While COVID-19 is still ravaging its way through much of the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also warns Americans against traveling to other countries also suffering from high caseloads of the virus. The latest advisory from the government agency now lists Mexico as a country that Americans should avoid.
The CDC classifies countries on a scale, with Level 4 representing the highest warning level. Currently, the agency has placed Mexico on its Level 4 destination list, meaning there is a “very high” level of COVID-19 transmission.
Mexico has always been a favorite vacation spot among American travelers but grew popular during the pandemic. The country kept its doors open with few entry requirements, while other nations shut Americans out. Although the CDC advises against all unnecessary travel to Mexico, the agency has also recommended that travelers be “up to date with [their] COVID-19 vaccines. Before they travel” if they decide to make the trip to Mexico or anywhere else internationally.
Mexico is not alone on the Level 4 warning list. Other destinations classified with the CDC’s highest warning level include Anguilla, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, French Guiana, Kosovo, Moldova, Paraguay, Saint Vincent, the Grenadines, Singapore, and the Philippines. Tourist hot spots such as Canada, Aruba, Spain, Italy, and France are also on the list.
There are 128 destinations classified as a Level 4 risk, meaning they each report over 500 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the last 28 days. Though the CDC is warning against travel to several countries, the U.S. still ranks highest of new infections and deaths per day, according to Reuters’ global COVID-19 tracker.
These warnings also come as more countries are opening to tourists in coming months, including the Philippines (starting Feb. 10), Morocco (Feb. 7), and perhaps even Australia, as hinted by one of the country’s government officials.
Click here for a complete list of countries on the CDC advisory lists.
“Can a woman’s tender care cease towards the child she bears?” Reggae Icon Bob Marley.
“Woman holds her head and cries because they had shot her son down in the street and he died” — no, not in the street — but in his place of dwelling, half asleep. “She cries, Johnny was a good man.” Most of those weeping mothers whose sons and daughters are Black are the ones who have become victims of unwarranted police violence.
On Wednesday, February 02, 2022, at about 6:49 a.m., according to records on file, the Minneapolis Police Swat team members breached the safety zone of an apartment in which 22-year-old Amir Locke was sleeping. Nine seconds after entering his place of refuge for the night, police shot and killed Locke.
Nine seconds to kill Amir is seven seconds over 12-year-old Tamir Rice was to live after two Cleaveland cops rolled upon him in a park playing with a BB air gun. There was snow on the ground on that snowy November day of 2014. Two seconds after the Gung ho cops pulled up to Rice, they mingled his blood with the snow.
November 22, the day the bullet of an assassin found its way into the head of President John F. Kennedy.
A twenty-six-year-old Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann shot Tamir Rice just two seconds after spying him holding the BB Gun. A previous police department that recruited him deemed Loehmann a certified lunatic and emotional basket case unfit for duty. They booted Loehmann from their police department. He wasn’t able to distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice Shot And Killed By Cleaveland Cop Timothy Loehmann — A Certified Sociopath.
In the early morning of February, 02 when Minneapolis Police bearing a no-knock warrant entered the building where Locke was asleep, they yelled police, police, get the fuck down. At the crack of dawn, most people experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. As experts or psychology 101 informs us, during REM sleep, the sleeper’s “heart rate and breathing quicken” his dreams seem most real.
At this stage of sleep, the subject can hardly distinguish between dream and reality. Therefore, when someone storms into your castle near 0630 hours yelling and screaming — most normal persons will be startled — clueless to what’s going around them. If the disturbed person is asleep with a gun in hand — they awake with the weapon in writing, and before you know it — another young man is rocking in the bosom of Abraham.
Now the family of the decedent is left picking up the pieces.
On a cold and gray Chicago morning. A poor little baby child is born In the ghetto. Then one night, in desperation. The young man breaks away. He buys a gun, steals a car He tries to run, but he doesn’t get far And his mama cries. As a crowd gathers ’round an angry young man Facedown on the street with a gun in his hand In the ghetto. “In the Ghetto” (originally titled “The Vicious Circle”) is a 1969 song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Mac Davis. Amir Locke had no arrest records. He was a licensed gun owner and was not the subject of the no-knock warrant that Judge Peter Cahill signed. Judge Peter Cahill presided over the George Floyd / Derek Chauvin murder trial. Lyrics from Bob Marley’s song supplement this report “Johnny Was A Good Man.” And Elvis Presley’s song, “In The Ghetto/” “The Vicious Cycle.”
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO)–Two sources confirm to WCCO-TV that Judge Peter Cahill, who presided over the Derek Chauvin trial, signed off on the “no-knock” search warrant that ended in the fatal police shooting of Amir Locke on Wednesday morning.
The original search warrants remain sealed as they are part of an active homicide investigation, St. Paul police said on Friday evening.
Talk show host Stupid Goldberg of the talk show, The View, gave her point of view, and it wasn’t well received. Mammy is done. Mammy’s Grey Goose is cooked. They lined the vultures up to stick a fork in her grey goose ass. So you want to be an expert on Jewish anthropological history? What did Tupac say in his song “I Hit ‘Em Up”? You’d better back the f#%k up before you get smacked the f#%k up.
Next time, Whoopi, oh, Mrs. Goldberg, stick to The Color Purple, where you are free to disparage the Black race and portray Black men as brute beasts and incestuous rapists. Consider Whoopi gone with the wind. Oh, Mammy, you done, did it?
Whoopi Goldberg, Did You Create This Image? Or Did You Just Helped To Perpetuate It?
Will the Jews forgive Whoopi? Unforgiven. For saying, “The Holocaust isn’t about race.” On Monday, when she said those words, a BIG RED flag went up, but she couldn’t see it because she’s screamed cancel, cancel, cancel for everyone else, for so long, who has an opinion different from the prescribed narrative. So she thought they wouldn’t come for her.
If saying the Holocaust isn’t about race once wasn’t enough once, Ms. Goldberg repeated it a second time for those who may have missed it the first time. Then the female co-host next to Whoopi quickly picked up her coffee mug and took a gulp. But Whoopi’s arrogance blocked her peripheral view while she was on the lopsided “View.” “The Holocaust isn’t about race,” but rather about “man’s inhumanity to man,” Whoopi proclaimed for the third time.
Then another co-host, Joy Behar, asked Ms. Whoopi Goldberg if (the Holocaust) was not about race, then what was it? The sixty-six-year-old Goldberg, who believed that she is really a Goldberg, doubled down. “The Holocaust was not about race; she continues, it was about man’s inhumanity to man.” According toThe Jewish Chronicle, Goldberg spoke at a charity event in 2016 about being Jewish. “I just know I am Jewish,” she said.
Immediately, Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the (Anti Defamation League) ADL, labeled Whoopi (Caryn Johnson) as dangerous. He tweeted, “They dehumanized them (the Jews) and used this racist propaganda to justify slaughtering 6 million Jews. Holocaust distortion is dangerous.”
After her comments, Whoopi went on the Chitlin Circuit to apologize and seek forgiveness. She needs Jesus. “Now, words matter, and mine are no exception. I regret my comments, as I said, and I stand corrected. I also stand with the Jewish people as they know, and y’all know because I’ve always done that,” Whoopi said.
Snowstorms and freezing temperatures have been bulldozing their way through much of the U.S. in the last few weeks, leaving more people to dream of a warm-weather getaway that would cure the winter blues.
With a bit of luck, that dream could become a reality thanks to Puerto Rico’s latest giveaway.
Now through Feb. 8, travelers can enter a sweepstake to win a free trip to Puerto Rico. Hosted by Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s official tourism website, the grand prize up for grabs is a 3-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico with round-trip flights provided by JetBlue.
The expansive resort welcomes guests into a tropical paradise with ocean views as far as the eye can see; a lagoon-style pool complete with a swim-up bar; as well as tennis courts, and a golf course for those who like to stay active while on vacation.
When guests aren’t sinking their toes in the sand or enjoying a dip in the sea, the resort’s proximity to the Carabali Rainforest makes it easy for them to have a new adventure. In the rainforest, they can take a leisurely horseback ride along a river or get their adrenaline pumping on the back of an ATV.
“Puerto Rico is the perfect destination to trade-in the cold winter months and lack of sunlight for a warm getaway with plenty of vibrant sunshine,” said Leah Chandler, Discover Puerto Rico’s chief marketing officer, in a statement.
To be eligible for this giveaway, travelers must live in the contiguous United States or Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, those in Hawaii or Alaska are not eligible to win.
For your chance to win this contest, head to Discover Puerto Rico’s website and fill out the form with your basic information by Feb. 8. Winners will be randomly selected through a drawing on Feb. 10.
America’s 3rd President Thomas Jefferson and other enslavers always showed preference to Sally Hemings. Today (January 25, 2022), a jury ruled in favor of Cardi B, a Stripper turned Rapper, in a case overseen by a Trump-appointed District Judge William “Billy” Ray II. Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, was born in New York City on October 11, 1992, to a father de Dominican Republic.
It is ironic that Cardi B’s debut recording studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,”released on Atlantic Records in early 2018, just about the time Tasha K started on her. The Rapper sued Latasha Transrina Kebe, AKA Tasha K, claiming she defamed her. Thirty-eight-year-old Tasha K was born in Panama City, Florida, a gossip blogger, and YouTube influencer. Tasha K’s site has over one million subscribers. She’s known for speaking recklessly about celebrities.
Acerbic Tongue YouTube Influencer Tasha K (Sweet Brown Sugar) Lost Defamation Suit To Sally Hemings Look-a-like.
The Cardi B 2019 lawsuit alleges that Ms. Tasha K used her YouTube Channel (unWinewithTashaK) to launch a malicious campaign against her. The former Stripper lawsuit claims Tasha K made false claims that she (Cardi B) was a “prostitute,” had “herpes, and did drugs, including molly and cocaine, and had contracted STDs.”
Cardi B is not without her controversies: The Rapper, who has promoted a music video set that some people view as pornographic debauchery set to music, has admitted to having drugged men and robbing them. She was called out on her past crimes of drugging and stealing from men who willingly came with her to hotel rooms for sexual intercourse. She had an excellent excuse for her crimes; she said, “I made the choices that I did at the time because I had minimal options.”
Would Sleepy Joe Give An Interview To Tasha K?
“Sleepy” Joe Biden Interviewed By Cardi B
Well, here you have two women going at each other’s throat — issues fomented by slick attorneys. In the 1990s, two mega-talented Rappers, Tupac and Biggie had devils forcing them to fight against each other over who wears Versace, Giorgio Armani or Yves Saint Laurent — who gives a rat’s ass who wears what? Those designers are all freaks from Paris or Italy. But Biggie and Tupac ended up dead, and the world ended up with Eminem.
Cardi B’s lawsuit filed by her attorney Lisa Moore claims the Tasha K videos caused Cardi B to “suffer embarrassment, humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional stress.” Yeah. OK. Make no mistake about the fact that Tasha K is a vicious YouTuber who pretends to drink alcoholic beverages while using her acerbic tongue to lash people in her videos — but four million dollars for what?
“Use what you got to get what you want.” That is what they say. Maybe Tasha K is frigid and would rather just spend the C-Note, while Cardi B specializes in giving the deep throat. The certified platinum “whore in this house” is worth $80 million — according to Forbes. While Tasha K is struggling to pay mortgage for a house, for which she paid one million dollars. “I’m In Love With A Scripker.”
Cardi B with Rapper Normani. WAP, WAP get that wet ass koochie. There’s some whores in this house.
Beat it up, nigga, catch a charge Extra large and extra hard Put this pussy right in yo’ face Swipe your nose like a credit card Hop on top, I want a ride I do a kegel while it’s inside Spit in my mouth, look at my eyes This pussy is wet, come take a dive.
Tie me up like I’m surprised. Let’s role-play, I wear a disguise.
Make it cream, make me scream. Out in public, make a scene. Make it cream, make me scream. Out in public, make a scene. I don’t cook, I don’t clean I don’t cook, I don’t clean
Gobble me, swallow me, drip down the side of me (yeah) Quick, jump out ‘fore you let it get inside of me (yeah) I tell him where to put it, never tell him where I’m ’bout to be I run down on him ‘fore I have a nigga running me
I don’t wanna spit, I wanna gulp I wanna gag, I wanna choke I want you to touch that lil’ dangly thing that swing in the back of my throat
As Spain increases efforts to curb coronavirus cases, travelers headed to the country will soon be required to show proof of having received a COVID-19 booster dose.
The new regulation goes into effect starting Feb. 1 and will affect most international travelers, including those from the U.S. According to Spain’s tourism website, travelers must show proof of a booster dose if over 270 days have passed since their final initial vaccination series was administered. They must also have taken the booster shot at least 14 days before entering Spain. If less than 270 days have passed, travelers may enter without proof of a booster shot.
In addition to this new booster rule, travelers are still required to fill out the Spain Health Control form, which is available through the Spain Travel Health portal or on the Spain Travel Health app. Once in Spain, all visitors must comply with the country’s other safety protocols, which mandate the use of face coverings both inside and outdoors.
According to Reuters’ COVID-19 tracker, Spain averages about 78,561 cases per day or 1,168 infections per 100,000 people reported in the last seven days. This data places the country on the CDC’s “Level 4” travel advisory list, the highest warning possible. They classified destinations as “Level 4” if they reported over 500 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the last 28 days.
Requiring booster shots to access specific destinations or public places is becoming increasingly common. The Hawaiian island of Maui, for example, has already changed the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include a booster shot. The rest of the state considers adding a booster requirement to its Safe Travels program. Meanwhile, in New York City, the Metropolitan Opera now requires proof of a COVID-19 booster shot for all performers, employees, and audience members. Internationally, both Israel and France require booster shots for their country’s health passes, which allow people to access restaurants, public transportation, and other public areas.
The pandemic forced millions of people worldwide to work from home, and though that came with its challenges, it also has its perks. No commuting, a relaxed dress code, and remote working mean you can work from anywhere in the world.
To help remote workers get out of the house and enjoy a well-deserved work-cation, online travel agency KAYAK is hosting the Roam Remotely Sweepstakes, giving one lucky person $10,000 to go on a trip and work from anywhere in the world.
The winning remote worker will be given four AMEX cards, each worth $2,500, so they can pick their destination and spend their prize money as they see fit.
Entering the Roam Remotely Sweepstakes is easy. Interested remote workers only have to fill out their basic information (first name, last name, email address, and country of residence) on the contest’s webpage. Remote workers must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. resident to be eligible.
Submissions for the sweepstakes are open now through Feb. 4 at 11:59 a.m. EST. They will announce on Feb. 7.
The lucky person selected for the Roam Remotely Sweepstakes will have a world full of destinations to choose from for their work-cation. In the early days of the pandemic, several countries created new visa programs specifically with laptop-wielding employees and business owners in mind. These visas allow remote workers to spend extended periods in these countries—longer than the typical tourist visa—without registering as an official resident.
Countries with remote worker visas include Bali, Barbados, Costa Rica, Croatia, Dubai, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, and many more.
For your chance to win the Roam Remotely Sweepstakes, head to the contest webpage.
According to Broward Health Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Brian Kozik, a cyber-breach of Broward Health’s patient medical records and other personal financial data were exposed to a hacker (s). The hackers gained access to the personal information of over one million patients — perhaps north of 1.5 million visitors who have — over the years, checked in as a patient at the hospital. In most cases, it is the practice of Broward Health personnel, when possible, to carry out a wallet (pocketbook) biopsy on patients before rendering treatment or service. They gather a slew of information that has everything to do with money — not medicine. Now, they have compromised that information.
Bad Financial Medicine
Broward Health Imperial Point, formerly known as Broward General Hospital, is a publicly funded hospital with many third-party vendors that have access to patient information. It is a web that beckons invaders to enter, view, take your information, and do with it as they please. The system operates in thirty locations in Broward County — five significant hospitals and twenty-seven satellite facilities. With COVID-19 and its never-ending variants, the hospitals are under a financial mandate to deal with COVID patients first, thus leaving other Emergency Room visitors sometimes to sit and wait for eight, nine hours to be seen by a “Provider.” Emergency Rooms have become waiting rooms. Hopefully, they become dying rooms for Emergency visitors.
The mammoth organization is the tenth-largest hospital in the nation, with 8,280 employees. Annually, they take in billions of dollars from the federal government in Medicare and Medicaid revenue and hundreds of millions of dollars from the state of Florida. Seven commissioners appointed by the Governor oversee the Hospital.
Given all the published cyberattacks on businesses, what director of security in his right mind would not take the precautions to secure such a treasure trove of patients’ personal, financial, and HIPAA-protected information of so many vulnerable people? In 2020, Broward Health North alone had over 52,000 admissions in its 1,579 Licensed Beds units and 246,000 emergency room visits. That is a lot of data to discard on the streets of the Internet Highway/world wide web.
What Patient Information Was Stolen?
According to Broward Health’s website, “Patients’ personal medical information that was accessed may have included your name, date of birth, address, phone number, financial or bank account number, social security number, insurance information and number, medical information that may include history, condition, treatment, and diagnoses, medical record number, driver’s license number, and email address. This information was ex-filtrated or removed from the Broward Health system. However, there is no evidence that the intruder has misused the information.” So far they have not misused the information.
Those whose information they have misused did not know where the cyber-criminal got their banking information because Broward Health waited for almost three months to inform the affected parties of the Breach in January 2022. The Breach took place on October 15, 2021.
The fiscal year 2022 should be “One less bell to answer, one less egg to fry, and one less sloppy Broward Health Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer to pick up after.”
Broward Health claims the district is hurting for money because of the COVID-19. They declared the year 2020 as the year of the pandemic. “The District experienced a loss of roughly eight thousand admissions, thirty-eight hundred elective surgical cases, and sixty-five thousand emergency cases in the fiscal year 2021.” Add those numbers up, and those are the people cyber-bandits did not capture their personal information.
After the breach, Broward Health hired a security firm to close the open door in the database. But that is like closing the barn door after the jackass has already fled the barn.
Broward Health is offering free credit monitoring service to those affected by the breach.
“You may also want to consider obtaining a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies once every 12 months by visiting www.annualcreditreport.com, calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing an Annual Credit Request Form and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348. You can print a copy of the request form at www.annualcreditreport.com/manualRequestForm.action.”
Equifax 1-866-640-2273 www.equifax.com P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374
TransUnion 1-855-681-3196 www.transunion.com P.O. Box 2000 Chester, PA 19016
You may also choose to contact the three national credit reporting agencies listed above for information about placing a “fraud alert” and/or a “security freeze” on your credit report to further detect any possible misuse of your personal information. Contact the Federal Trade Commission for additional information about “fraud alerts” and “security freezes,” and about how to monitor and protect your credit and finances.
AP-Australia. Like millions of others in the most locked-down place on the planet, Melbourne resident Rav Thomas dutifully spent 262 days confined to his home as the COVID-19 pandemic raged. He got vaccinated. And the single father of two found ways to pay the bills as Melbourne’s lockdowns battered his entertainment and events company.
Then in October, the city’s restrictions lifted, along with Thomas’ spirits. His company once again began booking events as Melbourne’s nightclubs and bars reopened.
And then, omicron arrived.
The coronavirus variant has swept across Australia despite its high vaccination rate and strict border policies that kept the country largely sealed off from the world for almost two years. Those measures, which turned Australia into a virtually COVID-19-free utopia early in the pandemic, have garnered fresh scrutiny as the government has battled to deport unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic ahead of the Australian Open.
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Amid Djokovic backlash, Australia grapples with omicron wave Omicron may be headed for a rapid drop in Britain, US Democrats try to stamp out school closures as omicron surges Omicron wave prompts media to rethink which data to report
They also have prompted questions from frustrated and fatigued Australians about why their country — which seemingly did everything to stop the spread of of the virus — now finds itself infested with it.
“Tell your population, ‘Stay in your houses, you can’t go past your letterbox after 8 p.m. for days and months on end.’ And then you’re told, ‘OK, we’ve put in the hard yards,’” says Thomas, whose company, Anthem Entertainment, is now facing its 23rd consecutive month of financial loss as bookings once again dry up. “But then here we go again. Again. Again!”
Officially, there are now more than 600,000 active cases across Australia’s population of 26 million, though experts believe the actual number is far higher. The surge, health experts say, is partly due to two factors: Politicians were reluctant to renege on pre-omicron promises that they would relax restrictions such as mask-wearing, and the emergence of the incredibly contagious variant.
Faced with the explosion of infections, the government of the most populous state, New South Wales, ultimately backtracked and reimposed mask mandates last month. But by then, epidemiologists say, it was too late.
While deaths and hospitalizations remain relatively low, the vaccines have not stopped the spread of the virus. Australia’s vaccine program — under which around 80% of the total population has received at least one jab — also began later than many other Western countries, leaving much of its population yet to qualify for a booster.
“Vaccination alone isn’t good enough,” says epidemiologist Adrian Esterman, chair of biostatistics and epidemiology at the University of South Australia. “We were doing so well, until New South Wales decided it didn’t want to go into lockdown.”
Esterman has urged politicians to enforce mask-wearing and social distancing, and to improve ventilation in schools, particularly as students prepare to return after the southern hemisphere summer break. Children between the ages of 5 and 11 only became eligible for the vaccines this month.
“We haven’t got enough vaccines for youngsters,” says Esterman, who previously worked for the World Health Organization. “We know how to keep schools safe: First, get kids and teachers vaccinated, make sure ventilation is very good and you get the kids to wear masks. Do we do that in Australia? No.”
Though Australia’s high vaccine uptake has prevented an even worse crisis at stressed hospitals, Australian Medical Association President Dr. Omar Khorshid acknowledged it was difficult to watch Australia plummet from its position as a poster child for COVID-19 containment.
“It is certainly frustrating to see our case per head of population rate sort of getting toward the highest in the world in New South Wales, for instance, when we were at the lowest in the world not that long ago,” he said. “It’s a little unfortunate that the opening up of the country coincided almost perfectly with the omicron outbreak starting around the world.”
In recent months, the government has pivoted from its longstanding “COVID-zero” approach to a “live with it” approach, leaving many Australians confused.
“Omicron has changed everything,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this week. “My government is for keeping Australia open and pushing through.”
The policy whiplash also caught the health system off guard. Lines for PCR tests are often hours long, results take days, and a lack of rapid antigen tests has left sick Australians scurrying from store to store hunting for the kits.
Sydney resident Rodney Swan recently found himself among the hordes hunting for rapid tests. The 77-year-old’s granddaughter is ill and her family has been isolating at home for days as they await the results of their PCR tests.
“If you do get a test that’s a PCR test, then you wait ages,” Swan says. “You can’t get a rapid antigen test. My daughter can’t get boosters for her children.”
Swan is frustrated by what he views as the government’s jumbled messaging, and is stunned by the skyrocketing case numbers.
“These are numbers that you get in England,” he says. “I’ve got friends in London, because I lived in London, and I sense the smirk that they have now looking at Australia.”
Australia’s slow start to its booster program has left the population vulnerable to omicron, and has also increased the chances that its omicron wave will not decline as rapidly as other countries, says epidemiologist Dr. Nancy Baxter, head of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at Melbourne University.
Australia’s politicians appear worried that any new restrictions will anger the public, Baxter says. But they can still help slow the spread by providing Australians with a limited number of free N95 masks and rapid tests, she says.
“We could manage the wave, but there’s no political will to do so,” Baxter says. Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked male tennis player and prominent vaccine skeptic, arrived in Australia as COVID-19 cases were rising across the country. He was denied entry last week at Melbourne’s airport after officials canceled his visa because he was not vaccinated, an entry requirement for non-citizens. A judge reinstated the visa and ordered him released from immigration detention, but he continues to face possible deportation by the immigration minister. Fury and fear prompted former Australian human rights commissioner Chris Sidoti to pen an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald this week, detailing the terror he felt when his two immunocompromised grandchildren become ill with COVID-19 after Christmas, two weeks before they were eligible for the vaccine. Both children have been in and out of the hospital since then.
Sidoti blames his grandchildren’s plight on the government. Why, he asks, wasn’t it prepared with adequate supplies of rapid tests before the PCR system became inevitably overwhelmed? And why did the New South Wales premier roll back restrictions such as mask-wearing in November, before young children were eligible for vaccines and before most adults were eligible for boosters?
“We have gone wrong from day one because our politicians are not prepared to learn and to prepare,” Sidoti said in an interview. “People have stopped listening because there’s no consistency, there’s no credibility and there are no answers.”
Though policymakers seem averse to further lockdowns, the omicron outbreak has prompted many Australians to stay home anyway, leaving small business owners worried about their companies’ survival.
“People are quite broken,” says Zara Madrusan, who owns several bars and restaurants in Melbourne. “We are basically in some kind of self-imposed lockdown. No one is going out, but there’s no protection for us, there’s no advice for us, there’s no financial support available. So we’re just supposed to muddle through.”
For Thomas, whose company is facing a deluge of event cancellations, the state’s decision this week to shut down indoor dance floors in hospitality and entertainment venues was another gut punch. He wonders what of his once-vibrant city will be left when this all ends.
“What is our objective now?” he says. “What is our finish line?”
By KRISTEN GELINEAU
This Article Is An Associated Press Reprint: The Run Down.
AirlineRatings.com, a safety review site for the airline industry, officially released its annual ratings, showing travelers which companies will keep them safest in the skies. For 2022, it’s Air New Zealand that tops this coveted list of the world’s safest airlines.
The site considers several factors when creating its annual rankings, with pandemic-era protocol and health policies playing a significant role in this year’s evaluations.
Dubai
“Air New Zealand is a standout airline focusing firmly on safety and its customers, and over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has brought another new dimension to the challenges the industry faces,” the website’s editor said when revealing the list of World’s Safest Airlines for 2022. “Air New Zealand has excelled across the broad safety spectrum, never losing sight of the smallest detail while caring for its flight crews who have worked under significant stress.”
Abu Dhabi
Air New Zealand was also the first airline in the world to require vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test for domestic passengers. On Feb. 1, the airline will take things a step further by requiring all international passengers also to be vaccinated.
“The Air New Zealand promise is to take manaaki (care) further. To do that, we have to take our approach to safety further. For us, it’s not about safety first—it’s about safety always. We want everyone to go home safely every day,” Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran said in a statement shared by AirlineRatings.com.
An Australian carrier that often tops the AirlinesRatings.com list, Qantas lost its number one spot because of a near collision on an airport runway in Perth.
Beyond COVID-related protocol, AirlineRating.com’s annual list examines data from 385 airlines, including several factors such as crash records, safety programs, and results of government and industry safety audits. Though Air New Zealand took top honors, it’s important to note that all 20 airlines on the list are exceptionally safe and constantly innovating to enhance both safety and customer experience.
Here’s the complete list of the Top 20 World’s Safest Airlines:
