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Health

5 U.S. states set new data for Covid circumstances as hospitalizations rise

Five U.S. states set new records for Covid cases as hospitalizations rise

Five states broke records for the average number of daily new Covid cases over the weekend as the delta variant strains hospital systems across the U.S. and forces many states to reinstate public health restrictions.

Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon and Mississippi all reached new peaks in their seven-day average of new cases per day as of Sunday, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. On a per capita basis, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida are suffering from the three worst outbreaks in the country.

Daily new Covid cases per 100,000 residents

Note: Lines show seven-day average of daily new cases.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, CNBC analysis. As of August 15, 2021.

Daily new Covid cases per

100,000 residents

Note: Lines show seven-day average of daily

new cases.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, CNBC

analysis. As of August 15, 2021.

Daily new Covid cases per 100,000 residents

Note: Lines show seven-day average of daily new cases.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, CNBC analysis. As of August 15, 2021.

Louisiana recorded an average of 126 cases per 100,000 residents as of Sunday, more than three times the national average, while Mississippi and Florida averaged 110 and 101 cases per 100,000 residents, respectively, according to the data.

“We’re in the middle of the summer, people are gathering again with people, they’re in large groups, the vaccine has given a false sense of security in some ways to people, and they forget,” Dr. Perry Halkitis, dean of the Rutgers School of Public Health, told CNBC in an interview.

Louisiana

The surging delta variant has hit the Gulf Coast particularly hard, pushing hospitals to their limits. To try to curb the outbreak in Louisiana, officials in July recommended masks indoors for everyone, regardless of whether or not they were vaccinated. They reintroduced a statewide mask mandate on Aug. 2 after it was obvious that wasn’t working and cases kept climbing.

Everyone must now wear masks indoors regardless of their vaccination status, including all students from kindergarten through college.

Louisiana has the fifth-lowest vaccination rate of any state in the country, with 38.3% of its population fully immunized against the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana reported a record-high seven-day average of more than 5,800 new Covid cases as of Sunday, an increase of nearly 27% from a week ago, according to Hopkins data.

Louisiana recorded a seven-day average of 44 Covid-related deaths as of Sunday, over 46% more than a week prior. Almost half of the state’s 882 reported intensive care unit beds were occupied by coronavirus patients as of Monday, compared with a nationwide average of 25%, according the Department of Health and Human Services.

Mississippi

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, pleaded Friday with residents to get vaccinated as the state scrambles to hire hundreds of temporary doctors, nurses and EMTs.

He’s also requested ventilators from the Strategic National Stockpile as the spread of the delta variant fills hospitals in the state with mostly unvaccinated patients. Almost 55% of Mississippi’s ICU beds were filled with Covid patients as of Monday, and the state’s seven-day average of nearly 3,300 new coronavirus cases as of Sunday jumped 57% from a week ago.

“When you look across the country, to a certain extent, this current wave is the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” Reeves said at a press conference. “We continue to see more and more data, and the data is becoming more and more clear. Those who received the vaccine are significantly less likely to contract the virus.”

Mississippi has the nation’s second-lowest coronavirus vaccination rate, with 35.8% of its population fully immunized as of Sunday. The state’s death toll also hit a seven-day average of 20, up almost 80% from a week ago.

Florida

Florida reported a record 151,764 new Covid cases for the week on Friday, reaching a new seven-day average of 21,681 cases per day — more than any other state. More than half of the ICU beds in the state are occupied by Covid patients, according to HHS data.

Florida’s surge in cases comes as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to resist calls from the Biden administration and state advocacy groups to enforce mask mandates and other pandemic-related measures to help contain the massive outbreak. He signed an executive order and law in May that lifted all Covid restrictions across the state and permanently blocked local officials from enacting new ones starting July 1.

In late July, DeSantis issued a controversial executive order that blocked mask mandates in the state’s schools, overruling two counties that required face coverings for their students.

Oregon

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, is deploying up to 1,500 National Guard members to assist the state’s health systems as Covid hospitalizations set a new record three days in a row, standing at 733 on Friday. The state recorded 1,765 new cases on Friday, bringing its seven-day average to 1,652, according to the most recent data available.

The state reimplemented an indoor mask mandate on Friday for everyone, including fully vaccinated people, in response to the surge in hospitalizations.

Hawaii

Though Hawaii’s outbreak is relatively small compared with most mainland states, cases there have repeatedly been reaching new records since mid-July, hitting a seven-day average of 671 new cases per day on Sunday, according to Hopkins data.

That’s a more-than-sevenfold jump from 89 cases per day a month ago. The recent surge in cases has caught health officials by surprise and is starting to strain the state’s hospital systems. The total number of hospitalizations on the islands is 3,030, with 552 deaths recorded since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We are on fire. When we have hospitals that are really worried about being able to take care of people, that’s a crisis,” Hawaii’s health director, Dr. Elizabeth Char, said at a press conference last week. “When we see this exponential growth in the amount of people that are getting infected with Covid-19 every day — 2,000 people in the last three days — that’s a crisis. And at the point at which we overwhelm our resources, that’s a disaster.”

Hospitalization rates in Hawaii and Oregon, however, aren’t as high as other states. Nationwide, less than 11% of all hospital beds are being used by Covid patients. In Oregon, it’s 11.4%, Hawaii is at 12.1%, followed by Louisiana at 20.4%, Mississippi at 18.7% and Florida at 28.2%, according to HHS data.

Hospital bed capacity correlates very closely with vaccination rates. The states with higher vaccination rates are seeing fewer Covid patients take up hospital beds. Oregon has fully vaccinated 56.8% of its residents, followed by Hawaii at 54.3%, Florida at 50.3%, Louisiana at 38.3% and Mississippi at 35.8%.

“That is why Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi are hurting with bed capacity and ascending death rates, while Oregon and Hawaii are hurting with explosive case rates, but with high vaccination and masking rates, may not ever be in the same precarious position,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease expert at University of California in San Francisco.

As of Sunday, the national seven-day average of new cases stands at 130,710, an increase of 20% from the previous seven-day average, according to Hopkins data. The seven-day average for Covid deaths nationwide rose to 687, up 36% from the previous average.

“We know what the tools are, and now this comes down to policy and political decisionmakers’ value judgment to determine which tools they want to implement,” Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease expert at University of Toronto, told CNBC.

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect the correct percentages of fully vaccinated people in Oregon, Hawaii, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Categories
Entertainment

See Pictures From Megan Thee Stallion’s Horny Lollapalooza Set

See Photos From Megan Thee Stallion's Sexy Lollapalooza Set

Megan Thee Stallion took the “hot girls’ summer” to new heights with her Lollapalooza set 2021 on July 31st. While playing at the Chicago-based festival, Megan shared a clip of her appearance on Instagram. “Over 180,000 HOTTIES !!! They said we had the largest amount of @lollapalooza ever !!! Thank you Chicago,” the 24-year-old captioned the post. Artists like Juicy J, Marshmello, B. Simone and more congratulated the rapper on her success with comments on her Instagram. “If you love yourself, make some fucking noises,” she yelled on stage. “That’s what the F * ck Hotties do: We spread positivity!” As part of her hour-long set that featured Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly, she played hits like “Body”, “WAP”, “Hot Girl Summer”, “Savage” and “Thot Sh * t”. Ahead, you can become one of their “hotties” while reliving some of the sexiest moments of their performance.

Categories
Politics

Eviction Moratorium Set to Lapse as Biden Assist Effort Falters

Eviction Moratorium Set to Lapse as Biden Aid Effort Falters

The elimination of the federal ban will be offset by other pro-tenant initiatives that still exist. Many states and towns, including New York and California, have extended their own moratoriums, which should mitigate some of the effects. In some places, judges aware of the potential for a wave of mass displacement have said they will handle cases more slowly and make greater use of eviction diversion programs.

On Friday, several government agencies, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as well as the Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs departments, announced that they would extend their eviction moratoriums to September 30.

Nonetheless, there is potential for an onslaught of eviction requests starting next week – in addition to the 450,000+ eviction cases that have been filed in courts in major cities and states since the pandemic began in March 2020.

An estimated 11 million adult renters are considered seriously behind schedule, according to a survey by the Census Bureau, but no one knows how many tenants are at risk of eviction in the near future.

Bailey Bortolin, a tenant attorney who works for the Nevada Coalition of Legal Service Providers, said the absence of the moratorium would encourage many property owners to take their eviction backlog to court next week, which is what many renters receive eviction notice had caused them to simply vacate their apartments instead of arguing.

“I think what we will see on Monday is a drastic increase in eviction suits going out to the people and the vast majority will not go through the judicial process,” Ms. Bortolin said.

The moratorium was due to expire on June 30, but the White House and CDC, under pressure from tenant groups, extended the lockdown to July 31, hoping to use the time to accelerate the flow of rental assistance.

Categories
World News

Asia-Pacific shares set to drop; Japan’s retail gross sales information forward

Asia-Pacific stocks set to drop; Japan's retail sales data ahead

SINGAPORE – Asia Pacific markets were mostly lower in early Friday trading. Meanwhile, US stocks rebounded, despite data showing that gross domestic product grew less-than-expected in the second quarter.

The Japanese Nikkei 225 lost 0.8% in early trading while the Topix lost 0.46%.

Reuters reported that the country’s industrial production rose 6.2% in June, up sharply after falling 6.5% in May. Retail sales in June were up 0.1% yoy, less than forecast for a 0.2% increase.

South Korea’s Kospi lost 0.55%.

The S & P / ASX 200 in Australia traded just above the flatline. Markets will be tracking the Covid situation in Sydney, which reported a record daily surge in Covid cases despite an extended lockdown on Thursday. Reuters reported that authorities have asked the military for help enforcing the lockdown.

MSCI’s broadest index for Asia Pacific stocks outside of Japan was unchanged.

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Shares rebounded during Thursday’s regular session in the US, although data showed US GDP rose 6.5% on an annualized basis in the second quarter, well below the 8.4% Dow Jones estimate.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained around 150 points on Thursday after hitting a new intraday high. The S&P 500, which also briefly hit an all-time high, ended the day up 0.4% at 4,419.15.

“Yesterday’s rebound in Chinese equities after the recent regulatory-induced sell-off resulted in solid performance overnight in risk assets,” said Rodrigo Catril, senior FX strategist at National Australia Bank.

Investors will watch as Chinese stocks end a week of volatile trading. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell more than 8% in two days and rebounded 3% in Thursday’s session.

Currencies and oil

The US dollar index, which tracks the greenback versus a basket of its competitors, stood at 91.880, falling from a level above 92 the previous day.

The Japanese yen was trading at 109.40 per dollar, up slightly from above 109.9 at the beginning of the week. The Australian dollar changed hands at $ 0.7394 after falling to around $ 0.735 earlier in the week.

Oil prices fell on the morning of Asian trading hours, with Brent crude oil futures falling 0.34% to $ 75.79 a barrel. US crude oil futures are down 0.42% to $ 73.33 a barrel.

Categories
Health

Tens of millions of Brits set for self-isolation as Covid restrictions ease

Millions of Brits set for self-isolation as Covid restrictions ease

Selective focus. Concept photo.

Oleksandr Siedov | iStock editorial team | Getty Images

LONDON – More than 500,000 people in the UK were asked to self-isolate last week by the government-backed Covid-19 Test and Trace app, with similar numbers expected in the coming weeks.

In the week leading up to July 7, the app alerted 520,194 people in England that they were in close contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus and had to self-isolate.

A BBC analysis last week found that up to 4.5 million people in the UK could be instructed to self-isolate by the test and trace system between mid-July and the policy change on August 16.

A study published in the British Medical Journal in late June looked at the interactions of 5,802 people over 14 days and found that the average participant had 59 interactions that could be defined as close contact. The study found that for each infected person, an average of 36 close contacts could be identified and contacted, which could mean millions are currently being asked to self-isolate.

Earlier this week, UK media reported that Covid app users were “pinged” and asked to self-isolate when their neighbors contracted the virus, using the technology underlying the app’s testing and tracking system, ” close contact ”with positive cases through the walls recognizes their homes.

Currently, anyone in the UK who has had close contact tested positive for Covid must self-isolate at home for 10 days. People can be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace System by phone, email or SMS, or via a notification in the app.

“Close contact” is defined in the UK as 15 minutes or more within two meters of an infected person.

British Health Minister Sajid Javid recently announced that from August 16, people fully vaccinated against Covid will no longer have to self-isolate if close contact tests positive for the coronavirus. The amendment to the directive would also apply to children under the age of 18.

Employee Absence Concerns

England will lift almost all remaining Covid restrictions on Monday in what will be an “irreversible” move, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Currently, however, the country is seeing a surge in new cases of the virus linked to the highly transmissible Delta variant.

There were 48,553 new cases of the virus in the UK on Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country since the pandemic started to 5,281,098.

Rising case numbers have raised concerns among industry leaders that the contact tracing system could lead to staff shortages.

Karan Bilimoria, president of the Confederation of British Industry – which represents 190,000 companies – said in a statement Thursday that the government should present the rule changes on self-isolation.

“Infection rates can rise rapidly, but it is clear that the testing and tracking system needs an overhaul as over two-thirds of the adult population are now fully vaccinated,” he said.

“As more and more companies prepare to open their doors on Monday, the shortage of staff is acutely felt in all sectors and in all lines of business, especially in our troubled hospitality and leisure sectors.”

Nick Allen, CEO of the British Meat Processors Association, told the BBC on Friday that some organizations could potentially be forced to close production lines, with up to one in ten meat production workers being told by the app to isolate themselves.

Meanwhile, it was reported on Monday that passengers flying from Terminal 5 at London’s Heathrow Airport faced disruption after a number of NHS Test and Trace staff were instructed to isolate themselves.

Up to 900 workers – more than one in ten employees – at Nissan’s manufacturing facility in Sunderland, England, are currently absent after being “peded” by the app, the BBC reported on Thursday.

Delete the app

A survey by Savanta ComRes for the Guardian newspaper published Tuesday found that more than one in three adults ages 18 to 34 had already deleted the NHS app. According to the survey, roughly one in five adults of all ages said they intend to delete it within a week.

Government officials and health officials have urged the UK public not to delete the app.

A spokesman for the UK Health and Welfare Department emailed CNBC on Friday that the NHS Covid app prevented an estimated 600,000 infections and 8,000 deaths between September and December.

“The app does exactly what it was designed to do – it informs close contacts of someone who tests positive for Covid-19 that they are at risk and advises them to isolate themselves,” they said.

“As cases continue to rise, it is important that people are aware of their personal risk so that they can make informed decisions about their behavior to protect those around them.”

Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK health authority, said during a hearing of evidence in Parliament last week that work was being done to “tune” the app to take into account vaccination status.

“Right now, it’s important to remind people of the importance of keeping the app running,” she said.

The NHS app, which has been downloaded more than 26 million times, is not mandatory and there is no legal obligation for users to isolate themselves if they are “pinged”.

Categories
World News

Dow drops greater than 380 factors, S&P 500 is ready to snap 7-day successful streak

Dow drops more than 380 points, S&P 500 is set to snap 7-day winning streak

Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

Source: NYSE

Shares fell on Tuesday as Wall Street began the shortened vacation week on concerns that perhaps the best economic recovery from the pandemic was behind us.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell about 380 points, dragged down by losses at JPMorgan, Chevron and Goldman Sachs. The S&P 500 lost 0.7% and the Nasdaq Composite traded the flat line after both averages hit records at the opening. US markets were closed on Monday for Independence Day on July 4th. The S&P 500 has had a seven-day winning streak, the longest since August.

Investors are juggling multiple signs that rapid economic growth may peak from the depths of the pandemic. The ISM Services Index, a key benchmark for the services sector, slowed from a record high in the previous month to 60.1 in June, data released Tuesday showed. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected a pressure of 63.5. This follows Friday’s job report, which showed that the unemployment rate rose back to 5.9% from 5.6%, compared to expectations.

Bond yields also fell Monday, with 10-year government bond yields below 1.4%, further evidence that investors are questioning the strength of the US economy.

While business stocks like Caterpillar and JPMorgan fell, tech stocks rose. Amazon, Apple and Microsoft were higher.

Amazon surged nearly 3% and became technology leaders when Andy Jassy officially took over as CEO on Monday. Jeff Bezos is now Executive Chairman of the Board.

Still, after a strong first half performance amid a historic economic reopening, many on Wall Street expect smaller and more troubled gains for the remainder of the year. The S&P 500 is up nearly 16% since the start of the year.

“The US economy is booming, but we know it by now and the asset markets reflect it. Which is no longer so clear what price this growth will come at, “said Michael Wilson, chief strategist for US equities at Morgan Stanley, in a note. “Higher costs mean lower profits, another reason the stock market has narrowed overall … Stock markets will likely pause this summer as things heat up.”

Wall Street’s consensus year-end target for the S&P 500 is 4,276, a loss of nearly 2% from current levels of 500 stocks, according to the CNBC Market Strategist Survey, which rounds up the forecasts of 16 top strategists.

“Everything is perfect and that worries me,” said Sarat Sethi, portfolio manager at DCLA, in CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “We’ve had a 5% correction since October, that’s it. I think we’re in a little bit of euphoria in the short term. We have to be careful and I think you want to be in secular growth.” Companies, don’t just chase the market because I think the market will be very picky about which sectors will do well. “

U.S. shares in Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi plummeted as much as 25% after China said new users would not be able to download the app until a cybersecurity clearance was conducted. The announcement surprised the markets as Didi only made his US debut on the NYSE last week.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose to a six-year high after an important meeting between the oil producing group OPEC and its partners on crude oil exploration policy was canceled. The postponement came when the United Arab Emirates rejected a proposal to extend oil production increases for a second day. At some point on Tuesday, WTI crude oil hit as high as $ 76.98, the highest price since November 2014 after pulling back before the opening bell.

Investors await the release of the June Federal Open Markets Committee’s minutes of the June meeting for clues to the central bank’s behind-the-scenes discussions on the abolition of its quantitative easing program.

Categories
World News

Newport Wafer Fab set to be acquired by Chinese language-owned Nexperia

Newport Wafer Fab set to be acquired by Chinese-owned Nexperia

A close up image of a CPU socket and motherboard laying on the table.

Narumon Bowonkitwanchai | Moment | Getty Images

LONDON – Newport Wafer Fab, the U.K.’s largest chip producer, is set to be acquired by Chinese-owned semiconductor company Nexperia for around £63 million ($87 million) next week, according to two sources close to the deal who asked to remain anonymous because the information is not yet public.

Nexperia, a Dutch firm that is 100%-owned by China’s Wingtech Technology, told CNBC on Friday that the deal talks are ongoing.

Located in Newport, South Wales, privately-held NWF’s chip plant dates back to 1982 and it is one of just a handful of semiconductor fabricators in the U.K.

Nexperia is set to announce the takeover as soon as Monday or Tuesday, the sources said.

“We are in constructive conversations with NWF and Welsh Government about the future of NWF,” a Nexperia spokesperson said. “Until we have reached a conclusion we cannot further comment.”

NWF and Wingtech Technology did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

I must stress again that having the U.K.’s leading 200mm silicon and semiconductor technology development and processing facility being taken over by a Chinese entity – in my view – represents a significant economic and national security concern.

Tom Tugendhat

chairman, Foreign Affairs Select Committee

The deal comes during a global chip shortage that has led countries to try and become more independent when it comes to semiconductor production. The vast majority of today’s chips are manufactured in Asia, with Taiwan’s TSMC, South Korea’s Samsung and China’s SMIC among the largest chip producers in the world.

Tom Tugendhat, leader of the U.K. government’s China Research Group and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said he was concerned about a potential takeover of NWF in a letter to U.K. Business Minister Kwasi Kwarteng in June.

“I must stress again that having the U.K.’s leading 200mm silicon and semiconductor technology development and processing facility being taken over by a Chinese entity – in my view – represents a significant economic and national security concern,” Tugendhat said.

He urged the U.K. government to review the deal under the National Security and Investment Act, which was introduced in April as part of an effort to protect the nation’s technology companies from overseas takeovers when there’s an economic risk or a security threat.

“This is the largest last remaining advanced semiconductor factory in England being sold to the Chinese and the British government aren’t doing s*** about it,” a source said, adding that they should at least try and get $1 billion for it.

A U.K. government spokesperson told CNBC: “We are aware of the expected takeover by Nexperia of Newport Wafer Fab. While we do not consider it appropriate to intervene at this time, we will continue to monitor the situation closely and will not hesitate to use our powers under the Enterprise Act should the situation change.”

They added: “We remain committed to the semi-conductor sector, and the vital role it plays in the UK’s economy.”

The £63 million price tag for NWF is much lower than the $900 million that Texas Instruments announced it will pay for a vacant Micron fab in the Utah this week.

NWF has several outstanding debts, including £20 million with HSBC and £18 million with the Welsh government, one of the sources said, adding that these will be paid off following the sale. Meanwhile, Drew Nelson, the CEO who became NWF’s majority shareholder after he acquired the business from Germany’s Infineon four years ago, will receive around £15 million, according to one person familiar with the terms.

NWF makes silicon chips that are used in power supply applications for the automotive industry, which has been hit particularly hard by the chip shortage. The company has also been developing more advanced “compound semiconductors,” which are faster and more energy efficient.

Under the deal, Nelson is being permitted to spin off the compound semiconductor part of NWF and he plans to reinvest his proceeds into this new venture, according to this person. He is also being permitted to keep the Newport Wafer Fab name.

Democracies scrutinize China takeovers

The deal comes after Cambridge chip designer Arm, often thought of as the jewel in the crown of the U.K. technology industry, agreed to be acquired by U.S. chip giant Nvidia for $40 billion. The takeover, however, is being probed by regulators around the world after rival Qualcomm and others objected.

With tensions mounting between China and the world’s democracies, other countries are investigating Chinese tech takeovers before they’re approved.

Earlier this month, South Korea launched a review after Beijing-based Wise Road Capital agreed a deal to buy semiconductor firm MagnaChip, saying it is a “national core technology.” The U.S. Department of Treasury also requested that parties involved in the transaction file notice with The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

In March, the Italian government blocked Chinese firm Shenzhen Investment Holdings from acquiring a controlling stake in LPE, a Milan-headquartered semiconductor company, hailing it as a sector of “strategic importance.”

Categories
Politics

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Recall Election Set for Sept. 14.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Recall Election Set for Sept. 14.

The Republican-led, pandemic-fueled campaign to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom received an official election date Thursday when the state lieutenant governor announced that voters would vote on the matter on September 14.

The date, just 75 days away and the earliest that district officials said they could manage to hold a special election, was released shortly after the California Secretary of State officially confirmed the recall request. And it came after Mr Newsom’s Democrats in the state legislature decided to speed up the process.

California is overwhelmingly Democratic and Mr Newsom is widely expected to get his way, especially as the state is out of the coronavirus crisis. The common wisdom of his advisors and allies was that he would benefit from a quick decision while Californians still bask in relief from the state’s economy reopening and before the fall forest fire season begins.

The schedule, put forward by another Democrat, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, also severely restricts the ability of potential challengers to take part in the vote, leaving them only about two weeks to compete in the race to succeed Mr. Newsom. More than 50 candidates are already on the ballot, and a handful of wealthy Republicans are campaigning seriously.

The special election is expected to cost about $ 276 million and marks the second time in the state’s history that Californians have voted on the removal of an incumbent governor. The first led to the removal of Gray Davis and the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2003.

Mr Newsom and his supporters, who mocked the recall as the final act of right-wing extremist relevance, said Thursday that they applauded voters’ decision.

“This Republican recall is a bare attempt by Trump Republicans to take control of California – fueled by the same Republicans who refused to accept the presidential election results,” said Juan Rodriguez, head of the governor’s campaign organization.

Kevin Faulconer, former San Diego mayor and a Republican candidate, countered that “this movement is being driven by Californians from every community – Democrats, Republicans and Independents.”

Mr. Faulconer added, “Change is coming for California and retirement is coming for Gavin Newsom.”

Recall attempts are not uncommon in California, with every governor since 1960 faced with at least one. But getting a recall on the ballot is rare.

The campaign against Mr Newsom languished for months before a string of pandemic-induced missteps, court decisions and voter anger sent the governor – a liberal in a democratic state who was landslide-elected in 2018 – into a perfect political storm.

Categories
Health

CDC leaving it as much as states to set tips for masks, director says

CDC leaving it up to states to set guidelines for masks, director says

Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), takes off a protective mask during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, May 19, 2021.

Greg Nash | Bloomberg | Getty Images

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday the U.S. agency is leaving it up to states and local health officials to set guidelines around mask-wearing even after the World Health Organization urged fully vaccinated people to continue the practice.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has “always said that local policymakers need to make policies for their local environment,” Walensky said during an interview on the NBC program “TODAY.” She added that the agency’s guidelines broadly recommend that vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks.

“There are areas of this country where about a third of people are vaccinated, they have low vaccination rates,” Walensky said. “There are areas where they have more disease in the context of people not being vaccinated. So, in those areas, we’ve always said please look, make suggestions.”

She added, “If you are vaccinated, you are safe from the variants that are circulating here in the United States.”

The CDC director’s comments come days after WHO officials urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, social distance and practice other pandemic safety measures as the highly contagious delta variant spreads rapidly across the globe.

Delta, now in at least 92 countries, including the United States, is expected to become the dominant variant of the disease worldwide, according to the WHO. In the U.S., the prevalence of the strain is doubling about every two weeks.

WHO officials said Friday they are asking fully vaccinated people to continue to “play it safe” because a large portion of the world remains unvaccinated and highly contagious variants, like delta, are spreading in many countries and spurring outbreaks.

“People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves,” Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products, said during a news briefing.

The WHO’s comments were a departure from the CDC, which has said fully vaccinated Americans can go maskless in most settings, and sparked widespread confusion.

Walensky said Wednesday that the WHO makes recommendations for a global population, adding many regions of the world remain unvaccinated.

“When the WHO makes those recommendations, they do so in that context,” she said.

Still, while many states have lifted most of their mask restrictions, places like Mississippi are recommending that residents continue to wear masks indoors even if they are fully vaccinated.

Delta is the dominant variant in Mississippi right now and only 31% of the state’s eligible population is vaccinated, state health officials said on a call late Tuesday. About 96% of new Covid cases are unvaccinated people, they added.

– CNBC’s Rich Mendez contributed to this report.

Categories
Business

With theme parks set to rebound, journey advisors share journey suggestions

With theme parks set to rebound, travel advisors share trip tips

Social-Media-Persönlichkeiten Dixie D’Amelio und Noah Beck im Disney California Adventure Park im Disneyland Resort am 2. Mai 2021 in Anaheim, Kalifornien.

Handout | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Die Covid-Pandemie machte die letzten 14 Monate zu einer buchstäblichen Achterbahnfahrt für Themenparks und ihre Fans.

Die Parks wurden im letzten Frühjahr geschlossen oder gar nicht geöffnet, und obwohl einige bis zum Sommer wieder geöffnet wurden, waren es strenge Kapazitätsgrenzen und strenge Gesundheits- und Sicherheitsmaßnahmen, die einige Kunden abschreckten und den Spaßfaktor für andere definitiv beeinträchtigten.

Hier sehen Sie, wie sich die Dinge für diesen Teil des Reise- und Tourismussektors im Jahr 2021 entwickeln und wie potenzielle Besucher einen Themenparkurlaub im Verlauf der Pandemie optimal nutzen können.

Vor der Pandemie lief es für den Sektor gut. Die Top 20 der nordamerikanischen Themenparks zogen 2019 159.108.000 Besucher an, 1% mehr als im Vorjahr. Dies geht aus dem TEA / AECOM-Themenindex und dem Museumsindex 2019 hervor.

Um noch mehr Besucher anzulocken, haben die Parkbetreiber ihre Gewinne in vielbeschworene neue Attraktionen mit großem Budget wie den Jurassic World Velocicoaster auf den Abenteuerinseln des Universal Orlando Resorts in Florida und den Avengers Campus mit Marvel-Thema im Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim zurückgeführt .

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Die Leute haben nicht vergessen, dass diese Debüts in Vorbereitung waren.

“Viele Familien entscheiden sich in diesem Jahr für den Besuch von Themenparks”, sagte Trish Smith, eine in Kansas City, Missouri, ansässige Reiseberaterin, die dem InteleTravel-Netzwerk von Agenten zu Hause angeschlossen ist. “Ich hatte zu diesem Zeitpunkt in diesem Jahr tatsächlich mehr Buchungen als 2019.

“Es kommen so viele neue Attraktionen, dass viele Leute sagen: ‘Ja, das möchte ich nicht verpassen, und ich möchte der Erste sein'”, fügte sie hinzu.

Die Nachfrage ist besonders in Kalifornien aufgestaut, wo die Parks erst im April wiedereröffnet wurden.

Tatsächlich sagte Michael Erstad, Senior Analyst, Verbraucher des Forschungsunternehmens M Science, dass Themenparks bereits im nächsten Jahr zu früheren Besucherzahlen zurückkehren könnten. “Ich denke auf jeden Fall, dass es eine Möglichkeit ist”, sagte er. “Es wird alles davon abhängen, wie sich die Dinge für den Rest des Jahres mit dem Virus entwickeln.

“Ich würde nicht zählen [a rebound] aus.”

Cardify, ein Unternehmen für Erkenntnisse zu Verbraucherdaten, hat nicht überraschend festgestellt, dass in den Themenparks im vergangenen Jahr ein starker Rückgang der Verbraucherausgaben zu verzeichnen war, sich jedoch bis zum letzten Sommer durch die Wiedereröffnung mit Kapazitätsbeschränkungen “etwas erholen” konnte. Jetzt, da Städte und Bundesstaaten die Pandemiebeschränkungen lockern, sehen die Parks, was Cardify als “Silberstreifen” für Parkbetreiber bezeichnet – einen neuen “starken Anstieg” der Ausgaben.

Cardify fand auch in einer Umfrage unter 1.044 Verbrauchern heraus, dass 72% begeistert sind, nach der Pandemie in Vergnügungsparks zurückzukehren, mehr als in Kinos (68%) oder Bars und Clubs (67%). Nur persönliche Konzerte (79%) und Sportveranstaltungen (74%) werden mit Spannung erwartet.

Themenparks “sind an einem viel besseren Ort” im Vergleich zu Kinos, Kreuzfahrten, Flugreisen, Hotels und anderen Unterhaltungsmöglichkeiten, sagte Erstad von M Science.

Wie in Skigebieten, in Themenparks “ist ein Großteil der Erfahrung im Freien”, sagte er, und daher weniger riskant in Bezug auf die Exposition. “Sie stehen zwar für Fahrten an, aber im letzten Jahr wurden Verbesserungen vorgenommen, um die Kaufentscheidungen für Lebensmittel und Getränke zu verbessern, sodass Sie viele Dinge elektronisch erledigen.”

Also, wohin gehen Nervenkitzel suchende?

Es gibt im Wesentlichen zwei Themenparkmärkte in den USA, obwohl es einige Überschneidungen zwischen ihnen gibt. Große Zielparks – wie Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort und SeaWorld Orlando, die in Zentralflorida zusammengefasst sind – ziehen sowohl inländische als auch internationale Besucher für längere Ferien an, während Regionalparks, die manchmal kleiner und weniger thematisch sind, eher eine Autofahrt anziehen. in, Tagesausflügler demografisch aus nahe gelegenen Gebieten.

Beispiele für die letztere Art von Park wären die 27 Themen- und Wasserparkimmobilien, die in Nordamerika von der in Grand Prairie, Texas, ansässigen Six Flags Entertainment Corp. betrieben werden. Einige kleinere, aber hoch thematisierte Parks wie Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, überspannen die Linie zwischen den beiden Kategorien.

(Interessanterweise verfügt Disneyland über ein globales Zielparkprofil, fungiert jedoch effektiv als Regionalpark und zieht die meisten Besucher aus dem lokalen südkalifornischen Markt an. Der Park, der derzeit nur Kaliforniern vorbehalten ist, wird jedoch am 15. Juni für alle Besucher wieder vollständig geöffnet.)

Keine konkreten Pläne; du musst jetzt ein wenig flexibel sein.

Trish Smith

Mit InteleTravel verbundener Reiseberater

Die Konsumausgaben in den Parks von Orlando erholen sich seit Monaten vom Absturz des letzten Jahres. Besucher außerhalb des Bundesstaates öffnen ihre Brieftaschen mehr als Einwohner Floridas, erklärte Erstad.

“Ich denke, es ist ein gesundes Zeichen für Disney und die auf Reiseziele ausgerichteten Betreiber sowie für die allgemeine Attraktivität der Verbraucher für Themenparks im Allgemeinen in diesem Sommer.” [and] ein Hinweis auf Verbraucher, die diese Art von suchen [mostly outdoor] Unterhaltung “, sagte er.

Florida gehört zu den am wenigsten restriktiven Staaten, wenn es um die Regulierung von Pandemien geht, und die Disney-, Universal- und SeaWorld-Parks in der Region Orlando sind seit letztem Juli geöffnet. Vorübergehende zwischenstaatliche Reisebeschränkungen und Quarantäneanforderungen drosselten die Fernnachfrage für einige Monate, wurden jedoch schließlich zum Jahresende gelockert.

Während das Interesse an Disneys Orlando-Parks groß ist, werden “Roadtrips in der Nähe von zu Hause in diesem Sommer für regionale Themenparks wie sehr beliebt sein [Cedar Fair’s] Kings Dominion [and] Cedar Point, Six Flags, Sesame Place, Busch Gardens und Dollywood “, sagte Carolyn Moody, InteleTravel-Beraterin in Durham, North Carolina.

Die Jury ist sich noch nicht sicher, wie es den Regionalparks ergehen wird, da es an einigen Orten aus klimabezogenen und geschäftlichen Gründen an echten Daten mangelt, sagte Erstad.

Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. beispielsweise hat vier seiner elf Themenparks in den USA und Kanada für den größten Teil des Jahres 2020 vollständig offline geschaltet, selbst in Ländern, in denen eine begrenzte Eröffnung mit eingeschränkter Kapazität möglich war, und die Betriebssaison im Übrigen verkürzt. Im Jahr 2020 waren es nur 487 Betriebstage, verglichen mit 2.224 im Jahr 2019.

“Cedar Fair hat einen eher konservativen Ansatz gewählt. Sie waren die ersten, die bekannt gaben, dass sie die Inhaber von 2020-Pässen bis 20201 ehren würden, und haben sich bewusst für einen vorsichtigeren Ansatz entschieden”, sagte Erstad. “Es ist etwas zu früh, um sich einige Ihrer kälteren Wetterparks anzusehen, obwohl wir in den geöffneten Parks eine ziemlich gute Nachfrage gesehen haben.”

In diesem Jahr plant die in Sandusky, Ohio, ansässige Cedar Fair, alle US-Parks – wie Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Point, Kalifornien, und Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina – bis zum Memorial Day zu eröffnen, obwohl Kanadas Wunderland außerhalb von Toronto, Ontario, bleibt geschlossen. Das Unternehmen plant, die ursprünglich für 2020 geplanten Attraktionen zu eröffnen und in diesem Jahr weitere 100 Millionen US-Dollar für neue Upgrades auszugeben, sagte Präsident und CEO Richard A. Zimmerman in einer Erklärung vom 5. Mai in Erwartung einer “starken aufgestauten Verbrauchernachfrage nach mehr Nähe” Unterhaltung zu Hause im Freien, insbesondere in der zweiten Jahreshälfte. “

“Wir sind mit den bisherigen Frühindikatoren zufrieden und unsere operative Strategie für 2021 konzentriert sich auf die Maximierung der Leistung in unserer saisonal gewichteten zweiten Jahreshälfte”, fügte er hinzu. “Mit unseren Parkeröffnungen gleich um die Ecke sehen wir wieder einen Anstieg der Verkäufe von Saisonkarten.”

Erstad wies unterdessen auf Six Flags Great Adventure & Safari in Jackson, New Jersey, als einen Regionalpark hin, der zu Beginn der Pandemie eröffnet wurde und “im letzten Sommer sehr gut” lief.

“Das war nur auf die Tatsache zurückzuführen, dass sie die Safari-Attraktion haben, bei der Sie mit Ihrer Familie in Ihrem Auto sitzen und sozial von anderen entfernt sein können”, bemerkte er.

Der Park in der Nähe von New York City und Philadelphia hat am 30. Mai seine Safari für Fahrer mit Vorbehalt wiedereröffnet und am 3. Juli seinen Teil des Themenparks mit einer Kapazität von 25% wiedereröffnet. Die gute Resonanz deutet auf eine große “aufgestaute Nachfrage” hin. “Sagte Erstad.

Parks wie die von Cedar Fair, die letztes Jahr überhaupt nicht geöffnet waren, werden möglicherweise erste Besucherzahlen verzeichnen, aber “Ich weiß nicht, dass die Nachfrage so stark steigen wird wie bei Disney und einigen anderen größeren Parks.” erlebt haben “, sagte Summer Hull, Direktor für Reiseinhalte auf der Website The Points Guy.

“Aber ich denke, dass für einige der Leute, die normalerweise gerne an diese Orte gehen, dies der Sommer sein kann, in dem sie zu ihnen zurückkehren”, fügte sie hinzu.

Tipps und Drehpunkte zum Themenpark

Welche Tipps haben Reiseberater, wenn Sie sich für einen Themenpark entschieden haben?

Moody, ein Disney-Spezialist, sagte, dass Familien, die in diesem Jahr Themenparks in Betracht ziehen, einen Reiseberater konsultieren sollten, “der Kunden über die neuesten CDC-Vorschriften auf dem Laufenden halten, Fragen beantworten, die besten Angebote finden, alles von Anfang bis Ende buchen und Single sein kann Ansprechpartner während Ihrer Reise. “

Sie empfiehlt außerdem, Reisen so früh wie möglich zu buchen, Parks früh oder spät am Tag zu besuchen, um Menschenmassen zu vermeiden, Tickets zu kaufen und auch die erforderlichen Eintrittsreservierungen vorzunehmen.

Smith betonte auch diesen letzten Punkt. Während Universal Orlando nie Reservierungen benötigte und Six Flags sie diesen Monat landesweit in seinen Parks verschrottete, brauchen Besucher der Walt Disney World Parks sie immer noch – ebenso wie jeder, der einen der neu eröffneten Themenparks in Kalifornien besucht.

“Selbst wenn Sie das Ticket kaufen, ist es nicht garantiert, dass Sie in den Park gelangen, in den Sie gehen möchten, da dieser Park möglicherweise mit Reservierungen ausgebucht ist”, sagte sie.

Befolgen Sie im Park die noch geltenden Regeln zur Maskierung und sozialen Distanzierung – die Situation ist fließend und kann sich schnell ändern -, aber machen Sie sich keine Sorgen. Seit der Wiedereröffnung wurden keine Berichte darüber veröffentlicht, dass Parks in der Umgebung von Orlando zu Covid-Hotspots werden.

“Die Themenparks haben großartige Arbeit geleistet, um die Sicherheit der Menschen zu gewährleisten”, sagte Smith. “Selbst wenn mehr Menschen geimpft werden, berücksichtigen sie immer noch die Sicherheit. Ich glaube also nicht, dass es in Fällen oder so etwas zu einem starken Anstieg kommen wird.”

The Points Guy’s Hull war seit seiner Wiedereröffnung dreimal in Walt Disney World und sagte: “Es war eine tolle Zeit.”

“Es ist größtenteils im Freien und sie haben großartige Arbeit geleistet, damit es sich lustig und gleichzeitig sicher in Ihrer eigenen kleinen ‘Disney-Blase’ anfühlt”, sagte sie.

Seien Sie auch offen für Veränderungen. “Das ist das Größte”, sagte Smith. “Sie haben keine konkreten Pläne. Sie müssen jetzt ein wenig flexibel sein.”

Hull stimmte zu und sagte, dass Gäste des Themenparks, die ihre Hausaufgaben machen, diesen Sommer eine tolle Zeit haben werden. “Aber diejenigen, die davon ausgehen, dass es sich nur um ein normales Geschäft handelt, werden einige Überraschungen erwarten”, sagte sie und stellte fest, dass viele Teile größerer Zielparks – von Hotels über Restaurants bis hin zu Fahrgeschäften – immer noch nicht online sind oder nicht über normale Kapazitäten verfügen.

“Sie müssen einige Dinge auf eine Art und Weise anordnen, die Sie vorher vielleicht nicht hatten, und trotzdem mit gemäßigten Erwartungen an Dinge rund um das Essen, das Housekeeping und andere Elemente, die immer noch eine Art Pandemie-Ära sind und nicht wieder normal geworden sind noch.”

(Offenlegung: CNBC und Universal Parks & Resorts sind beide Tochterunternehmen von NBCUniversal, die der Muttergesellschaft Comcast gehören.)