Category: Travel

The KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor is an ongoing research project tracking the public’s attitudes and experiences with COVID-19 vaccinations. Using a combination of surveys and qualitative research, this project tracks the dynamic nature of public opinion as vaccine development and distribution unfold, including vaccine confidence and acceptance, information needs, trusted messengers and messages, as well as the public’s experiences with vaccination.Key FindingsThe latest Vaccine Monitor finds the share of adults who say they have either received a COVID-19 vaccine (67%) or say they will get vaccinated as soon as they can (3%) is relatively unchanged from June. The poll, conducted July 15-27th, may not capture any recent uptick in vaccinations after the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), citing the increased risk of the Delta variant to both unvaccinated and vaccinated people.Three in ten adults remain unvaccinated including one in ten who say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other people before getting vaccinated and 3% who say they will do so “only if required” (down from 6% in June). An additional 14% say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, a share that has held relatively steady since December. One-fourth of unvaccinated adults (8% of all adults) say they are likely to get a vaccine before the end of 2021, including nearly half (45%) of those who say they want to “wait and see.”Unvaccinated adults, especially those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine, are much less worried about the coronavirus, the Delta variant, and have less confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines compared to those who are vaccinated. Three-fourths of unvaccinated adults, including nine in ten of those who say they will “definitely not” get the vaccine, say they are “not worried” about getting seriously sick from the virus, less than half say they are worried about the Delta variant worsening the pandemic, more than half (including 75% of “definitely not”) say getting vaccinated is a bigger risk to their health than getting infected with coronavirus, and a quarter (just one in ten of “definitely not”) say the vaccines are effective at keeping vaccinated people from dying from COVID-19 or getting seriously ill.The increase in COVID-19 cases and news of the Delta variant spreading in the U.S. has made some people say they are more likely to wear a mask in public or avoid large gatherings, though this is mainly driven by vaccinated adults. Majorities of vaccinated adults say news of the variants has made them more likely to wear a mask in public (62%) or avoid large gatherings (61%), while fewer unvaccinated adults say the same (37% and 40%, respectively). However, one in five unvaccinated adults (22%) say news of variants has made them more likely to get vaccinated for COVID-19. This includes one-third (34%) of those who want to “wait and see,” but few (2%) of those who say they will “definitely not” get a vaccine say the news made them more likely to get vaccinated.The public is divided on whether the federal government should recommend employers require vaccines among their employees. Half (51%) say the federal government should recommend employers require their employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exception while a similar share (45%) say the federal government should not recommend this. Views towards this issue are sharply divided by both vaccination status and party identification, with 68% of vaccinated adults and 75% of Democrats saying the federal government should issue this recommendation, while eight in ten (81%) unvaccinated adults and 67% of Republicans say the federal government should not do this.Prior to the CDC issuing the newest guidance encouraging all adults, regardless of vaccine status, to wear masks indoors if they are in an area with higher transmission levels of coronavirus, half of adults said they wore a protective mask at least “most of the time” at an indoor setting like a grocery store, while less than half report wear a mask at least “most of the time” on public transit (44%), at work (42%), outdoors in crowded places (41%), or outdoors with household members or friends (18%). Across most places asked about, vaccinated adults were more likely to report wearing a mask at least “most of the time” than unvaccinated adults. Majorities of Republicans saying they “never” wear a mask outdoors in crowded places, outdoors with friends and household members, at work, or in a grocery store. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to report wearing a mask in all of these locations, except when outdoors with household members and friends.

Source: KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: July 2021 | KFF

Having completed the final phase of its extensive 14-month transformation, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore has become the country’s first “Garden-in-a-Hotel” and is now ready to welcome guests with new wellness concepts, offerings and experiences.If you’re looking for new spots to recharge, then the refreshed PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay is a breath of fresh air indeed. And with the hotel’s generous 25-hour flexible check-in and out, you can take the time to unwind at your own pace.A green sanctuary for the wearyThe 21-storey-tall skylit atrium is South-east Asia’s largest, exuding a sense of urban grandeur synonymous with late architectural legend John Portman.

Source: Get the most out of your staycation at Singapore’s first garden-in-a-hotel , Travel News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Every year for our World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks readers to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Hotels were rated on their facilities, location, service, food, and overall value. Properties were classified as city or resort based on their locations and amenities.Of the 10 Canadian resorts, six were located in the western provinces of Alberta and British Columbia; on the country’s eastern side, Quebec is home to three of the top resorts. Many properties were repeat winners, including No. 6 Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which one reader called “a bucket-list destination because it delivers something magical, no matter the season.”Another returning favorite? No. 3 Fogo Island Inn in Newfoundland. Just getting to this “island within an island,” as one reader called it, is an adventure that many guests are more than up for. “The perfect destination for reconnecting to nature and self,” said one voter. “Though remote, it provides all of the creature comforts that anyone could want or need,” said another.In British Columbia, the No. 2 Wickaninnish Inn is a perennial favorite for its indulgent spa services as well as the amazing views of the Pacific Ocean from the guest rooms. “We watched storms roll in and enjoyed every minute of our stay,” recalled one visitor.But it was a boutique property in Quebec that captured this year’s top spot. Read on to find out why Manoir Ho

vey won over voters and was named No. 1 among the best resorts in Canada.

Source: Resort Hotels in Canada: World’s Best 2021 | Travel + Leisure

Looking for a doggone good time? How about a beach day with your furry best friend? Whether you and your pup need to cool off during the dog days of summer or are just looking for plenty of room to play and explore, there’s a dog-friendly beach for that!Keep WatchingPopular Hispanic Foods To Try for Hispanic Heritage Month00:00/01:30Skip in 2…If your dog was born to run, bring along a frisbee or a ball to play fetch. Maybe you would prefer a casual stroll in the sand, or just want to loaf around with your pal. We rounded up some of the best dog-friendly beaches below.

Source: The Best Dog-Friendly Beaches In The U.S. – TravelAwaits

Members of the billionaire Sackler family, long accused of misleading the public about the addictiveness of the OxyContin sold by their privately owned pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, were granted sweeping immunity from civil lawsuits by a federal judge on Wednesday.As part of a bankruptcy plan that was negotiated behind closed doors, the Sacklers—who are said to possess net assets in excess of $11 billion—have agreed to forfeit ownership of Purdue and pay out $4.5 billion over the course of nine years. The settlement will also dissolve the company.The Sacklers will be shielded from future lawsuits related to opioids, though the deal offers no protection from criminal charges. No such charges have been filed, however, and none so far have been reported as pending. The drugmaker has previously pleaded guilty to widespread misconduct, including illegal kickbacks to doctors, and for misleading federal law enforcement officials and downplaying OxyContin’s addictiveness.Wednesday’s settlement, which resolves some 3,000 lawsuits brought against the Connecticut-based company and the family, does not require the Sacklers to admit to any wrongdoing in the country’s two-decades-long opioid epidemic, which has claimed roughly 500,000 lives since 1999.

Source: Purdue’s Sackler Family Gets Immunity in Opioid Bankrupcy Case

The fate of millions of pounds of seafood destined for U.S. grocery stores, restaurants, food banks, and schools is hanging in the balance right now.At least that’s what Inge Andreassen, president of Seattle-based American Seafoods, one of the world’s biggest harvesting companies, recently warned amid an ongoing battle with the federal government over a century-old maritime law. The fight involves tons of seafood piling up in cold-storage facilities and a 100-feet long railroad that goes nowhere. And if it drags on, it stands to create bottlenecks along a supply chain that has already seen numerous disruptions during the pandemic.Let’s start from the beginning: In mid-August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began issuing fines to two of American Seafoods’ shipping and logistics subsidiary companies—Alaska Reefer Management and Kloosterboer International Forwarding—over alleged violations of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. CBP alleges that since 2012, the companies have been evading the law’s requirements by arranging to send seafood on a comically brief round-trip journey on a tiny Canadian railroad to nowhere.More commonly known as the Jones Act, the law requires that any ship carrying merchandise between two points of the country be built, owned, and staffed by U.S. citizens. It also has to be U.S.-flagged, meaning that it operates under American laws. Businesses and opponents of the Jones Act have long argued that these requirements are burdensome and challenging to meet: Not only is the United States a minor player in the global ship manufacturing industry, but U.S.-flagged ships are also typically more expensive to operate due to higher crew and maintenance costs.

Source: Millions of pounds of pollock and a railroad to nowhere: How a strange dispute over maritime law may leave tons of U.S.-bound fish stranded abroad

“In a way, it was a weird type of punk maneuver,” says Brendon Babenzien of Noah, explaining his decision to offer tailored garments in his collection, which is better known for a kind of downtown zeitgeist than traditional formalwear. Given his resume (namely, as creative director of eminent streetwear brand Supreme), Babenzien’s shift toward more grown-up garments caught many pleasantly off-guard.When Babenzien launched Noah in the fall of 2015, smatterings of Supreme were evident but, on the whole, it was a more mature collection—equal parts nostalgic and refreshing, with a handful of preppy and sportswear staples laced with sub-cultural references. There was one piece of particular importance in that debut collection: a double-breasted jacket cut from camel wool with purple and green pinstripes. At once elegant and irreverent, it was a DB that appealed to streetwear-obsessed teenagers and middle-aged men rebelling against the status quo.

Source: Noah’s Brendon Babenzien on Making Suits Look Fresh – Robb Report