Tag Archives: Health / Life Sciences

Travel

Slow vaccine rollout in EU and Easter travel restrictions blamed on low passenger numbers at Ryanair | Instant News


Ryanair RYA, + 0.95%, said on Wednesday it expects losses for the year to be slightly less than initially thought, but predicted it would carry less passengers over the next year due to Easter travel restrictions and the European Union’s slow rollout of COVID. 19 vaccination program. The Irish budget carrier plans to report a net loss before exceptional items of between € 800 million and € 850 million ($ 949.9 million to $ 1.01 billion) for the year ending March 2021 , slightly better than its previous forecast in February, between 850 million euros and 950 million euros over the period. It now forecasts the number of passengers for the year ending March 2022 down a previously guided range of between 80 million and 120 million passengers. “” Easter travel restrictions / lockouts and a delayed resumption of traffic in peak S.21 season, due to the slow rollout in the EU of COVID-19 vaccines, means FY22 traffic is likely to be towards the lower end of our previously guided passenger range from 80m to 120m. “” – Ryanair “Although it is not possible at the moment to provide significant profit forecasts for fiscal year 2022, we do not share the recent optimism of some analysts as we believe that the result for the fiscal year 2022 is currently close to breaking even, ”Ryanair said in a statement on Wednesday. Ryanair shares, which have risen 3.16% year-to-date, rose 1.10% at the start of trading in London on Wednesday. The news also boosted the shares of rival carrier easyJet EZJ, + 1.33%, which saw its shares increase by 1.06%, while the owner of British Airways International Airlines Group IAG, + 1.63%, saw its share increase by 1.42%. Airlines such as Ryanair RYAAY, -0.77% have introduced new summer routes in a bid to attract vacationers to travel when coronavirus restrictions ease. In March, Ryanair announced 26 new destinations in Greece, Portugal and Spain and plans to operate a total of 2,000 weekly flights on 400 summer routes. Read: Amid vaccine hurdles, EU battles to save summer vacation with COVID pass Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s four-step roadmap to get UK out of its third foreclosure, holidays abroad are prohibited until May 17 at the earliest. However, Johnson on Monday warned people not to book a summer vacation yet, saying it was too early for the government to commit to allowing overseas vacations due to the risk of importing variants. most contagious of the coronavirus, which is causing a wave of infections sweeping through Europe. Read: US and Alaska actions are upgraded on ‘clear path to reopening’ for the air travel industry When the ban on non-essential overseas travel is lifted, it will be replaced by a risk-based three-tier traffic light system to classify countries for international travel to and from England. “This new category will accommodate countries where we deem the risk to be lower, for example based on vaccinations, infection rates, prevalence of variants of concern and their ability to genome sequencing (or access to genomic sequencing), ”the government said in a statement. The Government’s Global Travel Task Force will release its report, giving more details on the system, later this week. .



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Luxury travel and real estate industries are rethinking wellness in a post-Covid world | Instant News



As vaccines slow the spread of the coronavirus across the planet, a post-Covid existence is slowly focusing on everything from daily routines to large public events. real estate, a pre-Covid understanding of health improvement journeys included massages, spa treatments and a smoothie after yoga classes. As 2021 slowly emerges from the shadow of the virus, upscale resorts and private estates seek to entice and reassure shoppers that a chosen destination can improve their health at a time when well-being. staff should be a top priority. The properties shift their understanding of healthy living away from comfort and indulgence, to applications of serious medical advice and proven self-care principles. Beth McGroarty, director of research and public relations at the Global Wellness Institute in Denver, says this trend started before Covid and gained massive momentum during the health crisis. “The pandemic has revealed how unhealthy we are, and – in the wake of Covid-19 – all travel will now truly be wellness trips,” says McGroarty. “You’re going to see the definition of wellness become more serious and more evidence-based. There will be a much stronger medical connection, such as accredited healthcare professionals on the property to design personal health regimens, perform sleep tests, or create individual diets. McGroarty predicts that hosting more activities and treatments for outdoor guests and residents will become an industry obsession after more than a year of social distancing and avoiding groups of strangers at home. inside. “We will see the wellness understanding focus more on immunity, with an emphasis on recovery and resilience, as they brace for the possibility of an ongoing health threat,” adds McGroarty. “These healthy changes will go home with travelers or residents to go.” This new, more serious and scientific approach to healthy living and travel is in effect at the new Four Seasons Resort Los Cabos in Costa Palmas on the Eastern Cape of the Baja Peninsula. While guests and seasonal residents certainly come for the two miles of open beach and the Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course, they can now take advantage of the Four Seasons’ partnership with Patronus Medical. According to spokesperson Tatia Pacey, the Costa Palmas community, Beach & Yacht Club, and golf course were developed with Patronus, a Washington, DC-based company specializing in personalized medical services. “The Costa Palmas program focuses on preventing contamination from the outside through comprehensive symptom and temperature control, and on reducing the likelihood of the community spreading,” Pacey explains. “Patronus services also include an on-site doctor and access to a doctor by telemedicine.” Old Lighthouse Club Anne Dimon, president and CEO of the Denver-based Wellness Tourism Association, believes that upscale resorts and private communities will continue to offer traditional spa services, but the term ‘pampering’ will continue to evolve towards “prevention”. Tourism is more proactive and medical tourism is more responsive, “says Dimon.” We are seeing a greater overlap that occurs when and where medical and hospitality institutions offer scientifically substantiated programs and tests. This can help identify health problems or previous predispositions. when symptoms appear. We are seeing more and more of this integrated into the programs and packages of wellness centers and retreats. In these cases, Dimon says doctors can advise the client or guest how to avoid or reverse a condition before it gets worse. She believes the wellness world will evolve towards more choices, like a luxury option or a health improvement program. tells us that the option of improving health will outweigh the need and desire for luxury, although people may still have both to choose from, “she says.” Travelers will not only seek to maintain their current health condition, but will use the travel time to learn how to balance their immune system and prevent underlying health problems. Developers who are building new properties or renovating pre-existing sites have the evolution of well-being in mind when designing their facilities. For example, construction of the elite Old Lighthouse Club Los Cabos community is underway above Quivira Golf Club and a short walk from Pueblo Bonito Resorts. The Old Lighthouse Club recently announced that it has partnered with wellness company Delos to introduce the DARWIN Home Wellness Intelligence Network for all homes built by developers on their properties. According to this report, DARWIN operates over a residence’s wifi network and focuses on the healthy smart home functions of “air filtration, water purification, dynamic circadian lighting and comfort-oriented technologies”. North of the border, the $ 2 billion Ritz-Carlton Paradise Valley in Arizona will open by the end of 2021. “The onset of Covid-19 has driven five-star development to pivot and better respond to the safety, health and well-being of future customers and residents, ”said spokesperson Jan Bracamonte. In a first for the Ritz-Carlton brand, the resort and the 81 residential villas will now have ionized air everywhere with Five Star purchasing more than 1,000 systems that eliminate over 95% of airborne viruses and within 60 minutes. All entrance spaces will be converted to contactless environments and the outdoor dining areas will increase in size. Over 1,000 miles east, construction on the new wellness-themed community of Richland Pointe is underway at Lake Reynolds Oconee, Georgia. Open at the start of summer, the village will combine an outdoor community with high-tech well-being. COO Tim Hong says the 500-acre site has been designed around an outdoor theme allowing residents to walk between amenities when you’re not on bike lanes or on dedicated trails. “We use both indoor and outdoor facilities, but we are offering more services, events and outdoor fitness classes than ever before,” says Hong. “To showcase the outdoor elements, we chose to include several parks in place of a golf course.” Scott Cowdrey, Director of Recreation and Wellness, explains that Technogym’s Biocircuit System matches Richland Pointe’s need for cutting-edge health science with the ability to work in privacy. “Biocircuit uses the latest hardware and the most advanced software for personalized use by members,” says Cowdrey. “This is the first installation of its kind in a private club.” “Covid-19 has influenced all of our activities here,” Cowdrey adds. “This has led us to deliver a smarter health experience for members who can choose when and how they want to use their personalized fitness program.”



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“Book your trip as early as possible. Americans are flying again – and soon it might be hard to find vacation discounts | Instant News


Americans are on the move again, encouraged by the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. And that could be bad news for anyone hoping to strike a deal over a summer vacation this year. More than 1.28 million people passed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at airports on Thursday, according to data released by the government agency. It is the third highest number of people to pass through airports in the United States since mid-March last year, when public health officials warned against travel as the number of cases of COVID-19 across the country has skyrocketed. The only two days that saw more travelers occurred around the Christmas and New Years holiday season. The milestone comes even as health officials maintained their travel warnings. When the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its interim recommendations for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 this week, the agency notably did not update its travel guidelines. But millions of Americans have been vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19, leading to a drop in the number of cases. “The fact that the number of TSA checkpoints continues to climb 5% each week underscores the optimism that travelers feel at all levels,” said Scott Keyes, founder and chief flight expert of the website. travel Scott’s Cheap Flights. Seniors, in particular, are taking off. Citing recently released data on Bank of America BAC credit card spending, + 1.39%, Keyes noted that seniors are currently booking flights three times higher than millennials. Seniors have been among the first to have access to vaccines. “With the acceleration of vaccinations and all adults eligible for the vaccine by May 1, their world will soon be our whole world,” Keyes said. From now on, discounts are always available. Among the amazing deals Keyes has found are $ 199 round-trip flights to Alaska and $ 179 round-trip to Cancun. But that won’t be the case forever, and most travel experts have recommended vacationers plan their spring and summer trip as early as possible. “There are certainly still some discounts, but they’re mostly with companies not adapting quickly enough to the surge in demand that’s happening right now,” said Jordan Staab, president of the Hopjump travel website. “We advise all of our subscribers to book their travel as early as possible and take advantage of the deals while they last.” A number of factors are expected to cause airline ticket prices to rise in the near future – and the growing number of Americans being vaccinated is just one of them. “’There are certainly still some discounts in the market, but they are mainly for companies that are not adapting quickly enough to the increase in demand that is happening now.’ – Jordan Staab, president of the Hopjump travel website Part of the problem is that carriers have reduced capacity due to the pandemic. Airlines have taken the planes out of service and reduced the number of flights they make daily to reduce their losses with so few people traveling. These companies can’t just flip a switch and get things back to normal because more people now want to travel. “The number of domestic flights remains down about 30% from 2019 in April – in other words, supply is down and if demand increases, fares will rise,” said Edward Russell, a airline reporter for the Skift travel journal. Gas prices are another factor. This week, gasoline futures – which are contracts that guide fuel prices in the coming months – hit the highest closing price for more than two years earlier this week. Travel is expected to pick up overall, which means there is more demand for fuel. Airlines will eventually begin to price these higher costs into the air fares they present to customers, Staab said. Another factor that airlines need to consider when pricing future flights is the glut of vouchers they have provided over the past year. Rather than providing cash refunds to customers who canceled trips due to the pandemic, in most cases airlines have offered vouchers instead. In some cases, these vouchers have expiration dates 2021. And anyway, people who hold these vouchers may feel better about traveling now and wanting to cash them out. “Airlines will seek to recoup some of their losses from last year and will look to raise prices as demand increases,” Staab said. What about international travel? “It should be noted that this boom is almost entirely aimed at domestic travel,” said David Slotnick, senior aviation reporter at The Points Guy. At present, it is still difficult to travel abroad due to the precautions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. All air passengers are required by the CDC to have a negative COVID test or documents they have recovered from the disease before boarding a flight from another country to the United States – even if they are US citizens. Indeed, flight research data shows more reluctance to travel outside the United States. Searches for summer domestic flights actually exceeded pre-2019 pandemic volume at the end of February and have increased 22% since then, according to data from the Hopper travel app. But this is not the case for international flights. Searches for these trips were still down 45% from 2019 levels at the start of March. “As sentiment around international summer travel improves, we’ll likely see a much longer recovery horizon compared to domestic travel,” said Adit Damodaran, economist at Hopper. .



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What you can and cannot do if you have been vaccinated: travel, gatherings, risk factors, what you need to know | Instant News



Many people are hoping that getting a Covid-19 vaccine will mark an immediate return to normal: more masks, more distancing, safe dining and big hugs with friends. The reality is more complicated. For now, people who have been vaccinated must navigate decision-making in a world where the vaccinated and the unvaccinated will coexist for months, even within the same household. So what should and shouldn’t you do? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue guidelines soon. “We are taking the time to get it right and will be posting the tips soon,” CDC director Rochelle Walensky said on Friday. “We want to make sure the communication is crystal clear.” In the meantime, other experts are somewhat divided. Some say people who have been vaccinated can and should have a lot more freedom, and think it is important to stress this to encourage more people to get vaccinated. Others are more conservative, saying it is too early to abandon too many precautions without more conclusive data on the effectiveness of vaccines against new variants and the potential risk of vaccinated people spreading the virus to unvaccinated people. Most agree that until we get closer to herd immunity – when a substantial majority of the population is protected by vaccination or natural infection so the virus cannot easily spread – wearing masks , social distancing and avoiding crowded gatherings indoors should be common practice in public spaces. “Particularly during these several months when vaccination coverage is low, we are still learning about the variants, and we still have to know this further transmission, the public health message is really to maintain these behaviors,” explains Chris Beyrer, professor. of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Until we get out of it. We’re not out of it yet. A doctor shows his vaccination record. Photo: chandan khanna / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images Here are the scientists’ recommendations on how to assess risks. Can vaccinated people meet other vaccinated people? Most experts agree that once fully vaccinated – two weeks after your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or about a month after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine – it is safe to meet other fully vaccinated people inside without. mask or distance. But gatherings should be small. Getting together with other vaccinated people is “scientifically very safe,” says Paul E. Sax, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Nothing is 100% effective, but “getting together with other vaccinated people is very close,” he says. “I don’t think people should run into a crowded bar where people are yelling at each other,” he says. “But the kind of socializing that is part of human nature and that has been suspended for a lot of people – it can resume.” The larger the group, the more risky the interaction, because you can’t verify that everyone is vaccinated and you don’t know what their exposures are, says Leana Wen, emergency physician and professor of public health at the University. George Washington in Washington, DC. “I’m talking about another couple or maybe two other couples at most,” says Dr. Wen. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, is less conservative, saying people who have been vaccinated should feel more comfortable. “They can organize dinners. They can go to a restaurant. They can go to the movies, ”she said. But she notes that even those vaccinated will have to adhere to mask and distance requirements in these public places until we achieve herd immunity. What if adults are vaccinated but children are not? There is currently no licensed vaccine for children and adolescents under the age of 16. “This will be one of those issues that families will have to grapple with and exercise caution with,” says Dr Beyrer. There is a significant difference between young children and adolescents or adolescents in terms of transmitting the virus and getting the disease, says Dr. Sax. Adolescents catch and transmit Covid-19 in the same way as young adults, while young children do not contract the symptomatic disease as often and do not seem to transmit as much. “Each family and group of friends will make decisions based on their own tolerance for risk,” says Dr. Sax. People who are immunocompromised and their families should be more careful because vaccines in general may be less effective in them, says Dr. Sax. Dr. Wen says she recommends families continue to take playtime precautions when adults are vaccinated but children are not. “If these families also team up with other families, it’s a risky scenario that I wouldn’t recommend at this time,” says Dr Wen of indoor gatherings. “They could be an asymptomatic carrier who would then pass it on to their children. And if the kids are in school or daycare, there might be a further gap from that. What is the final question on whether vaccinated people can transmit the virus to unvaccinated people? Recent studies have shown that vaccination reduces asymptomatic infection by more than 80% compared to unvaccinated people and that nasal viral loads are low and potentially non-infectious, says Dr Gandhi. But other experts say the evidence is preliminary and more conclusive evidence is needed. And the new variants raise additional questions about the effectiveness of vaccines. What activities should I prioritize after being vaccinated? Schedule any routine medical and health appointments you’ve postponed, says Dr. Wen. Get your colonoscopy, mammogram, or dental cleaning. Plan elective surgery. “Anything like that, you should take it back because you’re well protected,” says Dr Wen. What about travel? Once you’re vaccinated, traveling itself is less risky, says Dr Wen, as is staying in hotels or going to restaurants, as long as you follow safety protocols. But be careful about how you meet people once you get to your destination, she says, especially if they aren’t vaccinated or if they live in an area with high transmission rates. Is it safe for my elderly parents to travel for a visit? If the grandparents are now fully vaccinated, they should be able to travel safely for a visit. “The trip itself is very low risk,” says Dr. Wen. “If they follow precautions like wearing a mask, the risk of them contracting the coronavirus and passing it on to the rest of the family is extremely low and the payoff is huge. People can’t wait to see their families. But always weigh the specifics of your situation. If you have an older unvaccinated teenager and an elderly, frail grandparent, consider more precautions, says Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Vaccine Research Group in Rochester, Minnesota. Which activities have a lower and higher risk, even after vaccination? People who have been vaccinated may feel comfortable performing quiet indoor activities where people usually need to be masked and kept away, such as visiting an infrequently visited museum, says Dr Sax. Outdoor activities are even safer. High-risk situations include indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, and places of worship, where people sing and talk. “We don’t want to push the boundaries of what vaccines can do before the number of cases drops,” says Dr Sax. He and his doctor wife are both fully vaccinated but won’t dine in restaurants until the number of cases and hospitalizations are significantly lower, he says. Airports in Paris and Singapore, along with airlines such as United and JetBlue, are experimenting with apps that verify travelers are not Covid before boarding. The WSJ is heading to an airport in Rome to see how a digital health passport works. Photo credit: AOKpass —Betsy McKay contributed to this article. Write Sumathi Reddy at [email protected] Share your thoughts If you’ve been vaccinated, what are you comfortable doing? Copyright © 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8.



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Vaccines spice up travel stocks | Instant News


Illustration by Elias Stein Text size For much of the past year, travel-related companies have been posters for the companies that have been most disrupted by Covid-19. Although bets on an economic recovery rose, stocks remained severely depressed. Recently, they have shown a bit of pizzazz. The US Global Jets exchange-traded fund is up 17% this year, compared to 3% for the S&P 500 index. The latest bump came as vaccines were more widely distributed and airlines moved. started to see an improvement, albeit modest, in operational parameters. Investors seem increasingly optimistic that travel will recover significantly as the pace of vaccinations picks up. Airlines are lining up more money from Washington, with $ 14 billion in aid likely as part of the $ 1.9 trillion stimulus bill. Domestic traffic, revenues and bookings are all increasing, says UBS analyst Myles Walton, who sees the situation improving further. Investors are also betting that domestic flights will rebound before international routes and that leisure travel will recover before business. The biggest winners of the year were US-focused carriers such as Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways, up 48% and 29%, respectively. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Carnival and Royal Caribbean Group also grew at least 23% in 2021. Carnival has raised capital twice this year, selling $ 1 billion in stocks and $ 3.5 billion in non-debt. guarantees to consolidate its liquidity. Unsecured debt means lenders haven’t demanded collateral, betting Carnival will be able to repay its loans out of profits. Equity investors want to own part of the business and don’t see it going into insolvency. Inflation Fix Last Week The S&P 500 had its biggest day since June Monday, with all 11 sectors up, led by the 3.2% rise in tech. But questions about bond yields, inflation and the Federal Reserve persisted. Volatility rose, as tech stocks slipped, then indexes plunged after the Fed’s Jerome Powell stuck to his easy money policy, then rallied despite big jobs numbers that did raise bond yields. Over the week, the Dow industry rose 1.8% to 31,496.30; the S&P 500 edged up 0.8% to 3,841.94; and the Nasdaq Composite fell 2.1%, to 12,920.15.A Vaccine Deal The Food and Drug Administration has approved the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine, while the White House negotiated a deal with Merck for the ‘help produce it. President Biden announced that there will be enough vaccine to immunize all American adults by the end of May. He also prioritized teachers and school staff for vaccinations by the end of March. Texas and Mississippi abandoned mask mandates and opened businesses; Biden called the movements “Neanderthal”. The relief bill, meanwhile, has been sent to the Senate and discussions continue on the minimum wage. Climate change The American Petroleum Institute has approved a price for carbon emissions. Exxon Mobil has added two new board members, activist investor Jeffrey Ubben and former Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis, leaving out activist Engine No.1, who had sought four seats. And Texas’ largest cooperative electricity supplier, Brazos Electric Power, has filed for bankruptcy after being hit by $ 2.1 billion in bills following the recent freeze. the “gamification” of stock trading – a response to the GameStop episode – and the increasing concentration of retail execution. Almost all of Biden’s nominees have been approved. The exception: Neera Tanden, whose leadership appointment in the Office of Management and Budget was withdrawn by the White House after failing to get the votes. Buffett on Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett buyouts in his annual letter was down on fixed income and up on share buybacks, praising one of the company’s “four gems”, Apple, for its buyback program. Berkshire has stepped up its own buyouts. Annals of Deal-Making It’s been a great week for Apollo Global Management. The private equity giant pocketed Las Vegas Sands for $ 6.3 billion as the casino company left Vegas; said he was taking private Michaels craft chain for $ 3.3 billion, the chain’s second buyout; and talked about taking the online photo company Shutterfly public through a PSPC. And it found itself competing for the assets of bankrupt Greensill Capital, after SoftBank-backed fintech filed for insolvency in the UK and German regulators took the case to court. Write to Nicholas Jasinski at [email protected] and to Daren Fonda at [email protected]



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