Indo-Persian gardens to the naturalistic Rock and Stream Garden. Head north to Peekskill for a proper English tea at Kathleen’s Tea Room on Main Street, then check in for the night at The Abbey Inn, a stylish new hotel set in the beautifully restored, Gothic Revival remains of a former Episcopal convent and chapel.

Tuscany on the California Coast (Casa Palmero, Pebble Beach Resorts).

Its design evocative of a private Mediterranean estate, Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach offers all the trappings of a romantic retreat in Italy, with the rugged beauty of the California coast filling in for the Tuscan shoreline. This boutique “resort within a resort” just might be the legendary golf destination’s best-kept secret, its 24 expansive rooms and suites tucked into a secluded setting just steps from the links but a world apart. Casa Palmero guests enjoy romantic touches like gas fireplaces, deep soaking tubs, private patios with whirlpool spas, a sparkling swimming pool, lush courtyard garden, and an exceptional level of personalized service. Be sure to book a romantic dinner for two at Pebble Beach Resorts’ acclaimed Pèppoli, serving authentic Tuscan-style dishes paired with the widest selection of Antinori wines outside of Tuscany. And but a five-minute drive away is downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea, where cobblestoned streets and fairytale-like cottage homes are reminiscent of a medieval Europe

Clementine Hunter Exhibit At The Cabildo In New Orleans Into Next Year

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Cabildo in New Orleans museum is showing more than 50 works by one of America’s most important self-taught artists, Clementine Hunter. The exhibit includes some rarely seen abstract paintings and a forgery by a man whose cats helped bring him down.

The exhibition at the Cabildo in New Orleans will continue into next year. It also includes a quilt cover by Hunter, found objects that she painted, and one of many forgeries by a Baton Rouge man who pleaded guilty in 2011 to faking works sold as Hunter’s.

“Although her work has received international acclaim, this exhibition helps us appreciate Clementine Hunter from a uniquely Louisiana perspective,” Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said in a news release.

On April 22, Tom Whitehead and FBI agent Randolph Deaton will give a free Zoom talk about how they identified William Toye of Baton Rouge as the forger. According to material provided by the museum, Toye and his wife, Beryl, owned more than a hundred cats between 1977 and 2009, and cat hair stuck in the oil paint on many of the fakes.

Whitehead and Art Shiver, co-authors of “Clementine Hunter: Her Life and Art,” will discuss Hunter’s life and career in the Cane River region sometime in the fall.

Hunter’s parents were field workers on a plantation near Cloutierville, and her grandparents included an enslaved woman. Hunter was about 13 when her family moved to nearby Melrose Plantation; she lived on or near there for the rest of her life, dying at age 101.

She was about 50 when she started painting.

The abstracts were painted in the early 1960s, according to the museum.

James Pipes Register, a friend, mentor and collector, reportedly gave her montages made from bits cut from newspapers and magazines, asking her to paint what she saw.

“Though Hunter usually rejected attempts to influence her style or subject, she went along with his request between 1962 and 1964,” according to the museum’s caption for one such work.