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Travel during the continuing PANDEMIC


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Worthwhile sneaking into the US just for this free stuff.?

New York (CNN)After surviving a fear-filled year of the Covid-19 pandemic, getting vaccinated is a cause for celebration. As Covid-19 vaccines become more readily available, companies want to reward Americans who've been vaccinated with special offers after getting their shots.

CNN Business put together a list of companies that are providing freebies when you show proof of vaccination.

Budweiser

Now through May 16, or while supplies last, Budweiser is giving a free beer to anyone 21 years old and up -- who provide their proof of vaccination on ABeerOnBud.com. Bud fans first have to first register at the company's mycooler.com website.

Junior's Cheesecake

From now through Memorial Day, Junior's Restaurant will be offering a free mini cheesecake to anyone who shows their vaccine card at their landmark restaurant at Flatbush Ave. and DeKalb in Downtown Brooklyn. (In New York City only.)

Krispy Kreme

You can get one free glazed doughnut every day if you take your vaccination card to any Krispy Kreme location in the US, the company said in a press release. The card must show one or two shots of any Covid-19 vaccine to qualify, and the offer must be redeemed in store. And no, you don't need to purchase anything to get your daily free doughnut.

Nathan's Hot Dogs

 
If you visit Nathan's Famous in Coney Island with your vaccination card -- on the same day you get vaccinated -- you get a free hot dog. (In New York City only.)

Staples and Office Depot

Staples and Office Depot want vaccinated Americans to keep their vaccination record cards in good condition. So the office supply companies are offering free laminating services for those completed Covid-19 vaccination cards. A spokesperson for Staples told CNN that the service is available at all Staples locations in the US and currently has no end date.

White Castle

Between April 22 and May 31, burger chain White Castle is giving a free dessert-on-a-stick to anyone with proof they have received a Covid vaccine, according to the company. White Castle offers four versions of the dessert on a stick: Gooey Buttercake-on-a-Stick, Fudge Dipped Brownie-on-a-Stick, Fudge Dipped Cheesecake-on-a-Stick and, as of earlier this month, its Birthday Cake-on-a-Stick in honor of the company's centennial this year. No other purchase is necessary.
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Losing the border battle

Ford right, PM'S measures don't go far enough

  • Calgary Sun
  • 25 Apr 2021
  • BRIAN LILLEY blilley@ @brianlilley
img?regionKey=e4agESRBq923a3YL0xyXsQ%3d%3d  

The back and forth over COVID-19 border measures resurfaced Saturday, with Premier Doug Ford saying the Trudeau government's measures are too little too late and it needs to do more.

Meanwhile, the feds said travel wasn't a factor in Canada's COVID-19 woes, even as they defended halting flights from India and Pakistan.

The Trudeau government is trying to play both sides, but sadly for it the facts don't back its claims when it comes to Canada importing COVID-19 cases.

“The federal government must close all non-essential travel to Canada immediately. The new border measures announced at the end of this week came far too late and don't do nearly enough to protect Canadians,” Ford said Saturday. “Without further action, we risk prolonging the third wave, or creating the conditions for a fourth one.”

Ford's not wrong despite the mixed messaging from the Trudeau Liberals.

On Thursday, the Trudeau government announced that direct flights from India and

Pakistan would be halted for 30 days.

The government said it made the decision after data showed 50% of those testing positive upon arrival at Canada's airports were passengers from India.

“It has been clear over the past couple of weeks that there is a disturbing pattern of much higher caseloads from India and Pakistan than from other countries,” Trudeau said Friday.

But on Saturday, after

Ford's call for more measures, Public Safety Minister Bill Blair played down the impact of travel on Canada's COVID19 case counts.

“We've prohibited non-essential travel to Canada for over a year. International travel is responsible for less than 2% of COVID-19 cases across Canada and, as the province's own data shows, around 1% in Ontario,” Blair tweeted.

His claims leave out some key facts.

First off, the government hasn't banned non-essential travel nor is entry restricted to Canadians.

Not only can immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents come into the country, so can extended family members.

Even people taking part in certain sport activities can enter.

The list of exemptions is long. Secondly, Ontario's data on where cases come from is incomplete.

Toronto gave up on case contact tracing last September, other than outbreaks in long-term care centres and a few other settings.

Instead, let's look at the test positivity rates and what that may mean for cases entering Canada.

Testing of passengers at both Calgary Airport and Toronto's

Pearson have shown rates ranging from 1.5% to 2.26% over the past several months.

Epidemiologist Colin Furness, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, posted online Thursday about the likely numbers of imported cases per week.

“A total of 65 international flights will land at major Canadian airports today alone. If there are 200 people/ plane and positivity of 2% (measured at Pearson in January), that means 7,500 cases of COVID arriving per month. Which hospitals have room for this?” Furness asked.

A recent U of T study found that on arrival testing caught 67% of cases upon landing but 33% only tested positive after the fact.

That means we're likely importing more than the 7,500 cases per month that Furness suggests is feasible.

The Liberals want to claim they're being tough on the border, while also claiming the border isn't a factor in the spread of COVID-19.

It's the same tactic they used last December when they banned flights from the U.K. but also claimed travel wasn't a concern.

Right now, Ontario and Alberta are dealing with a third wave driven by the B.1.1.7 variant first found in the U.K.

This is the one that Blair said wasn't an issue back in December.

In four months or less, will we be dealing with a fourth wave driven by the B.1.617 first found in India that Blair now says isn't an issue?

The Trudeau government has been late to the game on border issues at every step of COVID-19.

I worry that we'll still be dealing with this and another variant wave in a few month's time.

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April 25, 20218:12 AM MDT

Americas

Canadians avoiding hotel quarantines for air travellers fuel taxi boom on U.S. border

Reuters

By Allison Lampert and Anna Mehler Paperny

Reuters - U.S. taxi and limousine services are seeing a boom in business from customers seeking to enter Canada by land to avoid a restriction on international travel that applies only to air traffic.

While both Canadian land and air travellers are required to take a test within three days of departure, and again on arrival, only those flying to Canada must spend up to three days of the country's 14-day required quarantine period in a hotel.

That has led to a surge of calls for taxi and limousine services from Canadians who fly through U.S. airports in states like New York and then cross over the land border, representatives of four companies told Reuters.

"They call from six in the morning to 12 at night," John Arnet, general manager of 716 Limousine in Buffalo, N.Y. said. "We've had so many requests for border crossings that we're turning them down."

The company now does more business driving Canadians to their homes in Ontario than with U.S. clients.

A taxi trip across the border can cost around $200 or $250 compared with a three-day hotel stay of more than C$1,200 ($961), Canadian travel insurance broker Martin Firestone said.

With the Canada-U.S. land border mostly closed for more than a year due to the pandemic, and overall tourism down, the recent surge in business has come as a relief to some struggling taxi operators.

Nick Boccio, general manager of Buffalo Limousines, said the Canadian clientele has helped the company bring back chauffeurs.

On Friday, Boccio said the company gave nine different rides to Canadian passengers on just one flight from Florida.

Canada has imposed tough restrictions since the start of the pandemic, including a ban on most foreigners from entering the country. Canadians can fly out of the country and return either by land or air.

But concerns are mounting due to a surge in virus variants, with the once temporary hotel quarantine now mandatory for air travelers through late May, and a ban introduced this week on direct flights from India and Pakistan.

WILL THE BOOM LAST?

Firestone said some of his clients who spent the winter in Florida are returning by land to avoid hotels. Some get rides; others who usually get their cars shipped are driving them north.

"Every single limousine company has got on the bandwagon," Firestone said.

Some Canadians ask to be driven home, while others take rides to the border, cross on foot and get another ride in Canada, drivers said.

 

Non-commercial land border crossings were 60% higher during one week at the end of March and beginning of April than in the same week in 2020, according to data from the Canada Border Services Agency. Air travel for that same week, meanwhile, increased 18.8%.

The discrepancy between the rules at the land border and by air is a sore point for Canada's hard-hit carriers. (Full Story)

Unlike land travelers who can choose where to quarantine, air passengers who test positive at a hotel must self-isolate at a government-mandated facility.

According to Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) data for Feb. 22 through March 25, 1.5% of air passengers to the country tested positive for the virus on arrival compared with 0.3% of land travellers.

 

The boom for U.S. taxis could soon be muted as premiers from Canada's two most populous provinces, Quebec and Ontario, have urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take further action at the land border.

Tighter requirements might help, such as a mandatory hotel stay for those entering Canada at certain land crossings, said Customs and Immigration Union president Jean-Pierre Fortin, but would be logistically challenging given the vast border.

“It would be very hard to enforce without having clear places for them to go.”

 

 

((Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal and Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto; Editing by Denny Thomas and David Gregorio))

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31 minutes ago, Don Hudson said:

Given that Canada can't supply sufficient vaccines for its population, how many are crossing the US border for their 2nd jab of Moderna/Pfizer?

Would that be classed as essential travel.......?   My second shot is not programmed until July.

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Hi Kip;

Mine is in July as well. Likely we'll wait but because "4-months" is a logistally-based estimate on availability and not a medically-researched fact, that time frame is moveable by demand & politics.

I don't know what is categorized as "essential travel" these days. The border is appearing to be quite porous for both land and air travel. Taxi cabs from airports to the border, (northbound), can't be had at present because they're so busy.

It can't all be "essential travel".

The only countries that appear to know the meaning of "essential" are Australia & New Zealand.

Australians still are not permitted to leave their country without clear demonstration of necessity.

Inbound passengers are mandated to quarantine in a specified hotel for 14days, no exceptions. The country is a tighter society than Canada's, with higher rates of rule compliance and tolerance of government actions. The fines for breaking the rules regarding gatherings, etc., were heavy, and enforced.

By comparison Canada seems quite loose, some provinces more than others but nowhere close to Australia & New Zealand. The differences in the approach are evident in the numbers. I also recognize that it is far easier to isolate a country when it's an island.

It is not difficult to understand the reasons for the long 4-month delay, (non-compliant with the manufacturer's recommendations), - we need to vaccinate the country and the "90% protection" for Moderna & Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines is somewhat comforting. I just don't like being part of this once-off experiment driven by logistics, and not medical research.

Five to six decades ago Canada was a world leader in medical research, creation & implemention of vaccines; no longer.

Edited by Don Hudson
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2 hours ago, rudder said:

By the time that many Canadians are getting either their second or first shot, some Americans will be lining up for their third shot (booster).

Current efficacy endurance post second shot is just 6 months.

I understand that may be the case but seems that this is based on limited experience with people who have had their 2nd shots.....  I wonder if the window will expand once more history is available.  

How long does coronavirus vaccine provide immunity? - The Washington Post

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Quote

 

how many are crossing the US border for their 2nd jab of Moderna/Pfizer?

 

I would say zero..... I would say 100% of the snowbirds have their vaccines, courtesy of a capable vaccine procurement plan. Sincethe only way to enter the US is by commercial air travel, and the mandatory quarantine measures on return, I don’t think Canadians have the deep pockets or time to invest in vaccine tourism other than enjoying a seasonal migration to winter homes.

 

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3 minutes ago, st27 said:

I would say zero..... I would say 100% of the snowbirds have their vaccines, courtesy of a capable vaccine procurement plan. Sincethe only way to enter the US is by commercial air travel, and the mandatory quarantine measures on return, I don’t think Canadians have the deep pockets or time to invest in vaccine tourism other than enjoying a seasonal migration to winter homes.

 

And to qualify for a shot in the US you have to provide a credible US address (seasonal/second property/etc).

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49 minutes ago, rudder said:

And to qualify for a shot in the US you have to provide a credible US address (seasonal/second property/etc).

That is a recent change.... Florida issues new Covid-19 vaccine residency rules to cut down on 'vaccine tourism' - CNN

(CNN)Florida issued new health guidelines Thursday in an attempt to cut down on "vaccine tourism," requiring that Covid-19 vaccines be given only to permanent and seasonal residents.

State Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees signed a Public Health Advisory prioritizing Florida residents for the vaccines, days after Gov. Ron DeSantis said publicly that the shots should be reserved for part-time or full-time residents of the Sunshine State.
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Bottom line....we've lost our way. Too many experts opining on issues they know little about; too many politicians reluctant to admit their ignorance and impotence; too many armchair QB's who "know it all".

All I recognize is repeated references to "numbers of cases" but no reference to how many of those are asymptomatic.

Can't we go back to those days when we were told that 55% of the population was immune to infection and 35% or more would experience mild to moderate symptoms. We went into lockdown to protect the remaining 10%.

 

Now we have vaccines....and Canada tells returning vaccinated snowbirds that proof of vaccination is irrelevant.

Does anybpdy have a clue?

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36 minutes ago, UpperDeck said:

Can't we go back to those days when we were told that 55% of the population was immune to infection and 35% or more would experience mild to moderate symptoms. We went into lockdown to protect the remaining 10%.

No, we cannot because "the remaining 10%" are by now probably long vaccinated yet the hospitals are overflowing with sick people from among the other 90% of us.

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12 hours ago, FA@AC said:

No, we cannot because "the remaining 10%" are by now probably long vaccinated yet the hospitals are overflowing with sick people from among the other 90% of us.

My point was unclear...if I had one to make.

As of this morning, there have been slightly less than 450,000 Covid cases in Ontario since Jan., 2020 with a little over 400,000 deemed resolved. So....50,000 "active" cases.

There are 605 patients in Ontario in ICU on ventilators and just over 800 in ICU in total. That is about 1.5% of the active cases if one assumes all ICU numbers reported are "Covid-related".

The modelling 10 days ago that guided the Premier indicated over 1000 Covid-related ICU hospitalizations in Ontario by the end of the week.

The vast majority of hospitalizations are concentrated in a few of our metro areas understandable given population densities; non-compliance among certain age-groups and cultures; and, multi-family residences.

The war against the virus has to be target-based.

When PHAC staff assert that vaccinations are irrelevant to its containment recommendations and there is no "reward" for getting vaccinated then "we" will encounter increasing resistance to the process.

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1 hour ago, UpperDeck said:

When PHAC staff assert that vaccinations are irrelevant to its containment recommendations and there is no "reward" for getting vaccinated then "we" will encounter increasing resistance to the process.

To me the reward for getting vaccinated is hugely lowering my risk of becoming infected with Covid and making it unlikely that I'll spread it or experience severe disease if I do catch it.  

PHAC's current stance on travel restrictions and such for the vaccinated isn't different from that of the authorities in most countries, but will probably change once Canada gets its act together on bringing the current wave under control.

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Posted last Saturday, Pg 15 in this thread

 

India’s Serum Institute signed a contract with Canada earlier this year to provide two million doses of their version of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada.

Today...CNN (actua lpart of his speech)

President Biden talked with the Prime minister of India who requested US help in providing vaccine due to the raging pandemic in India. The POTUS stated he would assist as soon as possible...

 

Whaaaaaat  ???

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10 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

Posted last Saturday, Pg 15 in this thread

 

India’s Serum Institute signed a contract with Canada earlier this year to provide two million doses of their version of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Canada.

Today...CNN (actua lpart of his speech)

President Biden talked with the Prime minister of India who requested US help in providing vaccine due to the raging pandemic in India. The POTUS stated he would assist as soon as possible...

 

Whaaaaaat  ???

Just proves that as events change,  time does not stand still.   

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6 hours ago, Rich Pulman said:

From where I'm sitting, your points are pretty clear. You want to go about your business as if there isn't a pandemic going on, and anything that slows you down from that is an infringment on your rights. I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one picking up what you're putting down, no matter how you wish to disguise it. I may not be as highly edumicated as some people here, but I'm not the dullest tack in the elevator either.

Your "reward" for being vaccinated, as I'm sure you already know, is that you are FAR less likely to get ill and/or die from the virus. That said, I'm sure you also know that just because you are relatively immune to the virus now that you are fully vaccinated, you can still carry and spread the virus to others who are less fortunate.

Selfish or sell fish; only one of them applies here.

I'm sorry that you felt justified in defaming me and that you had a receptive choir to whom to preach.

You are simply wrong in your assumptions and characterizations.

Do I wish that there was no pandemic and that life could continue without interruption? What fool ( no finger pointing) wouldn't. Do I understand and accept the necessity of restrictions? What fool wouldn't.

I have readily acknowledged my frustration at some of the restrictions but I have also stated my compliance with all.

You may not be the dullest tack....but you're certainly not the brightest light.

If one cannot express frustration at the impediments to the enjoyments of life; cannot voice objection to the bureaucratic obfuscations of statistics; cannot cry out at demons.....then one is compelled to reside in darkness comforted only by the blankets on the bed.

Forgive me.....I believed this to be a forum populated by intelligent individuals with vast life experiences who tolerated the expression of opinions with which they might not agree but who would not feel compelled to disparage.

 

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