EU takes US Off Safe Travel List; Backs Travel Restrictions

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union recommended Monday that its 27 nations reinstate restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus infections there, but member countries will keep the option of allowing fully vaccinated U.S. travelers in.

The decision by the European Council to remove the U.S. from a safe list of countries for nonessential travel reverses the advice that it gave in June, when the bloc recommended lifting restrictions on all U.S. travelers before the summer tourism season.

The EU’s decision reflects growing anxiety that the rampant spread of the virus in the U.S. could jump to Europe at a time when Americans are allowed to travel to the continent. Both the EU and the U.S. have faced rising infections this summer, driven by the more contagious delta variant.

The guidance issued Monday is nonbinding, however. American tourists should expect a mishmash of travel rules across the continent since the EU has no unified COVID-19 tourism policy and national EU governments have the authority to decide whether or how they keep their borders open during the pandemic.

More than 15 million Americans a year visited Europe before the coronavirus crisis, and new travel restrictions could cost European businesses billions in lost travel revenues, especially in tourism-reliant countries like Croatia, which has been surprised by packed beaches and hotels this summer.

“Nonessential travel to the EU from countries or entities not listed (on the safe list) ... is subject to temporary travel restriction,” the council said in a statement. “This is without prejudice to the possibility for member states to lift the temporary restriction on nonessential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travelers.”

U.S. travelers would have to be immunized with one of the vaccines approved by the bloc, which includes Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson&Johnson.

Possible restrictions on U.S. travelers could include quarantines, further testing requirements upon arrival or even a total ban on all nonessential travel from the U.S.

In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed Monday that the EU travel restrictions applied to the unvaccinated, adding that “the fastest path to reopening travel is for people to get vaccinated, to mask up and slow the spread of the deadly virus.”

Paski told reporters that the U.S. government is working across federal agencies to develop its own policy for international travel, with the possibility of strengthening testing protocols and potentially ensuring that foreign visitors are fully vaccinated. But she said no final decision has been made yet.

The EU recommendation doesn’t apply to Britain, which formally left the EU at the beginning of the year and opened its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. earlier this month.

The United States remains on Britain’s “amber” travel list, meaning that fully vaccinated adults arriving from the U.S. to the U.K. don’t have to self-isolate. A negative COVID-19 test within three days before arriving in the U.K. is required and another negative test is needed two days after arriving.

The EU also removed Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia from the safe travel list on Monday.

Meanwhile, the United States has yet to reopen its own borders to EU tourists, despite calls from the bloc to do so. Adalbert Jahnz, the European Commission spokesperson for home affairs, said Monday that the EU’s executive arm remained in discussions with the Biden administration but so far both sides have failed to find a reciprocal approach.

In addition to the epidemiological criteria used to determine the countries for which restrictions should be lifted, the European Council said that “reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case-by-case basis.”

The European Council updates the safe travel list every two weeks, based criteria related to coronavirus infection levels. The threshold for being on the EU safe list is having not more than 75 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last 14 days.

The U.S. , meanwhile, is averaging more than 155,000 new coronavirus cases and 1,200 deaths per day, and several U.S. states have more COVID-19 patients in the hospital now than at any other time during the pandemic.

Authorities in Oregon are seeking extra refrigerated trucks because morgues are at capacity and Florida is in a similar situation after a week in which more than 1,700 people died from the virus in the state. Hospitals are desperately running out of staff in several states, and the start of the school year has brought even more fears that the outlook will worsen as millions of unvaccinated students return to their classrooms.

U.S. school districts have been struggling over whether to impose mask mandates, sometimes even suing in states where officials are against such requirements.

Vaccine hesitancy also remains a problem in many locations in the U.S., where 61% of the eligible population is inoculated against the virus. In contrast, Britain has fully vaccinated over 78% of adults and EU countries have inoculated nearly 70% of those over 18.

Germany Proposing To Ban The Unvaccinated From Nearly Everywhere

Germany’s health ministry is preparing sweeping measures next month that could exclude unvaccinated people from many areas of public life if Covid-19 infection rates continue to rise.

What is being proposed?

The measures, which would be among the strictest in Europe, would ensure that only those who have been vaccinated against the virus, have recovered from an infection, or those who can demonstrate a negative test result would be able to access many facilities.

The Health Ministry indicated that the government was considering the idea of imposing restrictions that they called the “2G rule,” on unvaccinated people in the event that infections and hospitalizations continue to rise. This would only allow vaccinated or recovered people to attend certain facilities while unvaccinated people would be excluded.

This could ban the unvaccinated from going to restaurants, gyms or hairdressers,, indoor sports and large outdoor events or participated in other activities.

“Tests are therefore becoming a prerequisite, for example, for access to hospitals, old people’s and nursing homes, indoor catering, events and celebrations, but also for visits to the hairdresser or the cosmetic studio. The same applies to indoor sports or accommodation, for example in hotels and guest houses,” the government said on Tuesday.

“I say to all those of you who are still unsure: A vaccination doesn’t just protect you, it protects the people you care about, the people who mean a lot to you, your loved ones,” Merkel said.

Source: https://www.politicsvideochannel.com/

Hurricane Ida Winds Hit 150 Mph Ahead Of Louisiana Strike

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Ida rapidly grew in strength early Sunday, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane just hours before hitting the Louisiana coast as emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees amid the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

As Ida moved through some of the warmest ocean water in the world in the northern Gulf of Mexico, its top winds grew by 45 mph (72 kph) to 150 mph (230 kph) in five hours. The system was expected to make landfall early Sunday afternoon on the exact date Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi 16 years earlier.

The National Hurricane Center said Ida was expected to maintain its strength just 6 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane until landfall. Only four Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States: Michael in 2018, Andrew in 1992, Camille in 1969 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. Both Michael and Andrew were upgraded to category 5 long after the storm hit with further review of damage.

Ida threatened a region already reeling from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, due to low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant.

New Orleans hospitals planned to ride out the storm with their beds nearly full, as similarly stressed hospitals elsewhere had little room for evacuated patients. And shelters for those fleeing their homes carried an added risk of becoming flashpoints for new infections.

Hurricane force winds started to strike Grand Isle on Sunday morning. Before power was lost on the Louisiana barrier island, a beachfront web camera showed the ocean steadily rising as growing waves churned and palm trees whipped.

Forecasters warned winds stronger than 115 mph (185 kph) were expected soon in Houma, a city of 33,000 that supports oil platforms in the Gulf.

In New Orleans, where the worst weather is expected later, a light rain fell. Cars were parked on the median, which is a few feet higher and can protect against potential flooding

Ida intensified so swiftly that New Orleans officials said there was no time to organize a mandatory evacuation of its 390,000 residents. Mayor LaToya Cantrell urged residents to leave voluntarily. Those who stayed were warned to prepare for long power outages amid sweltering heat.

Nick Mosca was walking his dog, like most of those who were out.

“I’d like to be better prepared. There’s a few things I’m thinking we could have done. But this storm came pretty quick, so you only have the time you have,” Mosca said.

Gov. John Bel Edwards vowed Saturday that Louisiana’s “resilient and tough people” would weather the storm. He also noted shelters would operate with reduced capacities “to reflect the realities of COVID.”

Edwards said Louisiana officials were working to find hotel rooms for evacuees so that fewer had to stay in mass shelters. He noted that during last year’s hurricane season, Louisiana found rooms for 20,000 people.

Coastal Gulfport, Mississippi, was battered Sunday by intense rain. A Red Cross shelter posted signs displaying directions for evacuees, along with warnings about COVID-19. Shelter manager Barbara Casterlin said workers were required to wear face masks. Evacuees were encouraged to do the same. Anyone who refuses will be sent to an isolated area, she said, as will people who are sick.

“We’re not checking vaccinations,” Casterlin said, “but we are doing temperature checks two or three times a day.”

President Joe Biden approved emergency declarations for Louisiana and Mississippi ahead of Ida’s arrival.

Comparisons to the Aug. 29, 2005, landfall of Katrina weighed heavily on residents bracing for Ida. A Category 3 storm, Katrina was blamed for 1,800 deaths as it caused levee breaches and catastrophic flooding in New Orleans and demolished oceanfront homes in Mississippi. Ida’s hurricane force winds stretched less than 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the storm’s eye, or less than half the size of Katrina.

Officials stressed that the levee and drainage systems protecting New Orleans had been much improved since Katrina. But they cautioned flooding was still possible, with up to 24 inches (61 centimeters) of rain forecast in some areas.

“Ida will most definitely be stronger than Katrina, and by a pretty big margin,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. “And, the worst of the storm will pass over New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which got the weaker side of Katrina.”

About 2 million people live in and around New Orleans and Baton Rouge, with many fewer people along the Mississippi River and wetlands to the south, which will get the brunt of the hurricane first.

Edwards said 5,000 National Guard troops were being deployed in 14 Louisiana parishes for search and rescue efforts. And 10,000 linemen were on standby to respond to electrical outages.

Hurricane Ida nearly doubled in strength, going from an 85 mph storm to a 150 mph storm in just 24 hours, which meteorologists called “explosive intensification.”

“Yikes! Ida leaves me stunned,” said Jeff Masters, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane hunter meteorologist and founder of Weather Underground.

He warned the region could face devastation to its infrastructure, which includes petrochemical sites and major ports. The state’s 17 oil refineries account for nearly one-fifth of the U.S. refining capacity and its two liquefied natural gas export terminals ship about 55% of the nation’s total exports, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Louisiana is also home to two nuclear power plants, one near New Orleans and another about 27 miles (about 43 kilometers) northwest of Baton Rouge.

The Interstate 10 corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is a critical hub of the nation’s petrochemical industry, lined with oil refineries, natural gas terminals and chemical manufacturing plants. Entergy, Louisiana’s major electricity provider, operates two nuclear power plants along the Mississippi River.

Broadway Theaters Attack Virus: ‘This Is Absolutely Doable’

NEW YORK (AP) — There’s a woman who has seen the play “Pass Over” multiple times in just a few days. She sat with the audience one night, returned another day to stand at the back of the theater and once stayed backstage for an entire performance.

She’s not exactly a super fan. Don’t get her wrong, Dr. Blythe Adamson loves the play. But she was searching for something more than a jolt of live theater — ways to lower the risks of COVID-19 transmission.

Adamson is tasked with making the August Wilson Theatre safer on both sides of the stage. She has climbed onto the roof to inspect the new HVAC ventilation system that brings in fresh air and put portable air filters around the building. She has talked to stage managers to understand the movement of people backstage and hung out in the lobby during shows to look for chokepoints. She once spent a performance loitering at the bathrooms to see how patrons could spread the virus.

“Bringing together more than a thousand people into one room during a pandemic, as an epidemiologist, is something that I would not endorse if I didn’t really believe that it can be done safely,” said Adamson, founder of Infectious Economics, which has helped develop protocols for the NBA, the fashion industry and retail stores.

Adamson is part of a new group crucial to Broadway’s reopening this season: Professionals grounded in science tasked with ensuring a COVID-19 free zone.

“It’s all about reducing risk,” said Mimi Intagliata, director of production at Disney Theatrical Group who is in charge of its virus response. “We on Broadway aren’t going to get rid of COVID any more than anybody else. But it’s about reducing our risk so that we keep our folks as safe as we can and keep the show going.”

What Intagliata and Adamson are working out may become the protocols for many more theaters and touring productions in the short term and also good practices for years down the road.

“My hope for public health and for theater health is that these things can stay in theaters backstage. I think that long after COVID, this will likely reduce the spread of flu and RSV and other viruses. I hope that it will lead to a permanently healthier building for these employees to work in,” Adamson said.

Air is now constantly circulating inside the August Wilson Theatre, thanks to the placement of portable air fans and air filters with MERV-13 or HEPA technology. Adamson cut the number of people who can go backstage and recommended PCR testing for COVID-19 for everyone, regardless of whether they are vaccinated. All workers now wear KN95 masks.

Adamson endorses a policy of layered solutions — multiple, overlapping efforts that currently is grounded on rigorous personal testing and air filters everywhere. It means listening to the latest science and changing protocols if necessary. It means bracing for the inevitable positive test result.

“We are going to learn as we go, and we do our best effort in setting up the policies that we think are going to keep people the safest. But we have to be flexible and agile so that as we observe, we can change and update them,” she said.

The majority of Broadway’ 41 theaters were built before the Depression and are uniquely risky when it comes to transmission, with narrow backstage spaces, sealed-up windows and poor ventilation. Crowds — often older-skewing — gather outside bathrooms and at bars during intermission, while entrances and exits are limited.

Backstage, while stars get their own dressing rooms, most of the ensemble and understudies share tiny rooms, and the orchestra is crammed into a pit under the stage. Props and costumes are touched multiple times a night. New protocols are needed everywhere.

The Disney Theatrical Group has settled on five pillars to keep people safe: mandating vaccinations, frequent testing, plenty of PPE, regular hand hygiene and surface cleaning and upgrading HVAC systems.

Company members are PCR tested every day and there is additional antigen testing planned — far exceeding the union protocols. Because Disney has children in their companies, they are sticking with masking mandates backstage.

Examining every aspect of their productions has led to everything from touchless bathroom facilities to scrapping the tradition of actors signing autographs after shows. Managers even realized that two actors in one show who had no stage time together were sharing a dressing room, unnecessarily risking a bigger disruption if one fell ill.

“Those are the types of things you have to look at and shake up status quo to say ‘The things that we do out of hand without even thoroughly thinking about, we have to back up and reevaluate,’” said Intagliata.

“Pass Over” — the first play to open on Broadway since the pandemic shut down in March 2020 — was almost perfectly designed to show a path past COVID-19: It has just three actors, lasts just 90 minutes with no intermission and no musicians.

“This is the right show to be the first,” said Adamson. “If we can’t make it work with this one, then we don’t understand what works. With musicals, it will be harder. But we have the tools.”

Adamson suspects bigger shows will have to do PCR testing for all staff four to six days a week. To keep costs low, she suggests they pool their tests. “Pass Over” combines up to 24 saliva samples for one PCR test and separates them so ushers and ticket-takers are in a different sample bag than actors.

As for audiences, anyone wanting to see “Pass Over” and Bruce Springsteen’s musical — the only Broadway shows on offer for a few more weeks — both signal what could be the new normal: Proof of full vaccination are required for entry and masks are mandated while moving through the theater.

To infiltrate the August Wilson Theatre, the virus will have to grapple with Pam Remler, a former stage manager who is now a COVID-19 safety manager. Having been the stage manager there during the long run of “Jersey Boys,” she knows the theater’s nooks and crannies well.

“I feel like a mother. I’m just going to protect everyone in that building by protecting the building from the outside in,” she said.

Remler collects saliva samples from actors and workers each day, schedules tests and does contact tracing. She inspects the theater’s various filters and enforces the mask mandates and social distancing requirements.

“This is absolutely doable. We can have an industry. We can do it right. It takes all of us to do this, but it is absolutely doable,” said Remler.

Small alterations have also been made. Instead of an opening night party in a crowded restaurant, the cast and crew of “Pass Over” held an outdoor block party. Props are wiped down regularly, water jugs are touchless and producers hired an extra understudy in case any actor is sidelined.

“We didn’t come in with a strategy that has stayed the same. We changed it every day,” said Matt Ross, lead producer. “I think there are more things that need to be done on larger shows, but the same principles will apply.”

New Zealand Extends Virus Lockdown

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s government has extended a strict nationwide lockdown through Tuesday as it tries to quash its first outbreak of the coronavirus in six months.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Friday the government expects to keep Auckland, where most of the cases have been found, in full lockdown for at least two more weeks. But she expects most other parts of the country can ease restrictions slightly from Wednesday.

The announcement came as health authorities reported 70 new daily cases, the most yet in the outbreak, which has grown to nearly 350 cases in total. Ardern said there was evidence the lockdown was working and new case numbers were beginning to level off. She said she remained committed to the strategy of eliminating the virus entirely.

Cruise Lines Require Vaccinations, Tests, Amid Virus Surge

MIAMI (AP) — Joel Steckler was eager for his first cruise in more than a year and a half, and he chose the ship that just two months ago became the first to accept passengers again after a long pandemic shutdown.

Steckler was fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and that was enough to resume cruising, under initial guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, the 63-year-old from Long Island, New York, is going to postpone the trip he had planned for Saturday amid new, tighter guidelines prompted by the delta-variant-fueled surge in cases and breakthrough infections.

“You just have to make a personal decision,” said Steckler, who takes medication that suppresses his immune system and changed his plans after consulting his doctor. “You don’t want to be in a position where you are sick on a cruise and you have to fly home or somehow get home.”

Cruise lines have detected infections among vaccinated crew members and passengers, including in an elderly traveler who recently died. Last Friday, the CDC began advising travelers who are at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness to avoid cruises. It is also recommending that passengers show both a recent negative COVID test and proof they’ve been immunized.

In addition to the surging delta virus, the CDC changed its cruise guidelines for high-risk groups because of the close proximity of ship passengers, the limited options for care on board and the challenges of medically evacuating travelers at sea, Centers spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund said Tuesday.

Some cruise lines — and cruise destinations — are also revising their own guidelines.

Starting Sept. 3, the Bahamas — a favored stop for cruises — is requiring all passengers 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for ships to dock. That has prompted companies including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival to announce this week that they are adopting the same requirement. The companies will ask for a government vaccination card or a record from a health care provider.

They’ve been able to do so in Florida after a federal judge this month temporarily blocked a state law banning cruise lines from requiring passengers to prove they’re vaccinated.

The companies are also once again requiring masks in indoor areas of the ships and other places where people gather.

“Unfortunately, no venue on land or at sea is COVID-free right now,” Carnival Corp. said in a written statement.

Carnival commented on the case of a vaccinated 77-year-old woman who later came down with the virus. The company said the woman “almost certainly did not contract COVID on our ship,” suggesting she was already infected when she embarked.

Neither cruise lines nor the federal government are reporting how many cases they have had on their ships. They have only acknowledged that there have been infections.

Officials in Belize, however, recently reported that 26 crew members and one passenger of a Carnival cruise ship — all of whom had been vaccinated — tested positive for COVID-19. They said all of them had mild or no symptoms, and were in isolation.

Jaime Katz, an analyst who covers the cruise industry for the Morningstar financial services company, said while many high-risk travelers might postpone their trips, others will continue to book for the future, betting that the current wave of cases will subside by the time their ship sails.

“Flexible booking and cancellation policies have made cruising more palatable for nervous travelers,” he said.

Companies are offering full refunds if people test positive for COVID-19 or decide to cancel after a cruise line shortens the length of a planned trip. Royal Caribbean International is also offering to fly people home if they or anyone in their party test positive during the cruise.

Chris Woronka, a Deutsche Bank analyst who follows the leisure industry, said cruisers, including those over 65, are an avid bunch — so eager to get back on the water that they won’t easily be dissuaded by the current COVID surge and more stringent travel requirements.

“I don’t think this is permanent unless we’re dealing with delta 2.0 or whatever the next one is,” Woronka said.

Atlas Ocean Voyages Announces World Traveller's Inaugural 2022 Season, Vaccines Required Beginning October 4th.

Travelers Enjoy Up To 20 Percent Early Booking Savings for Mediterranean’s Chic Resort and Historic Destinations

The luxe-adventure cruise brand will require proof of vaccination from all guests, beginning with World Navigator’s October 4, 2021, voyage.

Having just successfully launched the cruise brand’s first ship, World Navigator, Atlas Ocean Voyages today unveiled the inaugural season for its second expedition ship, World Traveller. Launching on July 15, 2022, at Lisbon, Portugal, World Traveller promises to deliver more exciting experiences and captivating destinations, for which Atlas is known. For her inaugural season, World Traveller will sail 11 voyages, ranging from six- to- 12-nights, and visit a combination of chic and historic destinations throughout the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean seas. In nearly all destinations, World Traveller’s small size allows her to dock in or closer to port centers for guests’ greater convenience. Additionally, travelers can enjoy early booking savings of up to 20 percent for World Traveller’s inaugural season with deposited bookings by September 30, 2021.

“World Traveller’s construction is very well along in our Portugal shipyard. We look forward to the timely launch of our second small, luxury expedition ship,” said Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages. “With World Traveller, Atlas Ocean Voyages will have two small, luxe-adventure ships, covering more of the globe and twice as many compelling destinations, allowing new and returning guests to experience more authentic cultures and breathtaking locales.”

Travelers can enjoy up to 20 percent savings when they book World Traveller’s inaugural summer season. For all bookings made with deposit by September 30, 2021, travelers will receive 10 percent savings on all World Traveller itineraries and can receive an additional 10 percent savings, for a total of 20 percent, when they pay in full by October 7, 2021.

World Traveller departs Lisbon on July 15, 2022, for a nine-night inaugural voyage, visiting Spain’s Costa del Sol and Balearic Islands. Guests will call at Portimao, Portugal; Gibraltar, U.K.; and Spain’s Seville (Cadiz), Puerto Banus, Malaga, Formentera and Ibiza. The inaugural voyage concludes at Palma de Mallorca. A shorter, seven-night voyage, departing September 27 from Malaga to Lisbon, showcases the historic side of the region and features the surrounding cities of the Straits of Gibraltar: Gibraltar, U.K.; Cueta, Spain; and Tangier, Morocco.

Following her inaugural voyage, World Traveller charts her course to the chic beach and resort destinations of France’s Cote d’Azur and the Italian Riviera. On the July 24 voyage, guests combine the Balearic Islands and the Cote d’Azur on a seven-night itinerary from Palma de Mallorca to Nice, France, while the subsequent nine-night itinerary from Nice to Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy, concentrates on the Italian Riviera and features an overnight in Monte Carlo, Monaco, and Rome.

Two voyages combine Greece and Italy’s southern Mediterranean coast. The August 9, 10-night itinerary departs Rome (Civitavecchia) for Athens (Piraeus) and connects the Amalfi Coast, Sicily and Greece, and features two nights in Positano, Italy, while the September 7, 11-night voyage charts westward from Athens (Piraeus) to Malta and focuses on the Greek Isles and Sicily. On the following September 18 voyage that departs Malta, World Traveller combines the Balearic Islands with Sardinia, Italy; features a call at Tunis, Tunisia; and concludes with an overnight at Malaga.

Traveler can also choose among two Greece and Dalmatian Coast voyages. The two voyages alternate departures from Athens (Piraeus) or Venice; transit the Corinth Canal; and call at UNESCO World Heritage destinations of Kotor, Montenegro and Dubrovnik and Hvar, Croatia. The 10-night, northbound itinerary, departing August 19, features an overnight at Hvar and adds calls at Delphi (Itea), Olympia (Katakolon), and Corfu, Greece; Butrint (Saranda), Albania; and Korcula, Croatia. The August 29, nine-night southbound voyage includes a call at Rovinj, Croatia, and Gaios, Greece.

World Traveller concludes her inaugural season in the Atlantic, with a six-night Madeira and Canary Islands voyage, departing October 5, from Lisbon to Tenerife. The ship then charts west to Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, calling at Cape Verde’s Santiago Island and Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.

Atlas Ocean Voyages is a luxe-adventure expedition cruise brand designed for discerning, fun-seeking travelers to immerse in unique and awe-inspiring moments in remote and captivating destinations. World Navigator, Atlas’ first ship, has begun service and is sailing Egypt and Greek Isles itineraries for summer 2021; Caribbean, South America and Antarctica for winter 2021/22; and the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, the Arctic, and Central and South America in summer 2022. The cruise brand’s second ship, World Traveller, launches in July 2022, with three additional sister ships, World Seeker, World Adventurer and World Discoverer, to join the fleet by the end of 2023. At 9,930 GRTs, Atlas Ocean Voyages’ ships are Polar Category C- and Ice Class 1B-certified.

Atlas’ signature All Inclusive All The Way provides all guests a complete and seamless experience by including complimentary round-trip air travel, choice of a shore excursion at every port, unlimited premium wine and spirits, international beers and coffees, prepaid gratuities, polar parkas, emergency medical evacuation insurance, WiFi and L’OCCITANE bath amenities. In every stateroom, guests enjoy robes, slippers and binoculars to use on board, personalized coffee, teas and bar service, and butler service in suites.

The luxe-adventure cruise brand welcomes travelers to ‘come back to something brand new’ in its ongoing marketing campaign “At Last… Atlas” (www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com/itstime.) For more information about Atlas Ocean Voyages, please visit www.AtlasOceanVoyages.com. Travel Advisors can call 1.844.44.ATLAS (1.844.442.8527) to book their clients on an unforgettable luxe-adventure expedition.

Hawaii’s Governor Says “It Is A Risky Time To Be Traveling Right Now,”

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s governor asked Monday that visitors and residents reduce travel to the islands to essential business only while the state struggles to control COVID-19 as the highly contagious delta variant spreads in the community.

Gov. David Ige wants to curtail travel to Hawaii through the end of October.

“It is a risky time to be traveling right now,” he said.

He said restaurant capacity has been restricted and there’s limited access to rental cars.

Ige stopped short of a mandate, saying it’s a different time now than last year when strict travel rules that required quarantining essentially shut down Hawaii’s tourism industry.

“Last year in March, when I first asked for visitors to postpone travel to the islands, we saw a 60% reduction in the traffic to Hawaii” Ige said. “And then certainly, ordering the mandatory quarantine of all incoming visitors reduced travel to the islands by 99.5%, essentially 100% of travelers.”

Things are different now with vaccines available and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying fully vaccinated people can travel domestically.

Ige said he supports Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s announcement to restrict indoor gatherings to 10 people and outdoor gatherings to 25.

Blangiardi said the rules taking effect Wednesday would apply to weddings and other events.

He’s also urging people to get vaccinated.

Hiro Toiya, the city’s emergency management director, cited a mathematical modeling tool from the Georgia Institute of Technology to illustrate risks the community faced from large gatherings.

The modeling shows there is a 20% chance that someone in a group of 10 will have the disease given the number of COVID-19 cases on Oahu now. But in a group of 100, there’s a 90% chance someone will have it.

“So when you’re looking at how transmissible delta is, we really got to control these large gatherings,” Toiya said at a news conference. “The status quo is not working, and it’s not acceptable.”

Multiple Oahu hospitals have filled their regular beds as COVID-19 cases pour into emergency rooms. The city set up a 25-cot tent outside The Queen’s Medical Center - West Oahu on Friday to help handle the influx.

Tasty Irish Experiences For Vegan And Vegetarians

Aside from a huge range of dining options, there are plenty of experiences in tune with the vegan and vegetarian lifestyles on the island of Ireland

Ireland is the land of a hundred thousand welcomes, and so when it comes to catering for lovers of plant-based eating the Céad Míle Fáilte is as strong as ever.

While great plant-based dining is widely available, also waiting to be discovered right around the country is a range of vegan and vegetarian-friendly experiences and places involving natural Irish food and beverages.

One of the best ways to experience Ireland’s natural produce is to go foraging. When you’ve sourced the vegetables, herbs and other ingredients all yourself, your food will taste and feel so much better.

Spend time foraging in woods, fields and hedgerows for wild safe food foods with the likes of Blackstairs Eco Trail in County Carlow, or Harty Culture in the Orchard County of Armagh. Wild Food Mary will also connect you to Irish places and heritage through exploration, observation and the use of wild plants in County Offaly and beyond.

Ireland’s Ancient East is rich in experiences that suit the vegan or vegetarian. If you want to learn how to grow your own vegetables to sustain your plant-based lifestyle, head to County Waterford, where the Grow HQ offers tours around its three-acre urban garden, finishing at its award-winning zero waste café which showcases sustainable Irish food.

If you are interested in seaweed products, seaweed snacks, cookery and the health benefits of seaweed in the vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, check out The Sea Gardener also in County Waterford.

More natural and wholesome produce can be found at River Run, located on a family homestead in County Wicklow. This fermentary and wood-fired micro bakehouse specialises in sourdough breads, koji based ferments, seasonal vegetable ferments of all kinds, and plant-based cheeses. Fermentation and sourdough workshops are available on-site and also around Ireland.

For a vegan-friendly beverages, Ko Kombucha in County Offaly produce a range of organic fermented pick-me-ups, Highbank Orchard Ciders will take you on a journey ‘from pip to sip’ in their organic orchard in County Kilkenny, while Ballykilcavan Brewery has thirst quenching vegan beers.

Another great stop is the unique Wicklow Way Wines, where you can take part in a tour and appreciate the tastes and aromas of Ireland’s Ancient East, delicately captured in delicious, small-batch vegan-friendly wines made from Irish berries.

From the country to the city, and the hot and cold vegetarian deli at The Wellness Centre in Sligo will set you up with a selection of organic raw salads, homemade hummus, and kimchi made with the finest Irish ingredients.

And an experience of somewhere like Belfast as vegan or vegetarian means being able to grab anything from a vegan hot dog, chocolate fudge and some orange tea at the renowned St George’s Market, dipping into the vegan food scene in the likes of Pizza Punks or dining in style at Jumon, where the Asian fusion style and vegan cocktails create something of a plant food heaven.

www.ireland.com

Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie Reopens After 6-Year Overhaul

BERLIN (AP) — Berlin’s Neue Nationalgalerie, an iconic modern art museum designed by Bauhaus pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, reopened to the public Sunday after a six-year refurbishment of the glass-fronted building.

Germany’s culture minister, Monika Gruetters, said during a celebration ceremony held Saturday that the occasion marked the museum’s “brilliant comeback as a pilgrimage site for lovers of modern art and as a stage for contemporary artists.”

British architect David Chipperfield oversaw the extensive refurbishment of the steel-and-glass structure, a project that cost 140 million euros ($164 million).

Mies van der Rohe was the last of three directors of the Bauhaus school of art and design, which started work in 1919 and was forced to shut down shortly after the Nazis came to power in 1933. He later emigrated to the United States.

The Neue Nationalgalerie was Mies van der Rohe’s only post-World War II building in Germany. It was built in then-West Berlin, not far from the Berlin Wall that divided the city for much of the Cold War. The museum opened in 1968, the year before the architect’s death.

Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller said that, shortly after the Wall was built, the building, with its transparent facade, stood for “progress, the avant-garde and modern, openness and internationality,” news agency dpa reported.

The museum is reopening with three exhibitions: a selection of key works from its collection, a show of works by sculptor Alexander Calder, and another dedicated to film and media artist Rosa Barbra.

Berlin is creating more space to show its contemporary art collection by building a new “Museum of the 20th Century” next door to the Neue Nationalgalerie.

San Francisco’s New Rule: Proof Of Vaccine Or No Dining In

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Greg Ryken showed up to his favorite lunch spot in San Francisco on Friday with an appetite and his vaccination record in hand.

A manager at Sam’s Grill and Seafood restaurant verified he was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, put him on a list of customers who have met the city’s new requirement for future reference, and walked him to his table.

“Easy,” Ryken said as San Francisco became the first major city in the U.S. to enforce the strictest vaccine mandate for entering restaurants, bars, gyms and large concerts.

Businesses posted signs and added extra staff to begin verifying people’s vaccination and identity cards before allowing them in. Many gyms had already been checking their members’ vaccination status before the health order went into effect.

“We tested systems in place to see how we would do it, we were talking to our customers, getting our staff prepared, and we are so thrilled to have the full-throated support of the leadership of our city so we can confidently walk into this new landscape together,” said Tracey Sylvester, owner of a Pilates studio in the Mission neighborhood.

Pete Sittnick, a managing partner of Waterbar and EPIC Steak restaurants on the city’s waterfront, said he was worried about slow check-ins, resistance from guests against the requirement or people showing up without proper documentation. So far, he said, the lunch crowd came with vaccination cards in their hands, and the line to get through the door was short.

“The good thing is, if somebody doesn’t have their verification of vaccination they can still eat outside. There is an option and we just need to be ready for different scenarios,” he said.

Mayor London Breed announced the requirement more than a week ago in an attempt to stem rising COVID-19 cases, saying she was worried the highly contagious delta variant could disrupt the city’s economic rebound. She also hopes it will encourage vaccine holdouts to join the 79% of the population that have gotten their shots.

“This is not a punishment,” Breed said Friday. “It’s really about a chance to try and get us moving in the right direction and keeping people safe.”

The mandate goes further than New York City, which requires people to be at least partially vaccinated for a variety of high-risk indoor activities, and New Orleans, which requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for indoor dining or drinking. All three cities make exceptions for people who don’t qualify for the vaccine, including children under 12.

It follows a number of tough safety measures San Francisco imposed since the beginning of the pandemic. The city and its neighboring counties in the Bay Area were the first in the U.S. to issue a stay-at-home order, and was the first big city in the nation to require all city employees to be vaccinated, without the option of testing regularly.

This week, the city sent letters recommending a 10-day suspension without pay for 20 employees in police, fire and sheriff’s departments who refused to report their vaccination status by the Aug. 12 deadline, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has also tighten the rules after announcing the reopening of California’s economy in June. He has required health care workers to get vaccinated to keep their jobs and all teachers and state workers to either get vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

Local business groups have supported the new vaccine mandate, saying it will protect their employees’ and customers’ health and keep them from having to limit capacity indoors. Some businesses that had taken it upon themselves to check for proof of vaccination at the door said a citywide policy helps set clear expectations for all customers.

Jody McCord said the mandate forced her to cancel plans to meet relatives visiting from Wisconsin at her favorite dine-in spots because not everyone in her party is fully vaccinated. They had to take their reunion across San Francisco Bay to a restaurant in Sausalito.

It puts people between a rock and a hard place,” McCord said.

Online ordering and reservation systems such as OpenTable are helping businesses by warning customers of the mandate ahead of time. The city’s hospitality industry has launched a campaign called “Relax, We’re Vaxxed” to get the word out to travelers.

City officials said a paper card issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a photo of the CDC card, or a digital vaccine credential will suffice. Proof of vaccination issued by foreign governments is also acceptable.

Pearce Cleaveland, co-owner of the Temple nightclub, said his security guards have been trained to check all forms of vaccination proof and they have caught some people with fake vaccination cards.

“We’ve had people who get upset at the door when they’re turned away, but in general they’re understanding,” he said.

Workers have until Oct. 13 to prove they are fully vaccinated and Cleaveland said he expects to meet compliance by then.

After a sharp increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the Bay Area over the summer, the numbers appear to be leveling off but remain high, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an expert on infectious diseases at the University of California, San Francisco.

He said reinstated restrictions have helped slow the spread.

“There is no magic bullet, just a combination of a hard stick and soft stick,” he said. “The proof of vaccination mandate is a soft stick because you can still eat outdoors, but if you want to hang out with people indoors you better get vaccinated.”

"Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror" At The Philadelphia Museum Of Art, September 29-February 13th.

Few artists have shaped the contemporary artistic landscape like Jasper Johns. With a body of work spanning seventy years, and a roster of iconic images that have imprinted themselves on the public’s consciousness, Johns at ninety-one is still creating extraordinary artworks. This vast, unprecedented retrospective—simultaneously staged at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York—features a stunning array of the artist’s most celebrated paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints as well as many lesser-known and recent works. Each a self-contained exhibition, the two related halves mirror one another and provide rare insight into the working process of one of the greatest artists of our time.

About the Artist

Since the early 1950s, Jasper Johns (American, born 1930) has produced a radical and varied body of work distinguished by constant reinvention. In his twenties, Johns created his now-canonical Flag (1954–55), which radically challenged the dominance of Abstract Expressionism by integrating abstraction and representation through its direct, though painterly, deadpan visual power. His works have continued to pose similar paradoxes—between cognition and perception, image and object, painting and sculpture—and have explored new approaches to abstraction and figuration that have opened new perspectives for several generations of younger artists. Over the course of his career, he has tirelessly pursued an innovative body of work that includes painting, sculpture, drawing, prints, books, and the design of sets and costumes for the stage.

Organizers

This exhibition is organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-763-8100

Travelore News: Hurricane Grace Makes Landfall Near Mexico’s Tulum Temples

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) — Hurricane Grace struck Mexico’s Caribbean coast just south of the ancient Mayan temples of Tulum early Thursday, pushing a dangerous storm surge. Heavy rain and strong winds threatened to destroy flimsier homes and keep tourists off white sand beaches until it crosses the Yucatan Peninsula.

The Category 1 storm had already soaked earthquake-damaged Haiti, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands en route to a direct hit on the Riviera Maya, the heart of Mexico’s tourism industry. Grace’s center struck just south of Tulum at 4:45 a.m. CDT with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kmh), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

As it moved over land, the storm weakened slightly, but remained at hurricane strength early Thursday. It was moving west across the peninsula at 17 mph (28 kmh) and was located about 45 miles (70 kilometers) south-southeast of Valladolid, Mexico.

The storm was forecast to re-emerge over the Gulf of Mexico Thursday night into Friday.

On Thursday morning, the streets of Playa del Carmen north of where Grace made landfall were littered with tree branches. Some power lines hung limply and strong gusts of wind blew a stinging rain.

Quintana Roo Gov. Carlos Joaquín said the storm had knocked out power to some 84,000 customers in Cancun and 65,000 in Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Aventura and Tulum.

One lane of the highway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum was blocked by a fallen road sign. A gas station was destroyed when a large pavilion blew down, smashing two cars.

The state had opened shelters and evacuated some hotels and residents ahead of the storm’s arrival. Grace missed the popular cruise ship destination Cozumel and came ashore south of Playa del Carmen, where the downtown, usually thumping with music and clubgoers, was eerily desolate Wednesday night. Authorities had ordered all businesses closed and people inside by 8 p.m.

One exception was Axel Felix, a 37-year-old pizza deliveryman making his last drop-off of the night in a rain slicker. “Now I’m going home and I’m not going out until tomorrow,” Felix said. “You’ve got to be careful and stay at home.”

Another was Juan González, a 25-year-old student walking his dog. “At home we will be calm with food, waiting to see what happens and with the windows protected,” he said.

With little to stand in its way on the peninsula, Grace was expected to weaken slightly then regain hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico before making a second landfall in Mexico later this week.

On Tulum’s main drag, tourists in plastic ponchos splashed through puddles as the wind picked up. On the beach side, the surf grew and beachgoers took shelter from the blowing sand. Armed soldiers and sailors patrolled Tulum’s streets in trucks, and businesses taped and boarded up windows as lines formed at grocery stores with families stocking up on essentials.

“We’re taking precautions, buying milk, sugar, water and cookies because we don’t know how long we’ll be shut in,” said 21-year-old homemaker Adamaris García, standing in a line of dozens of people at a small store.

Meanwhile, some tourists fretted over a lost day at the beach while others prepared for their first hurricane experience.

Johanna Geys, of Munich, Germany, was having a beer in Tulum Wednesday afternoon. It was her first time in Mexico and Grace would be her first hurricane.

“We don’t know how it is (in hurricanes), ” said Geys, a 28-year-old waitress. People have been telling her it won’t be bad.

Leaving a store with some supplies, 25-year-old California law student Sarah Lynch said she wasn’t too worried.

“We have extra water. We prepared for the hurricane and we’re just going to roll with the storm and see what happens,” Lynch said. “It’s a little scary because it’s unknown, but besides that we’re okay. We made it through COVID.”

State authorities said that as of last week, the region was hosting about 130,000 tourists and hotels were more than half full despite the pandemic.

TSA Extends Into January Mask Rule For Airline Passengers

Federal officials are extending into January a requirement that people on airline flights and public transportation wear face masks, a rule intended to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The Transportation Security Administration’s current order was scheduled to expire Sept. 13. An agency spokesman said Tuesday that the mandate will be extended until Jan. 18.

The TSA briefed airline industry representatives on its plan Tuesday and planned to discuss it with airline unions on Wednesday. The mask rule also applies to employees on planes and public transportation.

The mask mandate has been controversial and has led to many encounters between passengers who don’t want to wear a mask and flight attendants asked to enforce the rule. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that airlines have reported 3,889 incidents involving unruly passengers this year, and 2,867 — or 74% — involved refusing to wear a mask.

Individual airlines declined to comment on the Biden administration’s decision, and their trade group, Airlines for America, said only that U.S. carriers will strictly enforce the rule. A broader group, the U.S. Travel Association, said the extension “has the travel industry’s full support.” The largest union of flight attendants said the move will help keep passengers and aviation workers safe.

“We have a responsibility in aviation to keep everyone safe and do our part to end the pandemic, rather than aid the continuation of it,” said Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants. “We all look forward to the day masks are no longer required, but we’re not there yet.”

The mask order, based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for responding to the pandemic, was first issued on Jan. 29, days after President Joe Biden took office. Before that, airlines had their own requirements for face coverings but former President Donald Trump’s administration had declined to make it a federal rule.

The extension was not surprising after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases linked to the delta variant of the virus. The seven-day average of new reported cases has topped 140,000, an increase of 64% from two weeks ago and the highest level in more than six months.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel-industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group, said the administration’s decision will reassure people who are concerned about the virus.

“I anticipate it will make them feel more confident about traveling through the fall and winter, including the holiday season,” Harteveldt said. “Those who don’t take the virus seriously will probably complain — but they have no choice but to suck it up and wear their masks if they want to take an airline flight somewhere.”

In recent days, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines have reported that the increase in coronavirus infections has caused a slump in bookings beyond the usual slowdown that occurs near the end of each summer.

Americans Can Visit State Of Guanajuato In Mexico With Few Travel Restrictions

As destinations worldwide continue to open to U.S. and Canadian passport holders this summer, the Mexican state of Guanajuato remains on guard with various sanitary protocols, prioritizing the health and safety of both residents and domestic and international visitors. Restrictions, however, are minimal, as Mexico does not require proof of vaccination, a negative Covid-19 test or quarantine upon arrival for travelers coming from abroad.

Guanajuato has been proactive in the vaccination of locals, almost 50% of whom have been fully vaccinated. The state has also continued its “Distintivo Guanajuato Sano,” a certificate endorsed by the “Safe Travels” seal of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which considers the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and has the support of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The certification had been obtained by more than 3,000 Guanajuato businesses.

Visitors have started to fly into the state again. Guanajuato’s airport (BJX), located in the city of León, has reactivated 87% of its normal flight operations, connecting U.S. and Canadian travelers with daily, nonstop flights — including three from Dallas, one from Los Angeles, seven from Houston, five from Chicago and two from Oakland/San Francisco. Airlines serving BJX include American Airlines, Viva Aerobus, Volaris and United Airlines.

According to airport management company Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico (GAP), BJX is Mexico’s sixth-most-frequented airport and has received 1.1 million passengers from January to July of this year. Of those, 329,400 were international passengers, mainly from the U.S.

Committed to the health of both domestic and international travelers, Guanajuato has maintained constant collaboration since the beginning of the pandemic with destinations and tourism companies in global protocols in order to continue being a safe destination, mitigate the contagion and provide confidence to visitors during their stay in the state.

In order to facilitate testing for visitors returning home, temporary modules were installed at the international airport in late January to administer Covid-19 tests. Antigen tests cost 450 pesos (about $22 U.S.) and PCR tests cost 1,450 pesos ($72 U.S.), according to GAP. These special prices are available only to passengers boarding international flights.

Complementing the airport testing program, the state tourism board (SECTUR) has established communication with hoteliers in main tourist destinations Guanajuato city, San Miguel de Allende and León, so that they, too, include Covid-19 testing in their services. Guanajuato’s hotel infrastructure is currently operating at a 78% occupancy.

England Eases Self-Isolation Guidelines

LONDON — People in England who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or are under 18 years of age, will no longer have to self-isolate if they come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus.

The change, which came into effect on Monday, has been welcomed by businesses, many of which have suffered staff shortages as a result of the requirement for people to spend 10 days in quarantine if they have been a contact of a positive case.

Nearly 77% of people in the U.K. aged over 18 have received two jabs.

The change to the rules applies to those who received their final dose at least 14 days prior to contact with a positive case.

People are still advised, though not compelled, to take a PCR test if they find out they have been in contact with a positive case. People who test positive will still be legally required to self-isolate.

The other nations of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — are taking, or have taken, similar steps.

Church Of MLK’s 1st Leadership Position Gets Museum Funding

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — As the Alabama church where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was elected to his first leadership position in the civil rights movement marks its 155th anniversary, work has begun to make a museum out of the crumbling building where that vote was taken.

King was 26 when the Montgomery Improvement Association met at Mt. Zion AME Church on Dec. 5, 1955, the first day of what turned out to be a yearlong bus boycott that ushered in the civil rights movement.

In his 1958 memoir about the boycott, King wrote that his election “happened so quickly that I did not even have time to think it through. It is probable that if I had, I would have declined the nomination.”

The church, which marked its 155th anniversary Sunday, moved to another building in 1990, so the 19th century structure is now an annex. It became known as “the fall-down church” after an interstate project split the neighborhoods around it, the Montgomery Advertiser reported.

Now the Central Alabama Community Foundation has begun work under a $500,000 grant to renovate the church and turn it into a museum.

The National Park Service approved the grant in 2018 with an eye to opening the museum in 2020. However, a series of problems, including the coronavirus pandemic, delayed the money’s arrival, foundation President Charles “C.P.” Everett told the newspaper.

The building was saved from demolition nearly 20 years ago by $75,000 from a Central Alabama Community Foundation fund, but its future remained uncertain.

With the grant in hand and a second $500,000 National Park Service grant expected, work has begun to rehabilitate the fellowship hall and install a sprinkler system throughout the building. As that work progresses, officials will start the bid process for the second grant, which Everett said will let the foundation create and open the museum.

Everett said the church was unveiling a banner Sunday to announce the beginning of construction.

“We’re moving forward,” he said.

Japan's Phantom Sweets

Phantom sweets. It’s a thing in Iwakuni City, in the beautiful Setouchi region of Japan. Long popular for it’s rich blend of historical sites and castles, it’s gaining fame as home to one of the world’s only phantom confectionaries known as Iwaman, long beloved for its nearly-impossible sweet treat that absolutely must be purchased in-store. Absolutely no mail orders, ever.

Why is this tiny bean cake so popular? Well, first off, the recipe is a secret. What is known is that it’s made by wrapping bean paste in a crispy crust and baked to perfection, a beautiful blend of sweet and savory reflecting an infusion of Japanese and Western influences. What is the secret to its scrumptious taste? Many believe it’s a special local butter that’s been used since the company was founded along with a tradition of never using preservatives or coloring agents. But, truly, only the owners know for sure, dating back to its launch in 1971.

Since then, they are incredibly in high demand so it is necessary to make a reservation even before heading to the store so your cakes or special gift boxes are available when you arrive. Most days, even locals cannot acquire them so book in advance as there are no mail orders, nor any online shopping possibilities.

Photo credit: Setouchi DMO

Source: https://trumarketing.com/

Heat Wave Edges Higher In Southern Europe, Fuels Wildfires

ROME (AP) — Intense heat baking Italy pushed northward towards the popular tourist destination of Florence Friday while wildfires charred the country’s south, and Spain appeared headed for an all-time record high temperature as a heat wave kept southern Europe in a fiery hold.

Italy saw temperatures in places upwards of 40 C (104 F), and Rome broiled. By late afternoon Friday, the heat in Florence reached 39 C (102 F). That city and Bologna also were issued alerts for Saturday by the health ministry.

Giancarlo Penza, of the Rome-based Catholic charity Sant’Egidio Community, reminded viewers of state TV that the most vulnerable in such weather are elderly people living alone and the homeless.

“(The latter) are the persons who are invisible, who live on the street,” Penza said. “Knock on the door of an older person” who lives alone, next door, or “stop someone on the street” without a home and ask if they need help, he urged Italians.

Many southern European countries have suffered days of intense heat, accompanied by deadly wildfires in Algeria, Turkey, Italy and Greece.

While the area is known for its sunny, hot summers, scientists voice little doubt that climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas is driving extreme events such as heat waves, droughts and wildfires. Such hardships are likely to happen more frequently as Earth continues to warm, they say.

Wildfire problems will only worsen because of abandonment of rural areas and climate change, the environment minister of Cyprus said. The eastern Mediterranean, where the island nation is located, is a “global climate change hot spot,” where biodiversity and forest ecosystems are “intensely negatively impacted,” Minister Costas Kadis told The AP Friday.

Unworked agricultural land is being overrun by wild growth, making it easy terrain for fires, which are ever “more intense, destructive and frequently occurring” as a result of more frequent and longer heatwaves and droughts, the minister said.

Italian Premier Mario Draghi sent his emergency chief to Calabria in the south, where blazes burning for days in the rugged Aspromonte forest have claimed four lives.

Draghi pledged government aid for those losing property or businesses and an “extraordinary plan of reforestation.”

Wildfires on the Italian island of Sardinia were reported largely contained, but a blaze early Friday near Tivoli in the countryside east of Rome forced the evacuation of 25 families. Tivoli’s 16th-centruy Villa d’Este and the ancient ruins of Hadrian’s Villa are tourist attractions.

Italian firefighters were also battling blazes near Mount Etna, the volcano in Sicily which for months has been belching flames and lava. Authorities said fires erupted in separate locations in the woods, raising suspicions they were caused by people, either deliberately or by accident.

On Greece’s second-largest island of Evia, where devastating blazes in the wake of an exceptional heat wave this summer have been described as the nation’s worst ecological disaster in decades, a fresh fire broke out on Friday.

Spain’s state meteorological agency registered 45 C (113 F) at Granada airport at 3 p.m.

Elsewhere in Spain’s sizzling south, in the city of Malaga, Juan Villodres was doing a brisk trade selling cold drinks from a kiosk. “The heat wave this year is getting more intense, and the last one this strong was in 2019,″ Villodres said.

Spain was bracing for even hotter weather. Temperatures as high as 47 C (116.60 F) are forecast in the south on Saturday. That would break a national record of 46.9 C (116.4 F), set in Cordoba in July 2017.

On Wednesday, the Italian town of Floridia near the city of Syracuse in Sicily reported a temperature reading of 48.8 C (119.8F) .

On Friday, a World Meteorological Organization official said at a briefing in Geneva that it could take a month or two to verify the reading and determine if it’s indeed a record for continental Europe, topping the previous 48 C set in Athens in 1977.

France’s national weather agency warned of temperatures as high as 40 C on Friday and Saturday in the Provence region, near the border with Italy.

Temperatures in Portugal on Saturday and Sunday were forecast to climb into the 40s C. In much of the country, with a significantly increased risk for wildfires, the public has been barred from entering forested areas and is banned from using fireworks or farm machinery that could cause sparks.

In Serbia, the army has deployed water tanks and authorities have appealed to residents to avoid watering gardens. A weeks-long drought is worrying cattle owners, particularly in remote villages in hilly areas.

The Barnes Foundation Presents Suzanne Valadon: Model, Painter, Rebel; September 26, 2021 Through January 9, 2022

This is the first exhibition dedicated to the French artist and model Suzanne Valadon at a major US arts institution. The first self-taught woman to exhibit at the Salon de la Sociéte Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Valadon challenged behavioral codes with her art and lifestyle, breaking new ground with her unapologetic portraits and nudes. On view in the Barnes’s Roberts Gallery from September 26, 2021 through January 9, 2022, this exhibition considers Valadon’s rich contribution to the early 20th-century art world and features representative works from all stages of her career.

From a childhood marked by poverty and neglect to a career as a popular artist’s model, Suzanne Valadon (born Marie-Clémentine Valadon, 1865–1938) defied the odds to become a successful painter. Passionate about art from an early age, she modeled in her teens for artists including Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Edgar Degas encouraged her earliest artistic efforts, praising the use of line in her drawings and introducing her to printmaking techniques. Later, when she turned to painting, she exhibited her work regularly at the Salon des Indépendants and the Salon d’Automne. Valadon made a living from her art at a time when women faced countless obstacles to professional success, but despite these accomplishments, her work has received scant attention outside of France.

Curated by Nancy Ireson, the Barnes Foundation’s Deputy Director for Collections and Exhibitions & Gund Family Chief Curator, the exhibition features 54 works, including paintings, drawings, and prints created between 1890 and 1937. The exhibition is structured around a series of themes, including the artist’s representations of her family and her exploration of the female body. Refusing to follow artistic trends and continuously faithful to figurative representation, Valadon developed a distinctive pictorial language characterized by decisive lines and bold coloration.

CATALOGUE

The exhibition is accompanied by a 160-page catalogue edited by Nancy Ireson, which explores the new ways of looking at Valadon presented in the show. Published by the Barnes Foundation in association with Paul Holberton Publishing, London, the fully illustrated book includes contributions by Ireson, Martha Lucy, Denise Murrell, Adrienne L. Childs, Lauren Jimerson, and Ebonie Pollock that tackle the artist’s treatment of the female figure, her navigation of the art world, and her depictions of an as-yet-unidentified Black model. Additionally, an essay by South African artist Lisa Brice reflects on her interest in the painter, finding resonance between Valadon’s pioneering work and contemporary artists and events, and a chronology by Marianne Le Morvan presents a fascinating overview of the artist’s turbulent life.

The Barnes Foundation 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19130
https://barnesfoundation.org/

CDC Rule Prohibits Cruise Ships Based Outside Of United States From Returning For 14 days

Celebrity Cruises announced a new round of cancelled sailings for one of its ships that was scheduled to return to the United States, and it is because of a rule the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has for ships homeported outside the U.S.

Celebrity Cruises announced it has cancelled 4 sailings of Celebrity Summit between August 28 and September 11, 2021 because of the CDC's rule.

According to the CDC, the current requirements indicate that all ships operating with passengers outside of U.S. waters (i.e. ships with a homeport outside of the U.S.) will not be eligible to enter U.S. waters until 14 days after the last passenger disembarks.

A spokesperson for the agency told RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com,"At this time, there is no exception to this requirement; therefore, all ships planning to sail in U.S. waters under the conditional sailing order (CSO) will be required to sail without passengers for 14 days prior to entering U.S. waters."

This rule does not apply to cruise ships that homeport in the U.S. which sail to international waters. Rather, just ships embarking passengers in foreign countries.

The CDC added that they are "currently evaluating the need for options as ships want to reposition to the U.S. in the fall."

This policy has been in place since the start of the CSO in the agency's technical instructions.

For ships currently outside of U.S. waters and not operating under the CSO, submission of the Enhanced Data Collection form for 14 days preceding the cruise ship’s expected arrival in U.S. waters is required prior to being assigned a color status.

It is unclear yet if other ships returning to the United States from Europe will also be affected by the policy.

In a letter to passengers booked on Celebrity Summit, the cruise line explained it was canceling the four sailings because of this CDC policy, "The CDC has currently advised any ship returning to the US after having traveled in international waters may not sail with guests onboard for at least 14 days."

Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Jewel of the Seas are all sailing European cruises this summer, and are scheduled to return at the conclusion of their season.

I've reached out to Royal Caribbean for an update on how this policy may affect current deployment plans, if at all.

Adventure of the Seas schedule looks to already have enough of a pre-built in gap when she finishes her sailings from Nassau, Bahamas and moves to Galveston, Texas.

Source: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/

Cunard Makes Final Touches To Queen Elizabeth As The Ship Prepares For Return To Sailing On August 13th

The final touches are being made to Cunard's Queen Elizabeth as the luxury cruise line prepares to return to sailing on Friday, August 13th after a 17 month break.

"I think I speak for the entire team at Cunard when I say how delighted we are to be returning to what we do best as we get ready to welcome our guests back on board," said Cunard President Simon Palethorpe.

"We know how much our guests have been looking forward to our first voyage and we hope that they fully immerse themselves in the Cunard on board experience, as they enjoy some of the most stunning coastlines Britain has to offer," Palethorpe added.

A series of other UK voyages, Cunard's international sailings on board Queen Elizabeth will begin in October with a cruise from Southampton to Amsterdam followed by a 14 night voyage to the Canary Islands and Madeira this November.

learn more about Cunard, contact your Travel Advisor, call 1-800-728-6273, or visit www.cunard.com.

Travelore Breaking News: Federal Judge Sides With Norwegian Cruise Line In Fight With Florida Over Vaccine Passports

A federal judge on Sunday night sided with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a fight with Florida over vaccine passports, granting the cruise line’s request for a preliminary injunction that blocks a state law barring businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.

In a nearly 60-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams stated that Florida “fails to provide a valid evidentiary, factual, or legal predicate” for its prohibition on vaccine passports.

“Amid myriad, rapidly-changing requirements regarding quarantining and testing, there is one constant that facilitates cruise line customers’ access to advertised ports of call: documentary proof of vaccination will expedite passengers’ entry into virtually every single country and port where Plaintiffs intend to sail,” Williams wrote.

Background: Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has consistently fought against coronavirus restrictions such as mandates for face masks, in April signed an executive order barring vaccine passports. The Florida Legislature also approved a measure blessing the order and fining companies that violate the ban.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings filed a suit against Florida in mid-July. The cruise line has a ship set to sail out of Miami on Aug. 15.

This is just one of the lawsuits the governor is currently fighting over cruise ships. Florida is in another legal battle with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over its cruise directive.

What’s next: The legal fight between the state and Norwegian could drag on. Peter Patterson, who represents the state and state Surgeon General Scott Rivkees, hinted during a court hearing Friday over the injunction that Florida could take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Source: https://www.politico.com/

Virgin Galactic Restarts Space-Trip Sales At $450,000 And Up

The ticket window is open again for space flights at Virgin Galactic, with prices starting at $450,000 a seat.

The space-tourism company said Thursday it is making progress toward beginning revenue flights next year. It will sell single seats, package deals and entire flights.

Virgin Galactic announced the offerings as it reported Thursday that it lost $94 million in the second quarter on soaring costs for overhead and sales. The company posted revenue of $571,000, barely enough to cover one seat on a future flight.

The company’s most noteworthy recent achievement came last month, after the quarter ended, when founder Richard Branson and five crewmates soared to 53.5 miles (86 kilometers) above the New Mexico desert.

CEO Michael Colglazier said the company resumed sales on Thursday to take advantage of a surge in consumer interest after the flight by Branson, who beat rival billionaire Jeff Bezos and his Blue Origin ship into space by nine days.

The company based in Las Cruces, New Mexico, won regulatory approval in June to fly people into space.

Virgin Galactic said “early hand-raisers” will get first priority to book seats, and another list will be created for new customers.

The company’s next spaceflight is scheduled for late September in New Mexico with the Italian air force.

Virgin Galactic said it ended the quarter with cash and equivalents totaling $552 million.

The results were released after the stock market closed. The company’s shares were up nearly 5% in after-hours trading.