coronavirus

Tag Archives for coronavirus.

No, It’s Not Time For (Some Of You) To Stop Traveling

by Gary Leff on December 9, 2020

Dec 09 2020

Is it time to stop traveling given the Covid-19 wave we’re experiencing in the United States? There are certainly many people who shouldn’t travel right now, and many places where there’s not much to do. But those who have already had the virus, and those who will soon have been vaccinated, are probably ok to travel. And many travelers are more responsible than non-travelers. The focus should be on how to be responsible rather than moralizing against all travel, telling people to stay home so then they gather with their neighbors locally.

13 Million Americans Eligible For ‘Immunity Passports’

by Gary Leff on December 8, 2020

Dec 08 2020

Iceland and Hungary welcome people who have recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months. This makes a lot more sense than welcoming people that have tested negative in the past 72 hours. A recent negative test doesn’t mean someone is free of the virus at the time they arrive. But someone that’s recovered from the virus probably doesn’t have it and can’t spread it.

American Now Offers Home Covid-19 Tests For Domestic Travel

by Gary Leff on December 8, 2020

Dec 08 2020

Booking an American Airlines flight may now be the most convenient way to get Covid-19 testing at home whether you plan to travel or not (and current ticket purchases generally don’t incur change fees if you choose not to travel).

When The FDA Approves A Covid-19 Vaccine, Pilots Won’t Be Able To Take It

by Gary Leff on December 7, 2020

Dec 07 2020

When the FDA gives its initial approval for a Covid-19 it will not be full approval (emergency use) so the FAA will consider its use by pilots separately even if pilots are considered essential or frontline workers for jumping to the head of the queue for access.

95% Of Passengers On One Flight Faked Their Negative Covid-19 Tests

by Gary Leff on December 3, 2020

Dec 03 2020

Passengers using fake tests in order to travel is a problem that confounds the re-opening rules several countries have put in place to reduce the amount of virus brought into the country by travel.

95% of passengers on a single flight used an identical test in order to travel, with more than 190 of 200 passengers on the November 25, 2020 Pegas Fly flight EO429 from Moscow to Zhengzhou presenting photoshopped negative results.

US Airlines Are Considering Requiring Covid-19 Vaccination To Fly. This Is Completely Unnecessary.

by Gary Leff on December 2, 2020

Dec 02 2020

While Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was the first to voice a plan to permit only passengers who have been vaccinated to fly internationally, U.S. airlines are considering a vaccination requirement as well.

They want to figure out whether this will give customers confidence to travel, and whether requirements can be made uniform across airlines so they don’t have to compete for customers with vaccine policies. A vaccine requirement though will be unnecessary by the time the vaccine is available enough for this to become possible.

You Can No Longer Visit Kauai Without Quarantine, As The Hawaiian Island Opts Out Of Testing Regime

by Gary Leff on November 28, 2020

Nov 28 2020

Effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, December 2 visitors to the Hawaiian island of Kauai will have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. Pre-travel testing for Covid-19 will no longer excuse arriving passengers from this requirement, as the Governor of Hawaii approved a request by the Mayor of Kauai to opt out of the state’s testing program.

U.S. Prepares To Drop European Travel Ban (In Order To Troll Joe Biden On China)

by Gary Leff on November 27, 2020

Nov 27 2020

It’s rather odd timing – when some health systems in the U.S. are being overloaded, and the virus is spreading widely in Europe – but the Trump administration is considering lifting the ban on arrivals from Europe and Brazil. They are not, apparently, considering lifting the ban on arrivals from China which has largely had its Covid-19 outbreak under control for more than half a year.

It would appear that the administration is looking to make this change before the handover of power, so that the story about any future relaxation of restrictions is specifically focused on China – rather than allowing a Biden administration to lift all restrictions at once, making the story about travel restrictions broadly.

Chaos At Shanghai Pudong Airport As Cargo Workers Test Positive For Covid-19

by Gary Leff on November 23, 2020

Nov 23 2020

Knowing what kind of response to expect from the Chinese government, people react with chaos when news of fresh cases nearby breaks out. On Sunday night Shanghai Pudong airport “descended into chaos” after two cargo handlers there tested positive for Covid-19. Hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Authorities set up a testing site at the airport and ordered all airport cargo employees to be tested. Although passengers reportedly understood and feared that everyone was going to be tested and quarantined. That may have been the initial plan, scaled back as riots were feared.

Airline CEO: You’ll Need Proof Of Vaccination To Fly