#and move again into schengen zone

[milkywayan]

on my way back from the airport, having dropped off my boyfriend who has now officially left norway and moved away

i am so sad

[jellybeanium124]

Hello I'm a schengen zone resident and I love it! I cannot imagine what it would be like to have borders that are actually for keeping people in? I am young enough to not remember a time with closed borders in Europe. My parents remember it though, and they also only have bad things to say about borders. Europe isn't big. European countries aren't big. At least, not on American scales. And there are a lot of countries, some of them tiny, and a lot of goods and a lot of people constantly move between them. Economically, open borders have enabled an open European market that was beneficial for all countries in the schengen area.

And for the people? Some of us are mostly only affected if we choose to travel for a holiday (my most recent holiday had a drive through three countries and there wasn't a holdup at any borders, nobody searched my car etc). But for people living near borders? It is life-changing. There are towns and villages that had borders go right through them. You couldn't go visit your aunt or go to the bakery down your street without going over a border, which might involve fun stuff like being searched for weapons or smuggling (or just, you know, generalised border authority discrimination and harassment). And on the way back, whee, you can experience this again!

No-one who lives near a border wants it back. Even among Europeans who don't live near a border, the overwhelming majority does not want to go back to having borders. Now some people live in one country and go to work on the other side of the border. They have friends and family across the border. Nationalism is a thing that exists as a right wing movement, but, the average person you meet on the street? Hates borders and never wants nothing to do with them. Because like, borders are so stupid?

Have you been in a border region? I have been to many. And at some point, you're sitting on a big rock on an alpine summit (the Alps are one single big border region, and as such also have a long history of wars being fought to move these borders a few kilometres here or there). So you're sitting there, admiring the view, and you compare your map, and look, that mountain with the white top over there? That's France! That one there? Switzerland! You are currently in Austria, but your hike will take you to a bit of Italy later. And you sit there, in this magnificent landscape, and you're hiking through it, and there are no borders. There is nothing there in the real world that would make a border. Borders are fake! I can see this mountain, this lake, this village full of people down there! They are not far from here, I can walk there in a bit, and the trees beside the roads willl be the same, and we're in the same landscape, and these are the same people. The trees and the mountains and the humans too have been here for millions of years (or at least tens of thousands for the people, but, semantics). You want to make up a line dividing something that has been one undivided Earth and tell me everything has to stay in this made up cage? Laughable. Ridiculous. These are my neighbours over there! They have been able to go over here and we have been able to go over there (again) for longer than I have been alive now, and nothing bad has happened.

There's a lot of right wing pushing in Europe right now to close borders again, primarily to make it harder to get into the schengen space by closing the "outside borders" more tightly, but also by reinstating border controls within states, born out of racism and fear of the "evil foreigners coming to destroy our culture, steal our jobs and reap the benefits of our social welfare system", and I hate it so much. People aren't like that! The people behind the border, any border, are people like you! Sure, some of them are bad, but some people inside your country are bad too, that's the nature of humanity, some people are dicks, and it doesn't mean all the people who are not dicks can't have freedom and nice things. Thirty years of open borders have proven that crime does not go up, that people travel more, that some people choose to move to a different country when that's easy enough, for economic reasons or for personal reasons, but that most Italians actually want to stay in Italy because that's their home and people tend to feel connected to their homes. And the same is true for people all over the world, I think. People like to travel and experience different places, some people like to go out into the wide wide world and make a life somewhere far away, but most of us actually prefer living in our home places most of the time, and the global problem is that through shit like colonialism and wars and exploitation and destruction of resources for a lot of people their homes aren't safe to live anymore. Those are the problems, and borders don't solve any of them, in fact they make them worse. So maybe politicians could stop building more fucking borders with more fucking border installations intended to hurt people, and instead use all this border enforcement money to make things suck less all over the world. Build wells and school and solar panels and pass out vaccines and medicine and teach our children more about "all of us humans" and less about "those guys over there behind the fence". The guys behind the fence are like you. The average person anywhere in the world is concerned with living their own lives, they want to have a safe home and enough to eat and to spend time with their friends and to watch their children grow up. They are not out to get you. Their living behind a made up line does not increase their likelihood to be out to get you. So we should work on getting rid of the made up line, and the inequalities between the different sides of it, and of the hate and the racisms and the prejudice.

It sounds like a ridiculous dream, when you say you want a whole borderless world, when you say you dream of a world that's peaceful and where people are safe and free. But 70 years ago, Europe's countries had just fought a big war. Everything was in ruins. My grandfather talked about growing up amongst ruins and fear. But only a few decades later, people were able to travel between the countries that had been at war, and move from one to the other to work and live there, and then they basically got rid of the borders. It can be done! There is proof, I'm living in it, and so are millions of others! And I'm not going to let right wing assholes take these freedoms away from me and everyone else here because they made a boogieman out of people who come here as victims of a deeply cruel and unjust world. No, I want the freedoms I have for everyone on this planet. Fuck wars and hate and borders. Walk down this hill and meet your neighbours at the other side of the made up line!

I think more politicians should go out hiking and see the real world and the real people who live in it.

x

[catofadifferentcolor]

Random Old Guard Thoughts (1/?): Movie Timeline

As I've often stated, loudly and repeatedly, I tend to hyperfixate on details very few other people would consider important. Case in point: What is the timeline of The Old Guard (2020)?

I don't mean the pre-canon timeline - what these characters were doing at any given point in the last thousand years, though that too is something I've given far too much thought to - but the actual timeline of the events of the movie.

Now, we can pretty safely say the events take place in early 2019, as:

In the scene outside the mine in Val d'Argent, Nile's phone gives the date as Sunday, April 21.

The Frank Ocean song "Godspeed" Nile listens to at Camp Leatherneck was released in 2016.

The years in which April 21 falls on Sunday after this song was released are: 2019, 2024, 2030, and 2047.

Presuming that the movie is set during the War in Afghanistan, which ended August 20, 2021, this leaves 2019 as the only possible year the movie could take place. (Or, since the war went on for nearly two decades and the Doha Accords were not signed until February 29, 2020, it could have been intended to be set in a possible near-future at filming, but that seems against the general historicity of the movie/comics.) This is also the year the movie was shot during, so it seems most likely.

Sunday, April 21, 2019 is coincidentally Easter, which seems like a good date to set events involving resurrection and immortality, as well as to sneak your unwilling human test subjects into your usually bustling pharmaceutical company headquarters. (Though why you'd carry out your morally dubious research in your HQ is another matter.)

Seems simple enough. However, the incident in South Sudan takes place during a full moon - there's a nice lingering shot of it early in the movie, so it's not just some stage light shining through a window - and the last full moon before Easter 2019 is Friday, April 19. (Good Friday, coincidentally.)

We do have a bit of wiggle room. The moon rising at 6:19 pm in Juba on the night of Thursday, April 18 probably looked close enough to full to count. The one rising at 5:25 pm on Wednesday, April 17 might've too. But the question remains: even if we push the rescue operation back to the night of April 17-18, is it even possible for someone moving covertly to get from a contested war zone in Central Africa to another in Central Asia in time to make it to Northern France the next night?

Because the way I see it:

Sunday, April 21 is the hard date. Andy, Nile, and Booker leave Val d'Argent around sunrise on this day (6:31 am) and drive to Copely's house in Surrey. Google tells me this is a 774 km drive, which should take 8:45 hours. There must have been some sort of border check regardless of whatever passports were used as the UK never was part of the Schengen Area - and possibly a stop for weapons after. (Even if we shave off a few hours speeding on empty holiday roads, London sunset was 8:06 pm that day and there's nothing to imply Nile and Copley waited overnight to stage their rescue. Andy and Booker can't have been in the labs longer than four hours.)

Andy, Booker, and Nile leave Goussainville at night. If they took the most direct route to Val d'Argent (and I don't see why they would), that is a 465 km drive, which should take 5 hours. They arrive at the cave in daylight - between 7 am and 9 pm that time of year - and Andy leaves again for the town at dark. This tells me their arrival in Val d'Argent is sometime Saturday, April 20.

It is night when the guard are attacked in Goussainville. This is likely the morning of Saturday, April 20, but can be any time between sunset (8:50 pm) the day before and sunrise (6:54 am) that morning.

Andy and Nile are shown arriving at Goussainville in daylight. This could, theoretically, be any number of days before the attack, but given the clothes it's probably Friday, April 19. Also, unless we dream each other isn't an every night thing, Nile would probably have gotten Quỳnh's story earlier if it wasn't.

It is daylight on a train in Central Africa when Andy, Booker, Joe, and Nicky first dream of Nile. This could, theoretically, be any number of days after the mission in South Sudan, but I get the feeling it's meant to be the morning after - which, accounting for the moon, would be Thursday, April 18.

Is it physically possible to travel from South Sudan to Afghanistan to France in, at maximum, 39 hours? Probably. If you managed direct flights it would be something like 15 hours total plus a couple hours driving. But can it actually be done? Can you jump off a train in the middle of nowhere, find a single woman on a military base in another country with nothing but a picture and half a name, and get yourself and your companion to another continent in what's realistically more like 30 hours? All while keeping out of sight of an ex-CIA operative and, presumably, the US military?

I don't know. It sounds like the start of a Top Gear special - and initially I was going to argue that it couldn't be done. I was going to argue that the South Sudan mission had to occur during the March 20 full moon for the timing to work... but maybe not. Maybe it can be done. I'd love to know.

Which, I suppose, is a long way to travel to determine the date of Nile's first death: some time between sunrise in Central Africa and sunset in Central Asia on Thursday, April 18, 2019.

[mariacallous]

BRUSSELS, Nov 23 (Reuters) - NATO has warned its members that too much red tape is hindering troop movements across Europe, a problem that could cause major delays were a conflict with Russia to erupt.

"We are running out of time. What we don't get done in peacetime won't be ready in case of a crisis or a war," the chief of NATO's logistics command JSEC, Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank, told Reuters in an interview published on Thursday.

NATO's Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) in the southern German town of Ulm started operating in 2021. Its job is to coordinate the swift movement of troops and tanks across the continent as well as logistical preparations such as the storage of munitions on the alliance's eastern flank.

A result of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the creation of JSEC reflected the assessment that NATO, after decades of detente following the Cold War, once again needed to be ready for a war in Europe that could break out at any time.

However, the task of quickly deploying forces up to a size of a division with some 20,000 troops, as well as having ammunition, fuel, spare parts and provisions in place, has become trickier since the Cold War.

While NATO and Warsaw Pact troops in the past faced each other mainly in Germany, the alliance has since expanded some 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) to the east, multiplying the length of NATO's eastern flank to some 4,000 kilometres in total.

"The expanse of space, the fact that not all forces are forward-based - all this means that the alliance has to be quick in moving troops from their bases to the right spot on the eastern flank," Sollfrank noted, adding this needed preparation.

"At the heyday of the war in Ukraine, Russia fired 50,000 artillery shells per day. These rounds have to reach the howitzers," he said. "So you have to set up warehouses - for ammunition, fuel, spare parts and provisions."

As it is, NATO forces have to navigate a variety of national regulations, stretching from the advance-notice required before ammunition can be shipped to the permissible length of military convoys and disease prophylaxis.

"We have a surplus of regulations, but the one thing we don't have is time," warned Admiral Rob Bauer, head of NATO's military committee. "Russia's war against Ukraine has proven to be a war of attrition – and a war of attrition is a battle of logistics."

Sollfrank said he would like to see a "military Schengen", an area of free military passage akin to the political Schengen zone that allows free movement within most of the EU.

NATO must not prompt a miscalculation in the Kremlin by giving the impression Moscow might stand a chance to win because the alliance is not prepared, he warned.

"We need to be ahead of the curve. We have to prepare the theatre well before Article 5 has been invoked", he said, referring to NATO's collective defence clause which effectively puts the alliance at war.

[schengen-countries]

How long is a Schengen Visa valid?

The most common visa amongst these is the Schengen visa, which falls under the category of short-term visa; nationals from member states can travel around different countries in the area for a maximum period of 3 months within any six months. As with other visas, Schengen visas are also categorized and have various durations, for instance, one-time entry or even five years. It is therefore necessary to know all types of Schengen visas and how long someone can stay within its territory if they want to arrange a journey to Europe.

Schengen Visa List along with Validity 

Schengen Schengen regions have a total of 90 days within six months for those who have visas. Here are the different categories of Schengen visa with the period of validity:

Uniform Schengen Visa (USV): According to the regulation, the USV holder is allowed to be in the area for only a maximum of ninety days during the 180-day validity of the USV. There are different categories of Schengen visas with other periods, such as single entry, multiple entry, and airport transit visas. For one to be granted a Schengen visa, they must provide a valid passport, proof of intended destination, and travel insurance cover, among other necessary papers, to the consulate of the country they plan to visit.   

Visas with limited territorial validity (LTVs): These visas are an exception to the general USV classifications. It cannot be used to request entry into the territory of another Member State of the Schengen area; It is only valid for the Member State that issued it. As per the Schengen visa validity rules, LTVs are provided due to commitments on the international level, the necessity of certain interests on the national level, or humanitarian reasons. 

Airport Transit Visa (Type A): With this visa, a person is allowed to pass through various airports in the Schengen member states, although they have yet to be allowed into the Schengen region. 

Transit Visa (Type B): With this kind of visa, the holder is allowed to transit through the Schengen area to another non-Schengen country only, where the visa is valid for 5 days from the date of issue. 

National Visa (Type D): This is an extended-stay visa that is meant for visits for more than ninety days in the member country of Schengen that has issued it. Holders of this Type D visa are granted the freedom to move from one Schengen country to another as a tourist or for business within ninety days within a six months, provided the visa is valid. 

Again, the 90/180-day rule is generic and is relevant to all Schengen visas, irrespective of the number of times one intends to enter the region. This, in fact, means that the holder can use the visa solely for a cumulative period of ninety days within one hundred and eighty days rolling period in the Schengen Area. The validity period of the visa means until when one can use the visa, not the maximum time allowed in the country. 

Schengen Visa from Dubai

Dubai residents can get their Schengen visa from Dubai at the consular or visa application center of the country in Schengen that they intend to visit. The procedures and guidelines for applying as a nurse seconded to DOST are similar to those of regular applicants. Factors to consider applying for a Schengen visa from Dubai:

This should be a valid UAE residence permit or Emirates card. 

Enclosed is a letter providing reasons for the trip and the trip specifics. 

Get a letter confirming accommodation, travel schedule, and available funds. 

You are advised to apply for the visa long before the intended traveling time, as the period taken to process the visa can sometimes be long. 

Expect to go for an interview at the visa application center. 

It is important to memorize the rules and norms of the Schengen visa validity as they claim to provide for good traveling within the Schengen zone. 

Conclusion

The Schengen territory cannot be entered using any visa or reason for travel that exceeds 90 days in any six months. The dates “VALID FROM” and “UNTIL” shown on the visa sticker represent the length that this visa will be in effect. Whereas some visas could allow multiple entries, some may permit an individual to stay within a period not exceeding 90 days. Damages can result from overstaying a Schengen visa, ranging from fines to deportation or even perpetual expulsion from the region. Overstaying is subject to penalties including deportation and an indefinite ban on reentry into the Schengen area except under strict conditions and exceptional circumstances where extension of a Schengen Visa is possible.

[marryabroadsimply]

What is a Schengen Visa and why may I need one to marry in Denmark?

A Schengen visa is a visa that allows you to travel and enter all 26 Schengen countries with one visa.  If you are not sure if you need a Schengen visa then please see this page.

The 26 Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

These countries abolished the need for passport controls at their mutual boarders, therefore if you apply for and receive a Schengen visa you can move freely between these countries for the validity of your visa. Just check the conditions of your Schengen VISA, and make sure you are aware of all restrictions like entry needs to be made through the country of issuing state, or the majority of your Schengen stay is in the country of issuing state.

The standard multi state visa will allow you to travel and stay in all countries in the Schengen zone for the allotted period as outlined on the VISA - and there are a variety of timeframes, so make sure you get the right one! A multi schengen will of course allow entry into Denmark, and the license of marriage will only be valid for you get married within the period of the VISA (but of course once you are married you are married until Divorce/Death)

There are many types of Schengen visa so when applying you have to make sure that you apply for the correct visa because if the wrong visa is issued then you will have to go through the process again.

Applications can be made through any Embassy of a member state.

Type A - This is an airport transfer visa and allows you to enter the airport of a Schengen country to transfer onto another flight, but it does not allow you to stay in the Schengen area.

Type C - This is a short stay visa and allows the holder to stay in the Schengen Area for the length of validity on the visa, this is then divided into;

- Single Entry - You can enter the Schengen Area one time and stay for the validity of the visa, this can be for any amount of days up to 90 days.

- Double Entry - You can enter the Schengen Area two times, however you can NOT overstay the total days mentioned on the visa

- Multiple Entry - You can enter the Schengen Area as many times as you like during the validity of the visa.  This visa is usually issued on a one year, two year or 5 year validity.  Allowing the holder to stay a maximum of 90 days in every 180 day period.

Limited Territorial Validity Visa - This allows you to only stay in the country where the visa was issued, therefore it does not allow you to travel from country to country.

Type D - This is a national visa and works the same as a residence permit, this is usually issued to students or those on work placements.  These can be issued as a single entry visa or a multiple entry visa.  In order to obtain one of these visas you have to meet one of the following criteria;

-An international student program will grant a visa for a period of no more than one year.

-An international student that is about to start a full course of studies in one of the Schengen countries. Again the visa is issued for a period of one year with the possibility of extending it.

-A pedagogical work at a higher institution or research centre in any of the Schengen countries, regarding the person and its close family members.

-A professional who is traveling in any of the Schengen countries due to its expertise be it a sportsman, an artist or any other professional of its kind with the purpose of sharing its expertise.

-Emergency cases as a medical condition that prevents the individual leave the Schengen Area at the designated time frame.

One thing that you have to be careful of with a visa is the difference between the validity of the visa and the duration of stay, as they are two very different things!

Duration of Stay – is the maximum of days you are permitted to remain in the Schengen. The first day you enter Schengen is counted as “Day 1”, even if you enter just a few minutes before midnight. Whereas, the “Last Day” is counted the day you leave Schengen, even if it is just a few minutes after midnight. 

Visa Validity – on the other hand, is the period of time from which to which you can use your visa to enter and stay in the Schengen Area.

For further information on obtaining a Schengen visa please see this article.

As of the 2nd February 2020 there are a number of changes to the application process, 2 of the major changes being that you can now apply for your visa 6 months in advance of the trip, the minimum application time is 15 days.  Also the fee has increased and will now cost 80€ per application.

If you are interested in getting married in Denmark and want to know more about this subject please feel free to contact us, we are happy to provide free advice and a free no obligation documents list of what is required to get married in Denmark.  

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Have a look at our awesome YouTube channel for short information Vlogs on how easy it is to elope and get married abroad! Please contact us anytime via our contacts page by clicking here by e-mail at interest@marryabroadsimply.com or call us on +447934933356 or what’s app +4571493483

We would love to hear from you!

[mytruthandbeauty]

12 July 2023

So I will be headed back to Ecuador in a couple of months to retrieve some things that I left there when I was there last year. Ecuador has a very restrictive travel/immigration policy and it only allows you 90 days in the country in one calendar year or 12 months. But that’s all beside the point it’s been, rather will be, more than 12 months since I left there when I return so I should be OK. But I’ve been thinking lately that when I return I will only stay maybe 30 days even though I had planned on staying the full 90 days, but I’m thinking maybe it might be best if I only stay 30 days that way if I want to I can go back again in that 12 month period if I need to. And I’m thinking that I really don’t need to be there for 90 days, honestly I just don’t have any real reason to do that so why should I. I guess I thought I would kill some time so to speak, that way when I ventured back north to Mexico immigration would look at my passport and see that I had been gone for three months and not have any qualms about letting me reenter the country. I’ve even toyed with the idea of stopping in Guatemala and visiting Antigua again. I guess I just want to do more with my time instead of simply being in Mexico, but when I do return to Mexico if I don’t have any problems getting back into the country, I do plan to stay in Oaxaca city, so that I can at some point visit the muxes who live in a small town nearby. The muxes are an indigenous group and they are an equivalent of transgender people and that’s their traditional name. they are considered a third gender if I remember correctly and they’re able to live at least in that particular town freely and openly. So I think it would be enlightening to see them in person and maybe I can meet some and who knows maybe form a connection. I’ve never been to Oaxaca, so that would be something new.

There is always the possibility that Mexican immigration will not permit me to re-enter the country in which case I’m not quite sure at this point what I will do I am toying with the idea of taking that as an opportunity to travel to Europe and seeing what I can experience there. I would only be given 90 days to be in the EU, the Schengen zone, so I would have to make the most of that limited time, so I would have to travel strategically. Maybe I’ve lived too cautiously all my life and should let go and have some fun in my old age before I die? I’m being overly dramatic here. I’ve done some pretty daring things in my life, it’s just that over the past decade or so I began to feel used by men and I got sick of that and really limited my interactions with them, because I didn’t want to be hurt again. Now I’m thinking maybe I can use them as much as they use me or as much as I will let them and then move on, that might prove more satisfying. I am enjoying my travels but they might be more fun if I managed to hook up with a sexy man from time to time. Nothing serious, besides I already know most men don’t want anything serious with a woman of transgender experience anyway and my nomadic lifestyle would make a serious relationship difficult to begin with. So much to consider, so many possibilities. I do need to lighten up, to cut myself some slack about this whole travel thing and my current life in general.

Someone praised me recently saying that I should be proud of myself for undertaking this adventure on my own so late in life, for not being afraid to take the risk of venturing out into the unknown especially as a transgender woman seeking escape from the tyrannical and hate filled US and that, that in itself is more than enough for me to feel good about myself each day. Yes I did leave the states on my own because I wanted to finally be truly free and I’ve done it for three years now. I have no one at my side to lean on whenever uncertainty or fear sets in, I have to find that courage within myself. I am forever grateful that I do have at least one friend I can call from time to time for comfort. But what keeps me going is I know that I could not have a life as good as what I have here back in the states. I saw this girl on YouTube on a TikTok compilation saying that she would never go back to the US, because if she did she would be living in a cardboard box or with her parents and she couldn’t do living with her parents, so she was committed to living in Korea and she has been doing it for three years and she was not going back. I understood exactly what she meant and how she felt.

[alissacorreadelrosario]

Go to Armenia and step outside of your comfort zone!

There's no doubt that Armenia has so many spectacular views!

Take a trip to Armenia and be mesmerized in its beauty.

I love the season of autumn because whenever the autumn leaves fall, this season reminds me that change can be amazing and beautiful. Embrace change and be the best version of yourself that you can offer to the world.

Dream vacation, budget friendly, easy to travel by doing do it yourself and last but not the least, cheap ---that's how I can describe my vacation in Armenia last November 2022.

If you've been to Armenia you will know how amazing it was! If not, this is your sign to visit this country. I love this country! I know you will too! 

Step outside your comfort zone, too!

They say that the best way to know a country is by eating their local delicacies. That's what I did during my visit, Armenian food trip!

I don't want to be stuck in the Philippines. I want to see the world and create memories. The world is so beautiful and I want to see it in my naked eyes. I am not saying leave your home country, move somewhere and work there, we all know this is not an option for everyone but living in our comfort zone is something we all can work on.

Life is so beautiful to explore, many times we won't achieve our dreams but we learn from every challenge we face to progress better. I believe that everything that we experience is a part of the process, you choose what stories you want to tell somebody --- you try new things again and again despite failing or just doing one thing that made you unhappy? You have the option, make sure to choose wisely while trusting the process of life.

After almost two years of in a lockdown pandemic here in the Philippines I really feel that there's something missing in my life. When international travel is back and there is no more restrictions I just feel that I need to navigate my life by taking a leap of faith and doing what I love the most. 

Story time about my trip to Armenia:

Passport control, immigration and luggage check From Georgia, there's a Georgia to Armenia Border Control if you want to explore Armenia. In the Schengen area, there's no border checkpoint if you want to enter other European countries. However, Georgia and Armenia are different because you need to show your passport and visa upon entering. You also need to bring your luggage in the area because they need to scan your belongings upon entering. It's a little bit hassle. There's nothing to worry. The immigration officer is so kind. The lady immigration officer just asked me: "Are you dancing?" Haha! Funny, right? The immigration officer is so friendly and not so serious, unlike here in the Philippines. For Filipino passport holders, holder of Multiple Entry Schengen Visa can enter around Armenia during the date of visa validity of your Schengen visa. Again, don't loose hope if you don't have Schengen visa because you can fill up the form online just to get an electronic visa to experience the beauty of Armenia. You just need to pay a fee for this e-visa.

Beautiful Yerevan, Armenia The capital of Armenia which is Yerevan is so beautiful. I enjoyed my visit since I saw a dental clinic here. I love trip abroad and I love looking around for some dental clinics. I love dentistry and sometimes I imagine myself working overseas. That's why sometimes I check international dental clinic when I am in a vacation just to observe. I am still not sure if that is God's will but let's pray that God will lead me in the right path. However, I know that if I want to work abroad I still need to get another license. My license to practice is only valid here in the Philippines. I am still young so I am not closing doors if there is an opportunity and if I have other calling in other place of the world, or in other place here in the Philippines whether it will be in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao.

Tumanyan's Crepes & Waffles Looking for a budget friendly crepes and waffles??? Please, go to Tumanyan's crepe in Yerevan, Armenia. There are lots of varieties and flavors to choose from.

Goght, Armenia Finding peace and serenity here in Goght and appreciating the beauty of nature.

Ararat, Armenia The lady in the photo below offered free Armenian foods. She is so kind. I didn't know that I can also experience free taste around Armenia. I did experience free taste during my leisure travel in Macau, China and Osaka, Japan. I tell you that free taste will make your stomach full. Haha! Thank you so much to the Armenian lady. If you will visit Armenia, please help her by buying some of the things she sell. I did buy something as a pasalubong or souvenir for my family.

Upper Azat Valley and Geghard Monastery Christians can pray here inside the orthodox church. I respect other religion as a Catholic and I still say my prayers and petition inside the monastery.

Old Houses in Dilijan, Armenia I am amazed that they preserved this heritage that will tell the culture of the Armenians. These old houses are beautifully made with a mixture of cement and woods.

Armenia's unique souvenirs I brought home one Armenian painting and a doll wearing the national costume of Armenia. The people are so talented because the items that they sell are handmade. Please help their community by buying some goods during your visit.

Lake Sevan You need to climb the stairs and I tell you that the view is worthy. The Lake Sevan is so clear and you will find an orthodox church when you reached the top.

One of the things that I've realized is traveling is not a matter of money. Traveling is a matter of courage and having self confidence that you can do it. That's why I would continue exploring and this path serves as my road towards my self-discovery and self-growth. I need to rest and take a breath sometimes and international travel really helps to provide consistency in my life. 

Take small steps towards the fear that you want to overcome. 

Explore the world and add Armenia in your bucket list. Be amazed to see the spectacular Caucasian mountains and experience the hospitality of the Armenian people.

Love lots, A💞

[forobecu-blog]

Obtaining a Slovak Schengen Visa

http://pt.ivisa.com/slovenia-schengen-visa

Slovakia has become the top destination for individuals wishing to go to the EU for visa requirements. The boundary between this country and Hungary is one of the most congested and greatest in the area. A Schengen visa is needed for entrance into Slovakia and then to the EU as a whole.

It's not simple to get into the Schengen zone. It's more difficult than ever before, with countries opening their borders and motivating individuals to use them to travel freely within the EU. It can be when the economy of Europe doesn't turn around 18, that boundaries will be shut again.

Other nations have made similar moves to encourage immigration in their own countries. Not all governments are willing to shell out money to construct walls or walls to secure their borders. They are emphasizing their legal immigrant populations that are large and encouraging travel by using their policies and regulations for visas.

As it relates to the EU's economy, Exactly the same logic applies to the Balkan area. Close its borders and no one government would like to do what other countries have done. For that reason, a lot of individuals would apply for visas in the EU, but may have difficulty getting one through the boundaries of any country , particularly between Hungary and Slovakia.

It's best to apply before visa requirements and early alter or become harsher to receive a visa. There are a number of ways that you can get a visa without leaving your home nation. People from the United Kingdom get in touch and should be aware of the situation in the EU.

The embassy will work with you to make sure that you will be able to receive your visa at the briefest amount of time possible and your application is successful. The embassy will even work with you to help you browse the system. You can talk to an officer during business hours to find out more about the applications and the process.

It's still possible to use this chance to apply for a visa in another country, if you are not able to enter Slovakia. You will get a wide range of embassies from the USA and Canada and some will be willing to assist you enter another country. This is just another way which you can save time and money on a Slovak visa.

Your files should be valid for visa purposes in the EU, when applying for a visa in Canada or america. In regards to trying to monitor visas, these nations can be very strict. So, if you want to get into Canada or the United States, make sure prior to applying, that you are conscious of the requirements in the countries.

A number of those visa requirements may differ between countries, and so you will need to check to see what it is that you are required to provide. Since they are no longer allowed to send faxes, for instance, a Slovakian visa will likely require an Internet connection. If you are interested in taking a trip to the EU that said, there are no visa requirements .

Other nations have visa requirements. These visa requirements are for the purpose of confirming your identity and whether you have ever been convicted of a crime from the nation you are residing in. A visa might be a requirement if you are aware that you can't be deported.

You can learn all of this information so when you're seeing for the first time, make sure you ask for this information. It's important to know what all you have to do in order to meet the visa requirements. If you understand before you enter the country, you don't have the essential files and are asked to get one, keep in mind that you have to make documents.

You miss your opportunity to make an application for a visa and In the event you neglect to do so, there is an excellent possibility you will be denied a visa. You may be barred from re-entering the nation again for as much as five years Should you miss this deadline. With no exclusion.

[instituteofgeorgianhistory]

“Attic Standard Zone”, Eurozone and Georgia: Historical Comparative Analysis

Tedo Dundua

Emil Avdaliani

https://www.eurasiareview.com/05052020-attic-standard-zone-eurozone-and-georgia-historical-comparative-analysis/

 If you cross the state borders freely, seeing all the cargos moving without delay, money standard and the name being identical everywhere, that means you are in Eurozone. The reality has its remote pattern, Athenian (Attic) case with Colchis (Western Georgia) being involved. If Colchis was in “Attic standard zone”, why to deny Eurozone to Georgia? Below Athenian and modern European cases are discussed.

 “If anyone mints silver coins in the cities and does not use Athenian coins or weights or measures, but foreign coins, weights and measures, I shall punish him and fine him according to the previous decree which Klearchos proposed” (A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions. To the End of the Fifth c. B.C.  Edited by R. Meiggs and D. Lewis. Oxford. 1969. Printed to the University 1971, p. 113; Chr. Howgego. Ancient History from Coins. London and New York. 1995, p. 44).  This is what a secretary of the Athenian Council (Boule) had to add to the Bouleatic oath from the famous Athenian decree enforcing to use the Athenian coins, weights and measures within the Athenian Alliance. The Athenian officials in the cities were responsible to carry out the decree, and the local officials too (A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions. To the End of the Fifth c. B.C.  Edited by R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, p. 113). The date of this decree is problematic, but still between 450 and 414 B.C. (A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions. To the End of the Fifth c. B.C.  Edited by R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, pp. 114-115; C. G. Starr. Athenian Coinage. Oxford. 1970, p. 68 n. 15; Chr. Howgego. Ancient History from Coins, p. 44).The text was carved on stelai and set up at Athens and the other cities – members of the League. Seven fragments of this text have been already discovered in various places (A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions. To the End of the Fifth c. B.C. Edited by R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, p. 111; “Athenian coinage decree”. J. M. Jones. A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Coins. London. First Published in 1986). There are several attempts to interpret the decree. One thing is clear – this decree is imperialistic in tone, and if some of the cities within the Athenian “Empire” were still supposed to issue own money, only Attic weight coins had to be used. Electrum staters remained popular (A Selection of Greek Historical Inscriptions. To the End of the Fifth c. B.C.  Edited by R. Meiggs and D. Lewis, p. 113). Later this decree is parodied in the “Birds” of Aristophanes (C. M. Kraay. Coins of Ancient Athens. Newcastle upon Tyne. 1968, p. 5).

The decree seems to be very comfortable for trade and taxation – indeed, Athenians were scrupulous while collecting taxes within the League.

The whole story about the Greeks shaping Europe has been already told. Macedonia contributed much as a recruitment area, but earlier Athens had been thought to be a leader. It was merely a frustration – indeed, if the best city had to be stripped from a population, nothing would be created at all. While the Greeks still in this mistake, Athenians made a good deal – seizing the markets and imposing taxes.

Athenians cared much for the Black Sea areas; and Pericles even launched a special expedition (Plut. Pericl. 20). Then the numismatic visage of Colchis (Western Georgia) was changed as Athenian tetradrachms came in sight together with the Attic ceramics (G. Doundoua, T. Doundoua. Les Relations Économiques de la Colchide aux Époques Archaïque et Classique d’après le Matériel Numismatique. La Mer Noire. Zone de Contacts. Actes du VIIe Symposium de Vani. Paris. 1999, p. 111 №23; Очерки истории Грузии. т. I. ред. Г. А. Ме­ли­киш­ви­ли, О. Д. Лордкипанидзе. Тбилиси. 1989, p. 228). Moreover, Milesian, Aeginetan and Persian standards used for the autonomous coin issues of Phasis (modern Photi, Western Georgia) now disappear and Attic standard becomes unique.

Dioscurias (Modern Sokhumi, Western Georgia) was a splendid Greek city dominated by a mercantile oligarchy, a foundation of Miletus, sometimes – being troubled by the natives from the hinterland. Then it seems to be completely assimilated. History of Dioscurias is full of tremendous events and clashes. And the clashes were back again in the summer of 1993 as the civil war broke out in Abkhazia. Still one missile was especially lucky as it buried itself deep in the earth and showed a coin-shaped white metal. The description is as follows: weight – 300.37 gr. d=70 mm. Head of Athena wearing a crested helmet (the fashion is that of “old-style” coinage)/Owl. Obviously Athenian weight, it was offered for sale to Simon Janashia State Museum of Georgia.

The greatest number of the marked weights found in the Agora are small roughly square lead plaques. Sometimes these official weights are marked with the same symbols as the coins – head of Athena/owl (The Athenian Agora. v. X. Weights, Measures and Tokens by M. Lang and M. Crosby. Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Part I. Weights and Measures by M. Lang. Princeton. New Jersey. 1964, p. 6). Large circular stamp with helmeted head of Athena appears on the lead weight of the Roman time (The Athenian Agora. v. X. Weights, Measures and Tokens by M. Lang and M. Crosby, p. 31 pl. 9 LW (lead weight) 66).  Bronze weight too of some 69.9 gr. has an owl incised. This seems to be a coin weight, 1/6 of mina (The Athenian Agora. v. X. Weights, Measures and Tokens by M. Lang and M. Crosby, p. 26 pl. 1 BW (Bronze weight) 5). Even countermarks for the weights represent double-bodied owl and helmeted head (The Athenian Agora. v. X. Weights, Measures and Tokens by M. Lang and M. Crosby, p. 28 pl. 6 LW 26, p. 30, pl. 8 LW 46). The dry measure also has two stamps: the double-bodied owl and helmeted head of Athena (The Athenian Agora. v. X. Weights, Measures and Tokens by M. Lang and M. Crosby, pl. 14 DM (dry measure) 44, 45; pl. 18 DM 44, 45).

The Athenian coin mina, consisting of 100 drachms, weighted approximately 436.6 gr. There was also another mina, used for weighting market produce, equal to 138 coin drachms, or 602 gr. (“Mina”, “Attic weight standard”. J. M. Jones. A Dictionary of Ancient Greek Coins).  

So, the piece from Dioscurias should be considered as Athenian trade-weight – half mina.

What conclusions are we to draw from all this?

1) Dioscurias had to receive or was glad to receive the official Athenian weights as the city became a subject of the Alliance.

2) And Phasis should have accepted even a coin mina and Attic standard too while already in the Alliance. Was there any legislation in favour of democracy; what does a maintenance of “Archaic smile” on the Athenian (“Old Style” coinage) and Phasian coins mean? We shall never know.

3) One thing is clear – Attic standard was installed in Colchis between 450 and 414 B.C. And the effect was similar to the modern introduction of euro across much of the European Union.

From Ancient Period to Modern Europe

 Creating a common economic space was a recurring ambition throughout European history. The above-discussed “Attic standard zone” was one of the pertinent examples from Ancient history. From modern period the best example perhaps is the European Union (EU) which from the late 1960s aimed at coordinating economic and fiscal policies. It also included the establishment of a common monetary policy as well as the introduction of a common currency. The principal arguments in favor of its adoption were economic stability and unencumbered cross-border trade.

In 1979 the European Monetary System (EMS) was launched. Later on during the European Council session in Maastricht, 1991, the Treaty on European Union, which contained various provisions necessary for successful implementation of the monetary union, was agreed upon. https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/euro/history-and-purpose-euro_en

Then came the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) which aimed at step-by-step economic integration of a number of countries. EMU was designed to support sustainable economic growth and a high level of employment. This specifically comprised three main fields: 1. implementing a monetary policy that pursues the main objective of price stability; 2. avoiding possible negative spillover effects due to unsustainable government finance, preventing the emergence of macroeconomic imbalances within Member States, and coordinating to a certain degree the economic policies of the Member States; 3. ensuring the smooth operation of the single market. https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/economic-and-fiscal-policy-coordination/economic-and-monetary-union/what-economic-and-monetary-union-emu_en

It was not however until 1999 that a common currency – the euro – appeared with 11 countries – Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain – fixing their exchange rates and creating a new currency with monetary policy passed to the European Central Bank.

For the first three years euro did not exist as it essentially was an “invisible” currency. It was used mainly for accounting purposes. In 2002, however, first euro coins and banknotes were introduced in 12 EU countries thus ushering in, arguably, the biggest cash changeover in history. Nowadays, the euro is in circulation in 19 EU member states. There are a number of advantages attached to the use of the euro: low costs of financial transactions, easy travel, increased economic and political role of Europe on the international arena.

Parallel to the creation of the unified economic space ran the establishment institutionalized freedom of movement within most of the European states. The treaty came to be known as the Schengen Agreement signed on June 14, 1985, which led most of the European countries towards the abolishment of their national borders. The concept for free movement between the European countries is very old and it can be found through the Middle Ages.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/eu-countries/

As was the case with the “Attic standard zone”, modern Georgia aspires to become an economic part of Europe, its monetary system, unified currency – euro. Major steps have been made to this end since the break-up of the Soviet Union. The current EU-Georgia close relationship is based on the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. More importantly, the latter involves a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), which came into force in mid-2016 and along with closer political ties aims to achieve deeper economic integration between Tbilisi and the EU.             https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/georgia/

Simultaneously with Georgia’s slow and steady economic integration into the EU economy, the country has also started to enjoy the benefits of institutionalized free movement of citizens across much of the European continent.

Thus there is a long history of Georgian economic and territorial integration into the European models of unified economic spaces. The above examples of the “Attic standard zone” as well as the modern European Union prove this point.

[alishbakhanus]

Wedding photo session: ideas, mistakes, tips!

A wedding photo shoot is captured emotions and memories for a lifetime, which is why it is so important that these are beautiful, vivid and atmospheric photos. But how to pose in front of the camera, what mistakes are there, how to deal with anxiety? Our professionals tell about all this

Photos from the wedding celebration represent the best memory of this magical day, because they reflect the most interesting, funny and, of course, the most romantic moments. They help the couple to relive the excitement, joy and excitement of this day again. It is because of such an important role of photography that we always urge you to choose your photographer carefully, slowly and with full responsibility, because this person will be responsible for your memories. However, there is one more important moment in shooting – the excitement and fear of the camera, which are familiar to almost all of us. In this article, we’ll show you how to deal with your anxiety and what you need to do to ensure that your photoshoot results exceed your expectations!

Fear of posing

Wedding photographers notes that: “One of the biggest fears before a wedding photo session of a couple is the fear of posing, some couples are afraid that they will not be able to stand up correctly, turn the right angle, and often just turn to stone in front of the camera. This is quite natural, because you don’t have to get a lot of attention every day, and even pose for wedding photos. It happens that a couple decides to invite a reportage photographer to the wedding, because then they don’t have to pose. This is a misconception. To get a cool, lively, emotional report, you need to live in the frame, you need to feel very comfortable in front of the camera… Only a photographer who knows how to beautifully pose models, choose a pose suitable for them, distract from constraints, chat, relax, will suit a shy couple. “

Wedding photographers gives some practical advice on how to get up better and what you need to do to get rid of the fear of posing: “Many people have heard about the fact that the camera sees everything a little differently than our eyes. So I’ll start with the most fundamental things: your position relative to the camera. In most cases, the camera will not forgive you if you stand frontally, that is, with all parts of the body turned strictly in the direction of the photographer, at attention, in other words. Let’s remember that our task is not to take a photo for a passport or the Finnish Schengen – our task is to find an artistic image, and the frontal position will not help us in this at all, although there are exceptions here too. The most advantageous option is to be located in relation to the camera in three quarters. That is, turn a little in half a turn. Using half-turns, you can create an image of ease, emphasize the curves of the figure. After all, we must not forget that the ultimate goal is to bring maximum femininity into the image with the help of correct posing. “Wedding photo shoot ideas: tell your love story!

Excitement and fear of the camera

In order to cope with the fear of the camera,  the Orange Wedding Company offers a preliminary shooting , a  love-story or just a pre-wedding walk that will help you learn how the photographer works, and he, in turn , will better understand you and your desires. During this shooting, you will also be able to better understand yourself and what moments give you discomfort – if you are embarrassed by crowded places, respectively, on your wedding day, it is better to choose a more secluded place for your photo session.

Creative process

Wedding photographers believes: “In order to get real, sincere happy pictures, the most important thing is to be yourself and enjoy the moment. The biggest mistake is to keep a lot of photos from different photographers and try to copy them. This takes a lot of time and effort, and the result will still be different. Since each master has his own look, his own technique and his own style. Therefore, the best advice is to trust the professional of your choice and enjoy your shooting day as much as possible! “

if you want to hug and kiss your beloved, do not postpone and do not wait for the go-ahead from the photographer, the most sincere photography is spontaneous!” By AK organize a route for the wedding photo shoot: expert opinion!

During the creative process, you need to make sure that everything around you is perfect: a bridal bouquet, a photo zone, in the event that you plan to shoot in a studio, you need to think through every detail! The Love decor studio has been creating a unique atmosphere for five years, and the studio’s designers will professionally decorate any space. Studio style is a combination of original approach and elegance. The studio team works with a variety of projects from classic style to loft, embodying the ideas of the newlyweds in the best possible way.

Shooting locations

Most popular ideas for a bride’s photo shoot: One of the most popular shootings is the bride’s morning. According to Natalya Nova, a representative of Nova Wedding , the most ideal place for gathering and morning shooting of the bride is the hotel, for which there are several reasons:  “ Firstly, the calmness of the bride, and, secondly, the service – breakfast in the room, dress preparation, help in an emergency, the maids and the concierge are always ready to help . “

Also, shooting in a café is no less popular: the bride sits half-turned on a chair, holds a cup of tea in her hands and looks dreamily out the window, or the reflection of the bride in a beautiful full-length mirror.

Interesting ideas for the groom’s photo shoot: you can take the hobbies and hobbies of a young man as a basis. For example, if your fiancé cannot imagine life without music, then you can organize a thematic photo session with a musical theme. In the event that the groom is fond of sports, then a photo session can be organized at a sports stadium, why not?

Shooting in nature: “In the photo session, I love live shots, real ones. For example, if shooting in a park in nature, or somewhere in the city, I suggest that the couple move more, run, walk, spin, laugh, and behave like a normal day… At these moments, a person gets the most natural emotions on his face! And the cadres are filled with life. Of course, there is a place for staged shots, where the photographer must see the light and tell the couple how and where to stand, this applies to classic photographs, for example, in palaces, in interior photography. Often, brides are very fixated on their image, they are afraid for the dress or hairstyle, and this leads to pretense and unnaturalness in the frame, and prevents the groom from relaxing. It is necessary to constantly remind the bride that this is her day and she is the most beautiful, and the dress can always be dry-cleaned. Cheer everyone up and keep toned! The main thing is that the young people have a great mood and then a perfect result is guaranteed, “notes wedding photographer

In the event that you are thinking about shooting outdoors, then the Lake House is what you were looking for. After all, the restaurant offers its guests a picturesque landscape on the shore of the lake and a large summer veranda, where you will get wonderful photos. The site disposes, both for photography on warm summer evenings and early autumn.

Common mistakes

Any shooting has its own nuances, but we decided to tell you about the three most common mistakes during a photo shoot, try not to do this, and always remember the main thing:  “Remember your hands. The position of the hands plays an insanely important role in creating the image in the photo. Therefore, you should never curl your fingers into your palm when posing. So visually in the photo, fists are obtained – and we see hands that do not have fingers – a terrible horror! Do not do that! Don’t throw your head back. Sometimes models throw their heads back, wanting to portray languid languor. And they forget that the camera visually enlarges the cheeks and makes the eyes smaller. Add to this the fact that the camera adds an average of three kilograms to the model … In general, the conclusion is clear. Don’t squint your eyes… Not everyone can squint their eyes. Or rather, to almost anyone. Because visually the eyes are made smaller – and this does not paint anyone. So it’s not sexy or expressive at all, 

Tips & Tricks

Wedding photographers focuses on the fact that: “Almost every couple at the meeting before the wedding fearfully asks me the question:“ How to pose for the camera? ”. Of course, there are media people who are constantly in the lens of photographers, have experience of individual or family shooting, love story behind them. These couples feel more relaxed and confident during the wedding day. But, in most cases, newlyweds are inexperienced in front of the lens, and therefore are worried, and wonder how to stand up, how to smile and what to do in general. I always try to make the shooting process as light as possible. And already at the meeting I discuss with the couple how to behave and feel in front of the camera. I advise you to start your wedding day by filming your hotel fees… While the young people gather with trepidation and are busy with preparations, they get used to the camera and the photographer, they become liberated. We get to know each other and chat, and the next shooting day is already easier for the couple. ” But it is worth taking care not only of photography, but also of video filming , how can we do without it? Especially that the video format is becoming more and more popular recently. Media ax videographers  team has extensive experience in the wedding field. During the period from 2009 to the present day, the team has filmed over 1000 weddings. Experience in television and the latest video technology ensure the quality and professionalism of shooting. Media ax are professionals in their field who do not save on equipment, which allows you to shoot with the best professional equipment. Meetings with the newlyweds take place in the office, where there is an opportunity to discuss all the necessary details. Media ax’s pricing policy is based on favorable terms for both the customer and the contractor.

“I would advise you to pay attention to the percentage of live staged shots in a photographer’s portfolio to see how a person works with people. Beautiful shots where a couple is standing and looking at the camera can be done by many, if this suits you, it’s great, it will be easier to choose a photographer. If you want you to really live in the frame, and the photo session was a pleasure, then it is important to choose a person with whom you will be comfortable during the shooting. Make a pre-wedding love story , give yourself the opportunity to get used to the camera and the photographer to find your most spectacular angles. Look at paired photos that you like and are close in mood, pay attention to the poses, emotions that people do in the frame, remember some of them or show your photographer. Get ready to shoot beautiful photographs are a joint work of a couple and a photographer , including before shooting, at the stage of preparation. I advise my couples to enjoy their wedding day as much as possible, each other, to catch every moment. First of all, a wedding is a holiday for you and your loved ones, and a photo session is one of the small but very pleasant parts of it

Courtesy: best marriage halls in Lahore

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Into America from China that was done very early on with screening people we have been at a Harley-Davidson I’m a Biker Grandpa like a Normal Grandpa But Cooler shirt very high level screening people coming into the country from infected areas we have and quarantine those infected and those address we have a lot of great quarantine facilities are rapidly developing a vaccine and they can speak to you the professionals can speak to you about that the vaccine is coming along well and in speaking to the doctors we think this is something that we can develop fairly rapidly a vaccine in the future and coordinate with the support of our partners we have great relationships with all of the countries that were talking about some minds fairly large number of countries summits one person and in many countries have no problem whatsoever and we’ll see what happens but with very very ready for this for anything whether it’s going to be a breakout of larger proportions or whether or not where I in a way that very low level and that we want to keep it that way so at the low level as they get better. In that month and the Republic of Korea has performed in the four months to now accumulated to give you an idea the amount of testing that were going to be going to be doing so I’m very exciting on right now as we complete this ecosystem with the large reference labs the lab core in class providing very high throughput large scale testing galvanizing of the hospitals and academic labs that Dr Burks is done by a machine to machine understanding end up promoting that with the governors and of course using point of care testing when and where that’s very important to stop outbreaks or in remote areas like in the Indian health service or in Alaska thank you Mr Pres okay so with that weird answer some questions and Mike is a pair also so will it just a place and I will and that they do it as quickly as possible but safely we want everyone to be safe and I think you seeing that using a lot of governors get out and they want to open it up many thinking about the school system not a long way to go in the school. The new swish gargle and spit method to collect samples the goals being comfort and speed as parents and kids can do most of the work and reduce exposure for healthcare workers Mariam Abby has been administering them for about a week my cargoes are much easier for Kansai Thomas Descartes and we welfare and that selling a make cello the samples are still processed the same way as nasal swabs and doctors who developed the method say the research has shown it is about 98 as accurate as samples collected through swabs and more accurate than simply spitting into a two other provinces are paying attention and work is underway in Alberta but I don’t have a timeline as to when it might be able to be moved forward soon as I saw the I went to our team and I said knowing ourselves garlic salt water I think that’s great for visiting is great for Nova Scotia says it also looking into it but one issue everywhere including BC is a short supply of the tubes needed pretty much two hours before the center even opened there

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/covid-19-news-live-updates-the-new-york-times-8/

Covid-19 News: Live Updates - The New York Times

Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health, took issue on Wednesday with President Trump’s suggestion that a coronavirus vaccine would be available by Election Day, as he repeatedly sought to reassure senators and the public that a vaccine would not be made available to the public unless it was safe and effective.

“Certainly, to try to predict whether it happens on a particular week before or after a particular date in early November is well beyond anything that any scientist right now could tell you and be confident they know what they are saying,” Dr. Collins told a Senate panel at a hearing on the effort to find a vaccine.

Wednesday’s hearing, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, came amid growing concern over whether people would be reluctant to take a coronavirus vaccine, and whether Mr. Trump would apply political pressure on his administration to quickly approve one to give him a boost in his re-election bid against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.

On Tuesday, a group of drug companies all in the race to develop vaccines pledged that they would not release any vaccines that did not follow rigorous efficacy and safety standards. Hours later, a leading vaccine developer, AstraZeneca, announced that it had suspended a large-scale clinical trial of a vaccine candidate after a patient experienced what may be a severe adverse reaction. Dr. Collins pointed to that development as “a concrete example of how even a single case of unexpected illness is sufficient to hold a clinical trial in multiple countries�� — and evidence that “we cannot compromise” on safety.

Democrats on the panel grilled both Dr. Collins and Surgeon General Jerome Adams on the effect of Mr. Trump’s false statements about the vaccine, and whether they would erode trust in the development process. Dr. Collins demurred, however, as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachussetts, asked him point blank whether Mr. Trump’s misinformation would discourage people from taking the vaccine and hurt the effort to distribute it.

“I’m not sure I know the answer to that question,” Dr. Collins said. When Ms. Warren pressed him again, he added, “I just hope Americans will choose to take the information they need from scientists and not from politicians.”

Six companies are in late-stage, Phase 3 clinical trials that seek to enroll 30,000 Americans, half of whom will be injected with the vaccine candidate and half of whom will get a placebo.

Dr. Collins said he had “cautious optimism” that a safe and effective vaccine would emerge by the end of the year, though he added, “but even that is a guess.”

Even as the trials proceed, there are huge questions about who will get a vaccine first and how it will be distributed. Dr. Adams told the panel that the administration intended to release guidelines later Wednesday that would allow state-licensed pharmacists to vaccinate anyone older than age 3.

The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca halted global trials of its coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday because of a serious and unexpected suspected adverse reaction in a participant, the company said.

The trial’s halt, which was first reported by Stat News, will allow the British-Swedish company to conduct a safety review. How long the hold will last is unclear.

In a statement, the company described the halt as a “routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials.”

Officials in the United States and Europe said that the pause was a sign that the process was working as designed, serving as reassurance that a vaccine that made it through the all the phases of the clinical trials would be safe.

In an email response to a Reuters query, the World Health Organization said: “We are pleased to see vaccine developers assuring the scientific integrity of the trials and abiding by the standard guidelines and rules for the development of vaccines.”

And in an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, echoed that sentiment.

“That’s the reason why you have various phases of trials, to determine if in fact these candidates are safe,” Dr. Fauci said, adding that such a halt was “not uncommon at all.” The problems may not be directly linked to the vaccine, he said, but “you can’t presume that.”

“It’s really one of the safety valves that you have on clinical trials such as this,” he said.

A person familiar with the AstraZeneca trial, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the participant had been enrolled in a Phase 2/3 trial based in the United Kingdom. The individual also said that a volunteer in the U.K. trial had been found to have transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections. The timing of the diagnosis, and whether it was linked to the vaccine, was unclear.

AstraZeneca declined to comment on the location of the participant and did not confirm the diagnosis of transverse myelitis. “The event is being investigated by an independent committee, and it is too early to conclude the specific diagnosis,” the company said.

AstraZeneca’s vaccine is currently in Phase 2/3 trials in the U.K. and India, and in Phase 3 trials in Brazil, South Africa and more than 60 sites in the United States. The company intended for its U.S. enrollment to reach 30,000.

AstraZeneca is one of three companies whose vaccines are in late-stage clinical trials in the United States.

Britain, seeing a spike in new coronavirus cases, will ban most gatherings of more than six people beginning next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday.

“I wish we did not have to take this step,” Mr. Johnson said. “As your prime minister, I must do what is necessary to stop the spread of the virus.”

He stressed hand washing and wearing face coverings, and said the new rule would be in place only “as long as necessary.”

He said the order, which he referred to as the “Rule of Six,” superseded old guidelines and would apply to public and private gatherings.

The government’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the uptick the country is seeing is not just a matter of testing more people and compared the situation Britain is facing to the one in France, where cases are surging.

Restaurants and other hospitality venues will also now be required by law to take customers personal details for contact-tracing purposes. And Mr. Johnson said there will be stronger enforcement of quarantine rules for those entering the country.

The new rules will take effect Monday and people who break them can be fined and possibly arrested.

“You must not meet socially in groups of more than 6,” Mr. Johnson said. “If you do you will be breaking the law.”

About 3,000 new cases were reported on both Sunday and Monday of this week, the highest daily figures in Britain since May. And about 2,500 more new cases and 32 deaths were reported on Tuesday.

In other developments around the world:

A fast-moving fire destroyed most of Europe’s largest refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, leaving its 12,000 residents homeless just days after they were collectively quarantined because of a coronavirus outbreak there.

India’s Health Ministry said Tuesday that it planned to open classrooms for high school students on a voluntary basis, and only with their parents’ approval, starting Sept. 21. The vast majority of schoolchildren will continue to study online. The Taj Mahal will also open for tourism on Sept. 21, with access restricted to 5,000 people per day. India has recorded more than 4.3 million cases, second only to the United States, with nearly 90,000 new infections reported on Tuesday.

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, said on Tuesday that it would take a four-week “pause” before it considers loosening restrictions or allowing further economic reopening. Christine Elliott, Ontario’s health minister, acknowledged that schools, which began reopening across the province on Tuesday, would most likely become vectors for the virus, and said that the province’s top priority was protecting them from transmission in the community. Ontario has reported at least 43,000 coronavirus cases, according to a New York Times database, including 852 in the past week.

Virus infections are rising in the Netherlands, which reported 1,140 confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, the country’s health minister, Hugo de Jonge, said on Wednesday. “This is the highest number in months,” Mr. de Jonge said. Hospitalizations are also increasing, he said.

China’s biggest air show will go ahead in November, the organizer said on Wednesday, backtracking on an earlier announcement that the event had been canceled because of the pandemic. The biennial International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition comes amid a steep downturn in the industry.

Germany extended a general travel warning to include all countries outside Europe through Sept. 30. But the foreign ministry said that starting in October, it would evaluate individual non-European destinations case by case, rather than issue another blanket warning. Germans may travel within the European Union and to other countries within Europe’s Schengen zone of passport-free travel, as well as to Britain, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, without breaching the warning, which is an advisory, not a mandate. For the many Germans who travel on package tours, the warning will generally allow them to cancel bookings without charge.

A photo of an older man having a meal in a pub in Galway, Ireland, started a national conversation about virus regulations and life’s simple pleasures.

Trump admitted to the journalist Bob Woodward that he played down the threat of the virus.

President Trump acknowledged to the journalist Bob Woodward that he had knowingly played down the coronavirus earlier this year even though he was aware it was “deadly” and vastly more serious than the seasonal flu.

“This is deadly stuff,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward on Feb. 7 in one of a series of interviews he conducted with the president for his upcoming book, “Rage.” The Washington Post and CNN were given advance copies of the book and published details on Wednesday.

“You just breathe the air and that’s how it’s passed,” Trump said. “And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flu.”

That was a vastly different story than Mr. Trump was telling the public.

“I wanted to always play it down,” Mr. Trump told Mr. Woodward on March 19. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

In public, Mr. Trump claimed early on that the virus would disappear, predicting in February that by April, “when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away.”

Mnuchin expressed little optimism about another stimulus bill.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin raised doubts on Wednesday about the likelihood of another economic stimulus package being passed this year and said his current focus is on a measure to extend government funding later this month.

The comments come as Republicans and Democrats in Congress remain far apart in their views about the scope and cost of another relief bill and as Mr. Trump has been largely disengaged from the negotiations.

Asked about the prospects of another bill, Mr. Mnuchin showed little optimism.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Mnuchin said outside the White House. “We’ll see. I hope there is. It’s important to a lot of people out there.”

The Treasury secretary said that he has been having discussions with Speaker Nancy Pelosi about a “clean” bill to keep the government funded until after the election, avoiding a government shutdown. He has also had talks with Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, about such a bill.

“It doesn’t seem promising at the moment on stimulus,” Mr. Shelby said on Tuesday after speaking with Mr. Mnuchin about a stopgap bill, known formally as a continuing resolution. “So if we don’t get a stimulus then the only game in town would be a few nominations and the CR, funding the government.”

Mr. Mnuchin has also been in touch with Senate Republicans about the scaled-back stimulus bill that they unveiled on Tuesday that would provide federal aid to unemployed workers, schools, farmers, the Postal Service and small businesses. The legislation, which slashes billions of dollars from the original $1 trillion Republican proposal unveiled in July, does not include another round of $1,200 stimulus checks or additional funding for state and local governments.

A vote on that bill that is scheduled for Thursday in the Senate is expected to fail to meet the necessary 60 vote threshold, as Democrats continue to push for a more robust and costly package.

Asked if he was frustrated by Trump’s unmasked rallies, Fauci says ‘we want to set an example.’

On Wednesday morning, a day after Mr. Trump held a large rally in North Carolina without wearing a mask, Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading official on infectious diseases, expressed concerns about the example this set.

Appearing on “CBS This Morning” to talk about the hunt for a coronavirus vaccine, Dr. Fauci was asked whether the sight of such rallies is frustrating for him.

“Well, yes it is and I’ve said that often,” he said. “We want to set an example.”

Dr. Fauci, whose differences with the president have been noted throughout the course of the pandemic, said that public health measures such as wearing masks, keeping physical distance, avoiding crowds and moving activities outdoors rather than indoors “are the kind of things that turn around surges and also prevent us from getting surges.”

“So I certainly would like to see a universal wearing of masks,” he said.

While Mr. Trump’s recent rallies have been outdoors or in airport hangars, they are certainly crowded, with little evidence of physical distancing. And even in places where there is an official mask requirement, like North Carolina, masks at the rallies are few and far between. The Republican chairman of the county commission where the rally on Wednesday took place said beforehand that the president should wear a mask, given the statewide order on face coverings. Mr. Trump did not.

Hundreds of thousands of sailors are estimated to be trapped at sea, fighting exhaustion and despair.

When borders closed because of the pandemic, seafarers on ships around the world suddenly had no way home. For cargo ships, the process known as crew change, in which seamen are replaced by new ones as their contracts expire, ground nearly to a halt.

Six months later, there’s no solution in sight.

In June, the United Nations called the situation a “growing humanitarian and safety crisis.”

Last month, the International Transport Workers’ Federation, a seafarers’ union, estimated that 300,000 of the 1.2 million crew members at sea were essentially stranded on their ships, working past the expiration of their original contracts and fighting isolation, uncertainty and fatigue.

Some crew members have begun refusing to work, forcing ships to stay in port. And many in the shipping industry fear that the stress and exhaustion will lead to accidents, perhaps disastrous ones.

“There’s nothing I can do,” Ralph Santillan, a merchant seaman from the Philippines, said late last month from his ship, a 965-foot bulk carrier off South Korea. “I have to leave to God whatever might happen here.”

France’s prime minister, Jean Castex, is self-isolating and will hold his meetings remotely after he came into contact on Saturday with the director of the Tour de France, who has tested positive.

Mr. Castex’s isolation comes as France is facing a resurgence with a daily average of 7,000 cases for the past seven days and an increase in the number of patients in intensive care after months of decline.

Mr. Castex tested negative on Tuesday, but he will isolate until being retested seven days after the contact took place. As a consequence, France’s weekly cabinet meeting will take place by videoconference on Wednesday for the first time since the end of the country’s two-month lockdown in May.

President Emmanuel Macron also underwent a test, which was negative, after visiting Lebanon and Iraq last week, and interior minister Gérald Darmanin will be tested after spending time with Mr. Castex on Tuesday.

“We do for us what we require all fellow citizens to do,” Mr. Macron told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr. Macron nevertheless acknowledged that the situation was “worrying” and called on French citizens to be “more vigilant” in their private lives in the face of the epidemic.

Mr. Macron said that new measures to fight the virus would be discussed at a health defense council on Friday.

In particular, the government will discuss the widespread introduction of antigenic tests that are considered simpler and faster, just as the country is facing increasing delays in test results, hampering its fight against the spread of the virus.

Across the United States, colleges that have reopened for in-person instruction are struggling to contain the spread of the virus among tens of thousands of students, with perhaps their most complex problem being what to do with students who test positive or come into contact with someone who has.

Many have set aside special dormitories, or are renting off-campus apartments or hotel rooms to provide isolation beds for infected students and separate quarantine units for the possibly sick.

But some undergraduates and epidemiologists say the policies have broken down, often in ways that may put students and college staff members at risk.

At the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the University of Notre Dame, students have reported their classmates for violating quarantine and wandering outside. At Iowa State University, a student who was waiting for his virus test results said he was sent back to his regular dorm room where he could have infected his roommate.

And at many campuses, students with confirmed or possible infections have flooded social media platforms to describe filthy rooms, meager food rations, lack of furniture, chaotic procedures and minimal monitoring from their universities.

The policy breakdown reflects the chaotic nature of this extraordinary semester, when schools are struggling to deliver both in-person and remote classes; to identify, isolate and treat coronavirus outbreaks; and to maintain safe behavior among sometimes unruly undergraduates.

At the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Brianna Hayes developed a fever after a week at school, went to campus health services and was immediately assigned to a quarantine dorm for students with virus risks. Two days later, the university informed Ms. Hayes, a first-year student, that she had tested positive and would need to move again, this time to a Covid-19 isolation dorm.

But there was no university staff in the dorm to help sick students, Ms. Hayes said, and during her week in isolation, she said, no one from the university came to check on her.

“I felt like everyone was only interested in how I was affecting others, like who I came in contact with, and then I was just left to be sick,” she said.

Amy Johnson, U.N.C.’s vice chancellor for student affairs, said the school worked hard “to facilitate an easy and comfortable transition for students,” and to keep “lines of communication open.” With more than 900 student virus cases over the last month, the university switched to online instruction in mid-August, but it has permitted some students with demonstrated needs to remain on campus.

Elsewhere in the U.S.:

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that an update on indoor dining in the city, which is currently prohibited, could come “as early as this week.” He added that the city would need to establish a threshold to shut down the activity in the event of an uptick in cases. His remarks came as Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo raised concerns about compliance, enforcement and safety standards. “We are trying our best to see if there’s a way we can give some clarity to the restaurant industry so they can have some option to keep going,” the mayor said.

The former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi was on Sardinia in August, as was his friend, the club owner Flavio Briatore. Now both are among hundreds of cases linked to the island, a favorite of rich partygoers.

It is unclear when or how Mr. Berlusconi and Mr. Briatore got the virus. What is known, though, is that the number of cases on the island shot up from a few dozen before the summer to more than 1,000 in a month.

Mr. Berlusconi, 83, lies in a Milan hospital with pneumonia. Mr. Briatore, who dropped in to pay him a visit at his Sardinian estate and who had publicly complained about what he said was an overreaction by the government to the pandemic, is quarantined.

In March, as cases and deaths exploded in the Italy’s north, the southern island’s governor, Christian Solinas, pleaded with the authorities in Rome to ban travel to Sardinia. The government obliged. For months, the island staved off the worst.

But August has been Sardinia’s hot season since the 1960s, and not even the pandemic could stop it.

Roberto Ragnedda, the mayor of the Sardinian town of Arzachena, said “10 days of madness” in August had caused “enormous damage to our image and to economy.”

Some offenders caught without a mask were required to lie down in a coffin. Others were ordered to sit in the back of a hearse.

As Indonesia’s coronavirus caseload surges past 200,000, some officials are finding creative ways to drive home the message that wearing a mask is necessary to prevent new infections.

In East Jakarta, the authorities punished several people with time in a coffin.

“The coffin is a symbol to remind people not to underestimate the coronavirus,” said Budhy Novian, head of East Jakarta’s public order agency. “It’s our effort to convey the message to the people: The Covid-19 number is high and it causes death.”

But officials halted the practice after critics pointed out that onlookers were violating social distancing rules by crowding around to gawk and take photos.

Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, passed 200,000 reported cases on Tuesday. New cases have been averaging more than 3,000 a day for two weeks, according to a New York Times database, and the death toll of 8,230 is the highest in East Asia.

Indonesia has one of the lowest rates of testing in the world, and its positivity rate is nearly 14 percent, slightly higher than Sweden’s and well above the 5 percent that the World Health Organization has given as a rough benchmark for relaxing social distancing measures. (A rising positivity rate can point to an uncontrolled outbreak; it can also indicate that not enough testing is occurring.)

Some independent experts suspect that Indonesia’s actual number of cases is many times higher than 200,000.

In Jakarta, the capital, officials erected a coffin-themed monument last week to highlight the rising death toll and remind people to follow coronavirus protocols.

Flouting the requirement to wear a mask in public in Jakarta is punishable by a fine of up to $67 for repeat offenders, a substantial sum for many residents.

Reporting was contributed by Aurora Almendral, Troy Closson, Emily Cochrane, Michael Gold, Maggie Haberman, Jason Horowitz, Mike Ives, Patrick Kingsley, Constant Méheut, Claire Moses, Richard C. Paddock, Alan Rappeport, Christopher F. Schuetze, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Natasha Singer, Karan Deep Singh, Kaly Soto, Megan Specia, Muktita Suhartono, Katie Thomas, Katherine J. Wu and Elaine Yu.

[ladystylestores]

Which international destinations are reopening to tourists?

(CNN) — Although most governments are still advising against “nonessential” international travel, a host of popular destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back.

Earlier this month, the European Union unveiled an action plan to reopen its internal borders in time for summer, while countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have formed “travel bubbles,” lifting restrictions for each other’s citizens.

A number of Caribbean islands are preparing to open their doors to foreign visitors in June, while destinations such as Mexico and Thailand are planning to open up again region by region in the coming weeks.

If you’re one of many travelers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, here’s a guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen, as well as some of those that are keeping their borders firmly closed for now.

Aruba

Aruba has issued “tentative” reopening dates, which fall between June 15 and July 1.

LUIS ACOSTA/AFP/Getty Images

The Caribbean island of Aruba is planning to open its doors to travelers once again at some point between June 15 and July 1.

However, the visitor’s bureau for the Caribbean island, which has reported just over 100 confirmed coronavirus cases, says this “tentative” date may change if Aruba opts to “consider additional precautionary measures as needed.”

Although there’s no mention of any Covid-19 testing requirements for arrivals, tourists will be required to undergo temperature checks on arrival.

While nonessential businesses including shopping malls, cinemas, beauty salons and outdoor restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 25, the island country’s 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew remains in place.

This means such establishments are required to close by 10 p.m. every day.

In addition, the department of Public Health has introduced the “Aruba Health & Happiness Code,” a mandatory cleaning and hygiene certification program for all businesses related to tourism in the country.

Bali

At least 6.3 million people visited Bali in 2019.

SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images

Bali has also been successful in containing its coronavirus outbreak, with less than 350 confirmed cases and, at the time of writing, a total of four deaths.

The Indonesian island now hopes to welcome tourists back by October, provided its infection rates stay low.

Bali’s economy is hugely dependent on tourism and visitor numbers have been rising in recent years, with around 6.3 million people visiting in 2019.

“The coronavirus has collapsed the Balinese economy … it’s been a steep drop since [mid-March] when social-distancing measures were put in place,” Mangku Nyoman Kandia, a Bali tour guide, told ABC News in April. “No tourist, no money.”

All foreign nationals, except for diplomats, permanent residents and humanitarian workers, are currently banned from Indonesia, and anyone entering the island must undergo a swab test and provide a letter stating they are free of Covid-19.

It’s unclear what the entry requirements will be if restrictions are lifted later this year, or whether Bali will accept travelers from regions badly affected by the pandemic.

Cyprus

Cyprus has pledged to cover holiday costs for Covid-19-positive tourists and their families.

Courtesy Cyprus Tourism Organisation

Cyprus is so keen to get its tourism industry back on track, officials are offering to cover the costs of any travelers who test positive for Covid-19 while on vacation in the Mediterranean island nation.

According to a letter shared with CNN, the Cypriot government will pay for lodging, as well as food, drink and medication for tourists who are taken ill with coronavirus during their visit.

The detailed plan was set out in a five-page letter issued to governments, airlines and tour operators on May 26.

Officials have also earmarked a 100-bed hospital for foreign travelers who test positive, while a 500-room “quarantine hotel” will be available to patients’ family and “close contacts.”

“The traveler will only need to bear the cost of their airport transfer and repatriation flight, in collaboration with their agent and/or airline,” states the letter.

The news came shortly after Cyprus Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos announced hotels in the country will reopen on June 1, while international air travel will restart on June 9.

Once the destination reopens, visitors from only chosen countries will be allowed to enter.

Incoming flights from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania will be authorized first.

From June 20, Cyprus will also permit incoming flights from Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

However, the list is to be expanded to include furthe23r countries in the coming months.

Travelers heading to Cyprus will need to provide a valid certificate proving they’ve tested negative for Covid-19, while they’ll be subject to temperature checks on arrival as well as testing at random during the course of their trip.

The destination has already put measures in place to protect travelers and residents, such as ensuring hotel staff wear masks and gloves, regularly disinfecting sunbeds and keeping tables at restaurants, bars, cafés,and pubs at least two meters (6.5 feet) apart.

Egypt

International flights to Egypt are likely to recommence during June and July.

MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images

Tourism brings in around $1 billion in revenue for Egypt each month, so the impact of the travel restrictions caused by the pandemic has been significant.

The government suspended passenger flights back in March, while all hotels, restaurants and cafes were closed and a night curfew imposed.

These measures are currently being relaxed, with hotels that meet certain requirements, such as having a clinic with a resident doctor on site, being granted permission to reopen for domestic visitors at a reduced capacity.

“A number of global carriers have expressed willingness to resume flights to Egypt in July, and as a result we are considering a gradual resumption of international flights beginning towards the end of this month and in the first half of July.”

France

Residents of France will be allowed to take holidays within the country during July and August.

DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images

France was the most visited country in the world before the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, like the rest of the EU, restrictions are currently in place on all nonessential travel from outside the Schengen Zone (a grouping of 26 countries which normally have open borders).

Travelers who do enter the country, with the exception of EU citizens or arrivals from the UK, will be subject to a compulsory 14-day coronavirus quarantine until at least July 24.

Although the government is slowly lifting lockdown measures, with car journeys of up to 100 kilometers now allowed and beaches beginning to reopen, officials have made it clear the country is in no hurry to ease border restrictions for international travelers.

“Since the start of the crisis, the closure of the borders is the rule, and the authorization to cross a border is the exception.

“What is good for tourism is often good for France, what strikes tourism strikes France,” he said during a news conference.

Although some businesses have been given permission to reopen, the country’s hotels, bars, restaurants and cafés are to remain closed at least until June 2.

Even then, it’s unlikely establishments in Paris, which has been marked as a coronavirus “red zone” by officials, will be allowed to open any time soon.

It was announced on May 29 that the country’s most visited museum, the Louvre, will reopen July 6.

“Tourism is facing what is probably its worst challenge in modern history,” added Philippe. “Because this is one of the crown jewels of the French economy, rescuing it is a national priority.”

He went on to state that residents can take holidays within France during July and August.

The country’s hotels will be reliant on domestic tourism once they do reopen, as all signs suggest international travelers will not be able to enter for the foreseeable future.

“When the lockdown measures soften, French tourists are likely to want to stay close to home in the short term,” a spokesperson for French hotel chain Accor told CNN Travel earlier this month.

“It will be the moment for them to rediscover their own country and we will be there to welcome them.”

Georgia

Georgia aims to welcome back international travelers from July 1.

VANO SHLAMOV/AFP via Getty Images

But the country was forced to close its winter resorts and place a ban on all foreign visitors back in March because of the crisis.

Eager to revive its tourism sector, the country’s government says it plans to reopen to international travelers on July 1.

The next stage will allow for domestic travel in special “safe” tourism zones, while the final stage involves reopening borders and resuming some flights.

“[The] tourism sector will be first to which emergency relief measures will apply.”

Germany

Restrictions in Germany are being gently relaxed as the country prepares to revive its tourism industry.

JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images

Although nonessential travel to Germany is prohibited at present, the land of poets and thinkers intends to lift restrictions for EU countries from June 15, according to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Officials are also considering allowing entry to visitors from Turkey, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, although a final decision is yet to be made.

The proposal was listed in a paper called “Criteria for the Enabling of intra-European Tourism,” which suggested the current travel warnings would be replaced by individual travel advice relating to each country.

“The revitalization of tourism is important both for travelers and the German travel industry, as well as for the economic stability of the respective target countries,” it reads.

The Austria/Germany land border is also reopening — travel between Austria and Germany will be possible from June 15 — and restrictions around the country are being relaxed.

While bars are still closed, restaurants began reopening on May 18, while hotels were permitted to open up again from May 29.

Greece

Officials in Greece are hoping to reopen the country on June 15.

cunfek/Getty Images

Tourism accounts for almost 20% of Greece’s gross domestic product, as well as one in five jobs, so it’s perhaps no surprise the Mediterranean nation is angling to reopen to tourists as soon as it possibly can.

The European country, which managed to keep its coronavirus case numbers low by implementing a strict lockdown early on, plans to allow travelers back in on June 15.

“The tourism period begins on June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on May 20.

“Let us make this summer the epilogue of the [Covid-19] crisis,” he added.

Mitsotakis went on to state that direct international flights to Greek destinations will slowly resume from July 1, and tourists from 29 designated countries will no longer be expected to take a Covid-19 test or go into quarantine on arrival.

However, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis has indicated health officials will conduct spot tests when necessary.

“The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what you’ve had in previous years,” Mitsotakis told CNN earlier this month.

“Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece — provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path.”

The 29 countries are Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.

Bars and restaurants have also been allowed to take up business again, while city hotels are scheduled to reopen on June 1, followed by seasonal hotels in July.

All international passengers had previously been required to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival or go into quarantine for 14 days.

Mitsotakis had suggested tourists would be required to undergo testing before their visit as a further precaution in the future, but it seems this is only the case for travelers from countries that aren’t on the list, which is based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency of airports worldwide “located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the Covid-19 infection.”

Italy

Italy is dropping its compulsory quarantine for arrivals in a “calculated risk” to entice tourists back.

PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images

Italy has been one of the destinations worst hit by the pandemic, but the hugely popular European country is keen to get its tourism industry up and running now that infection rates have slowed down.

Travelers from the EU, along with the UK and the microstates and principalities of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, will be allowed to enter without having to go into quarantine starting June 3, in a move the government has described as a “calculated risk.”

“We have to accept it; otherwise, we will never be able to start up again.”

Visitors were previously required to undergo a two-week quarantine before being allowed entry.

All museums, including Rome’s Vatican Museums, have been slowly reopening throughout May with strict social-distancing rules. Bars and restaurants were permitted to reopen with reduced numbers of diners as well as plastic shields to divide customers, on May 18.

The Maldives

Private jets and super yachts will be permitted to enter the Maldives from June 1.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The Maldives closed its national borders and canceled all flights shortly after recording its first two coronavirus cases in March.

The island nation, which is made up of over 1,000 islands, has recorded around 1,457 confirmed cases and five deaths from Covid-19 so far.

While it was previously thought the destination would reopen at the end of the year, officials have brought this forward to July.

A spokesperson for the tourism board has confirmed the Maldives will be open to tourists of all nationalities from July.

While a previous draft proposal indicated travelers would need to present a medical certificate confirming proof of a negative Covid-19 test, the new plans will see visitors allowed to enter the country without prior testing or a mandatory quarantine period.

There are also no new visa requirements or additional fees.

“We are planning to reopen our borders for visitors in July, 2020,” reads an official statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism on May 30.

“We also want to assure our guests that they will not be charged any additional fees to enter the Maldives.”

The government is also considering issuing a “Safe Tourism License” for tourist facilities that comply with government legislation and certain safety requirements, such as having a certified medic readily available and holding an “adequate stock” of PPE equipment.

But the destination’s tourism board has confirmed that visitors will not have to commit to spending a minimum of 14 days in the country, as was previously suggested, nor will they need to have a confirmed booking with a tourist facility with a “Safe Tourism License.”

The Maldives received more than 1.7 million visitors in 2019 and the destination had expected numbers to rise to two million in 2020.

Mexico

Over the coming weeks, Mexico will begin to open up region by region.

ELIZABETH RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images

Mexico is aiming to welcome visitors back within weeks.

While the nation remains in lockdown, with hotels and restaurants yet to recommence business, officials are planning to reopen the country bit by bit in order to get things back on track.

“The target is domestic travelers first, followed by travelers from the US and Canada and then the rest of the world.

The border between the US and Mexico border is closed to “nonessential” travel until at least June 22 and most international flights in and out of Mexico’s key airports are currently suspended or significantly reduced.

However, Delta Air Lines will be increasing and/or resuming various services from the US to Cancun, Mexico City Los Cabos and Puerta Vallarta in the coming weeks.

Quintana Roo, a state on the Caribbean side of Mexico that’s home to the likes of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, hopes to reopen in mid-June, according to Marisol Vanegas, the state’s tourism secretary.

“We want to revive tourism and expect to start opening sights and hotels sometime between June 10 and 15 but don’t know which ones yet,” she says.

“It depends on what the federal government allows us to do.”

Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, says he hopes to be able to accept both international and domestic travelers by August and September.

However, beach destination Riviera Nayarit, situated north of Puerta Vallarta, currently has no immediate plans to bring back tourists, according to Richard Zarkin, the public relations manager for the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Portugal

Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva recently declared that Portugal is open and “tourists are welcome.”

LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

Portugal is still in the process of relaxing lockdown restrictions, allowing restaurants, museums and coffee shops to reopen at reduced capacity from mid-May.

But the European country is keen to revive its struggling tourism industry, with Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva recently declaring “tourists are welcome.”

While visitors from outside the EU are banned until at least June 15, some routes in and out of Portuguese-speaking nations such as Brazil are still operating.

The land border between Portugal and Spain, which has been closed to tourists since March, is unlikely to reopen until EU travel restrictions are lifted.

“We are gradually going to start looking at easing border controls,” Internal Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said earlier this month.

Although the prospect of reopening to international tourists appears to be a little while off, officials are putting measures in place to ensure foreign travelers will feel confident to return once they’re able to.

Rita Marques, the country’s Secretary of State for Tourism, has launched a “don’t cancel, postpone” scheme, allowing tourists to reschedule any pre-arranged holidays to Portugal until the close of 2021.

This is valid for all bookings made through accredited travel agencies, along with hotels or Airbnbs, for trips scheduled between March 13 and September 30, 2020.

In addition, national tourism authority Turismo de Portugal has created a free hygiene-certification stamp to distinguish “Clean & Safe” tourism enterprises to increase visitors’ confidence.

Businesses will have to comply with hygiene and cleaning requirements for the prevention and control of Covid-19 to receive the stamp, which is valid for one year.

According to Santos Silva, Portugal’s airports will soon be introducing health checks for arrivals, but visitors will not be subject to a mandatory quarantine.

Spain

At least 84 million people visited Spain in 2019.

JAIME REINA/AFP via Getty Images

Spain’s lockdown was one of the toughest in Europe, but restrictions are gently being lifted. Beaches set to reopen in June while hotels in some parts of the country have already been permitted to resume business.

From July 1, the European destination, which welcomed a record 84 million visitors in 2019, will grant EU travelers permission to enter without having to quarantine for two weeks.

“Come July, we will allow the arrival of foreign tourists to Spain under safe conditions,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said at a recent news conference.

“We will guarantee that tourists are not at risk, and that they don’t represent a risk (to Spain).”

While there’s been little mention of opening borders to travelers beyond the EU, it’s thought Spain is hoping to follow the lead of destinations such as Lithuania and the Czech Republic by establishing safe corridors, or a “travel bubble,” with nearby destinations that have managed to keep the outbreak under control.

“The issue of borders will be accompanied by the evolution of the health crisis.”

At present, it’s mandatory for anyone 6 and older to wear face masks while in public, both indoors and outdoors, “where it is not possible to maintain [an interpersonal] distance.”

St. Lucia

St. Lucia will begin its phased reopening on June 4.

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

St. Lucia is one of several Caribbean islands trying for a tourism comeback.

The tropical destination, which closed its orders to foreign travelers on March 23, is to begin its phased reopening on June 4, when it will lift it borders to visitors from the United States.

Those traveling to the country must present “certified proof” of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 48 hours of boarding their flight.

Visitors will also be subject to screening and temperature checks by port health authorities and must wear face masks and maintain social distancing during their visit.

Officials are also bringing in new safety measures for taxis to separate drivers and passengers.

“Our new protocols have been carefully crafted and will build confidence among travelers and our citizens,” Minister of Tourism Dominic Fedee said in a statement.

“The government of Saint Lucia remains resolved to protect both lives and livelihoods as it jump starts its economy.”

Local businesses have also been allowed to reopen, provided they have appropriate cleaning measures and social distancing measures in place.

Details of the second phase of the island’s reopening, which is to begin on August 1, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Thailand

Thailand plans to reopen different regions stage by stage towards the end of 2020.

JACK TAYLOR/AFP via Getty Images

Thailand has long been among the top destinations for travelers, receiving close to 40 million foreign tourists last year.

However, visitors have been banned from entering the Southeast Asian country since March because of the pandemic.

While the number of cases here has been relatively low in comparison to other destinations — Thailand has reported more than 3,000 confirmed cases and over 50 deaths — officials aren’t taking any chances when it comes to reopening the country.

“It is still dependent on the outbreak situation, but I think the earliest we may see the return of tourists could be the fourth quarter of this year,” Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) told CNN Travel.

The governor went on to stress there will be limitations on who can visit the country and what regions they can go to once restrictions are relaxed.

“We are not going to open all at once,” he added. “We are still on high alert, we just can’t let our guards down yet.

“We have to look at the country of origin [of the travelers] to see if their situation has truly improved.”

This effectively means Thailand is unlikely to open its borders to travelers from destinations that don’t appear to have the coronavirus situation under control.

Those that are given permission to enter may be offered “long-stay packages” in isolated areas “where health monitoring can be easily controlled,” such as the remote islands of Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui.

However, Thailand’s borders are firmly shut for the time being.

The ban on incoming international commercial flights — excluding repatriation flights — was recently extended until June 30 and Phuket International Airport remains closed.

Like many other global destinations, Thailand is currently focusing on domestic tourism.

In fact, some resorts and hotels have already been given the go ahead to reopen — Hua Hin, located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Bangkok, being one of them.

Shopping malls, museums, markets and some tourist attractions have also been reopening their doors, with Bangkok’s Grand Palace due to reopen on June 4.

Turkey

Turkey is aiming to receive international visitors from mid-June.

Burak Kara/Getty Images

Turkey made over $34.5 billion from tourism in 2019, and the transcontinental country is eager to get back in business.

According to Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the destination plans to restart domestic tourism by the close of May and hopes to receive international visitors from mid-June.

The country has set out new guidelines for its hotels and resort facilities, such as temperature checks at entrances and at least 12 hours of room ventilation after checkout. Guests will be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.

“The more transparent and detailed information we give, the more we will earn the confidence of tourists,” Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy told Reuters earlier this month while revealing plans to open around half of Turkey’s hotels this year.

Meanwhile, restrictions on intercity travel have been lifted, while restaurants, cafes, parks and sports facilities are permitted to reopen from June 1, along with beaches and museums.

Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest markets, is also preparing to reopen for the first time in two months on June 1.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai hopes to welcome back travelers by September.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

When the UAE, which is made up of seven emirates, closed its borders in March, the stringent restrictions included withdrawing tourist visas and banning all outgoing flights.

Now the Emirati authorities are gradually scaling down these restrictions.

In the past few weeks, hotels have started to reopen for domestic tourists at a reduced capacity and under strict guidelines.

In Dubai, guests are required to wear masks at all times and can only check in to rooms 24 hours after the previous guest has checked out.

Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, masks are also compulsory for guests and all returning employees be required to undergo Covid-19 screenings.

A number of shopping malls and restaurants in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah have been allowed to open their doors again, provided they follow strict sanitation and social-distancing rules, while Dubai’s public parks and hotel beaches are permitted to open for groups of up to five people.

Although flights remain suspended, the Emirates’ main airports are being reopened for connecting flights, while Emirates-based airlines Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia say they will recommence flight schedules in the coming weeks.

“We welcome the UAE authorities’ decision to re-open UAE airports for all connecting travelers. Emirates and Flydubai will shortly announce the resumption of passenger flights to more cities with connections to, and through, Dubai,” Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, tweeted on June 3.

“The decision includes Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport, and Sharjah International Port, and covers Etihad Airways, Emirates, flydubai, and Air Arabia.”

Despite this, officials are yet to offer a strong indication of when international tourists will be allowed to return to the Emirates.

During a recent interview with Bloomberg TV, Helal Al Marri, the Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, suggested that foreign travelers could return to the destination in July or September, depending on how the situation develops.

“The thing about this current scenario is it’s a global question: many airports internationally remain closed and it’s really about the bilateral discussions that are under way to have a coordinated approach to the reopening,” he said.

“We’re quite concerned about the timeline, that’s the main risk: is it going to be July when things open up? Is it going to be September?

“We just need to make sure we’re ready if things come earlier than expected.”

United Kingdom

A mandatory 14-day quarantine has been issued for all arrivals to the UK from June 8.

Maja Hitij/Getty Images

While other destinations are relaxing travel restrictions and bringing in measures to lure travelers back, the UK is choosing to enact stricter regulations.

Under the new rules, all arrivals will have to provide an address, at which they must remain for two weeks.

Those who break the rules will be subject to fines of up to $1,218.

The decision, which is to be reviewed every three weeks, has quashed any hopes of rescuing international tourism here in the coming weeks.

It’s thought the move may discourage airlines from restarting flight operations swiftly, while officials have warned there’s little chance of UK residents being able to go abroad this summer.

“I’m saying, right now you can’t travel abroad,” Transport Minister Grant Shapps said during a BBC television interview when asked whether UK citizens should book flights in July.

“If you are booking it, you are clearly by very nature taking a chance of where the direction of this virus goes and therefore where the travel advice is in the future.”

At present, hotels are primed to open in early July, but as EU border restrictions are still in place, it’s likely the UK will be focusing on domestic travel for now.

Luxury country house hotel Beaverbrook is one of many establishments eagerly waiting to be given the go ahead to open their doors again while implementing major changes to protect guests and staff.

“We’re still awaiting further clarity from the government on when the hotel can reopen, but we have been working behind the scenes to adapt our operations to ensure extra safety for both our staff and guests when we do,” a spokesperson from the Surrey hotel told CNN Travel earlier this month.

“All visitors and staff will be required to submit a temperature check on arrival and be asked to sanitize their hands when entering all buildings on the estate.

CNN’s Kocha Olarn, Karla Cripps, Shivani Vora and Elinda Labropoulou also contributed to this article.

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[bangkokjacknews]

Trump BANS ALL FLIGHTS from mainland Europe

DONALD Trump took the unprecedented step to suspended ALL flights from nearly all of Europe to the US for next 30 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a drastic move, the United States will bar entry from 26 European countries, except the UK and Ireland, for a month - as cases in the US exceed 1,200 with at least 37 deaths.

Trump made the announcement as he delivered a rare prime-time Oval Office address on the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday - amid fears it could kill as many five million Americans, according to WHO forecasts. The President said the European Union "failed to take the same precautions" as the US before announcing the travel restrictions - which will go into effect on Friday at 12am. He singled out the UK as an exemption to the ban - but there was confusion as a later statement from the Department of Homeland Security said only countries in the Shengen area of free movement would be barred, therefore meaning Ireland was also exempt. The DHS clarified that the travel restrictions would not impose a total travel ban on all of Europe or all US citizens. Just those countries in the the Schengen zone - which includes 26 mainland European counties that abolished border control at their entry points - would be banned. “These restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground,” the President told the American public, while emphasizing the need to remain calm. British and Irish travelers plus and American citizens who have undergone the "appropriate screenings" will be exempt from the month-long ban, along with cargo. Trump added that his administration would monitor the situation to determine if travel could be reopened earlier. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY STATEMENT Several countries in the Schengen Area will be impacted by the travel ban. President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation, which suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in certain European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States. These countries, known as the Schengen Area, include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. This does not apply to legal permanent residents, (generally) immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the proclamation. The DHS issued a second briefing on Wednesday that warned US citizens against all travel out of the country. In its Global Level 3 Health Advisory, the DHS said: "Many areas throughout the world are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and taking action that may limit taveler mobility, including quarantines and border restrictions. "Even countries, jurisdictions or areas where cases have not been reported may restrict travel without notice." PLEDGE TO WORKING AMERICANS Later in his dramatic address, the President vowed to "ensure that working Americans impacted by the virus can stay home without fear of financial hardship" - repeating pledges to ensure hourly workers were not impacted by enforced isolation. He also urged nursing homes to suspend visitations and said the administration were discussing school closures and social distancing. Americans, he added, should follow the guidelines put forward by their local officials and maintain high hygiene standards. Trump claimed the virus "would not stand a chance against us," saying he would extend the April 15 tax deadline and again suggesting a payroll tax holiday - but he did not confirm whether the latter would happen. The President added he was instructing the Small Business Administration to provide economic low-interest loans in affected states and territories to overcome coronavirus disruptions. And he called on Congress to increase funding for this program by an additional $50 billion.

Donald Trump took the unprecedented step to ban all travel from most of Europe to the USCredit: Getty - Pool

Dr Fauci informed reporters about the latest coronavirus updates ahead of Trump's addressCredit: Avalon.red. All rights reserved. His comments came after Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told Congressmen the virus is "10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu." But in his sombre address, Trump urged Americans to remain calm, saying: "From the beginning of time, nations and people have face unforeseen challenges". He touted the success of his swift travel restrictions on coronavirus hotspots for protecting the US from bigger outbreaks. "This is the way it was and always will be,” Trump said. “It only matters how you respond and we are responding with great speed and professionalism.” HUGE DISRUPTION His speech capped off the mounting effort to contain the virus and financial fallout intensified with canceled public events nationwide, universities moved to cancel in-person classes, and families grappled with the impact of disruptions to public schools. The Trump administration had floated several strategies this week - including the rare idea of declaring national disaster to unlock funding streams, hourly workers getting paid sick leave, and extending tax filing deadlines by three months, reports say. Speaking about the travel proclaimation, DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf said: "The actions President Trump is taking to deny entry to foreign nationals who have been in affected areas will keep Americans safe and save American lives. "I applaud the president for making this tough but necessary decision. "While these new travel restrictions will be disruptive to some travelers, this decisive action is needed to protect the American public from further exposure to the potentially deadly coronavirus. “In January and February, the Administration issued similar travel restrictions on individuals who had been in China and Iran. "That action proved to be effective in slowing the spread of the virus to the U.S., while public health officials prepared." Wolf said he intends to implement a Notice of Arrivals Restriction which requires that US passengers who've been in the Schengen Area "to travel through select airports" for enhanced screening procedures.

Trump had hinted 'various decisions' would be made amid the pandemicCredit: Avalon.red. All rights reserved.

The Trump administration has issued a sweeping ban on travel to and from most of EuropeCredit: Reuters Earlier Wednesday, Rick Pollack, President of the American Hospital Association, said he urged the government to declare a national disaster during a meeting with top administration officials at the White House. Pollack argued it was necessary to provide Americans with adequate care as the Trump administration also considers limiting European travelers. Italy has been especially hard hit by the deadly disease - with 827 deaths as of March 11 and over 12,000 cases as the coronavirus surged 31 per cent in just 24 hours. Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Congress, told staffers at a closed-door meeting as many as 70-150 million people in the country could contract the virus, Axios reported. Confirmed cases on American soil surged to well over 1,000 this week - with at least 37 coronavirius-related deaths in four states after California announced its fourth fatality on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that The Council of Foreign Relations even axed a coronavirus roundtable scheduled for Friday in New York due to the quick-spreading infection. The organization joins a long list of recently canceled or postponed events, including the E3 gaming expo, the Coachella music festival in California, and South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas. Several schools in New York have also shut down due to the coronavirus, most recently John Jay College and the College of Mount St. Vincent, both of which have at least one student who has tested positive for COVID-19. – You can follow BangkokJack on Twitter, Instagram, & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

[djseaward]

we are permanent residents.

the reason we decided to apply for permanent residence is, simply, that it's a longer visa. we have been on the two year freelance visa for ages and as many of you know, our last go-around was rough. it kicked our asses. after five years of residence in the czech republic and passing a basic language exam though, you may qualify for permanent residence. well, this was our first chance to apply (now having lived here for over six years) and the language test wasn't so difficult, seeing as we have lived here long enough to soak up loads of language and had three full years of czech lessons by that point.

there were a few funny things since i got that phone call from immigration in january that were a bit surprising. the first was that at our biometrics appointment there last month, we were asked if we wanted to speak english or czech.

WHAT?

i have heard from friends that the immigration ladies may be holding out on us, but now i feel like i know they have been! for those that don't know, it is a well-established fact that all business at immigration must be conducted in czech language. apparently, our czech was just passable enough to apply for permanent residence this past winter (by ourselves! no translators!) but now that we are permanent residents... we suddenly get a choice? shouldn't that sort of be the other way around? goodness! but i can't complain...

the second shock was learning that our residence permits are valid for the next TEN YEARS. (!!!!!) we had thought "five years" this whole time, which is still so much better than two years that it's worth applying, but ten years?! we were walking on cloud nine the entire rest of the month.

so, now what?

some people have been confused how to take the fact that we have permanent residence in the czech republic. i guess, it is one step down from having citizenship, and seems pretty serious. it doesn't change anything about how we feel about living here, however. we are happy living here for now, and plan to stay until we feel like it's time to go. so that's still the same deal.

speaking of going, no longer is this something i want to address. it is every expat's least favorite question: "how long are you staying?" a question we have been asked countless times, of course, but less lately. all's i know that we are happy here and are building a life here right now. as much as i love my hometown, i have always wanted something more.... international, cultural. even living in this smaller-sized city, i realized that it has all of that in spades. sure, sometimes the cinema doesn't play any dang english movies the entire winter (and i still never saw the new mary poppins) but regarding understanding, it’s getting better. i haven't been happier in ages. no anxiety, no panic attacks, no existential funks. that is far more than i can say for most other periods of my life.

the longer we stay, i realize, the harder it would be to extricate ourselves. almost certainly and rather dauntingly, the harder it would be to rebuild our lives in the united states again. but, you know what? we've done what i sort of feel is the near impossible. we came on a schengen visa, not even knowing how legally it would be possible to live in europe. we had many close calls, were really broke at several different points, thought we might get deported (okay, or at least not re-approved). we made it against all odds. i think we can take the chance to stay here a bit longer. besides, after you've successfully navigated your legal residence in a country where you barely speak the langue, i think we can do anything. life is too short to stay in one place too long. for me, right now, it is.

(below, our gangsta-ass mugs in march 2013, having just received our first visas)

just for fun, let's look back on some high and low points in our journey of legally living in europe...

summer 2011 - cynthia and alex decide they will move to europe in a year's time. the how is not important. the saving money is.

may 2012 - bought our plane tickets. one way. lots of people warning us and asking "how are you even going to stay there?" we don't even know ourselves, but trust that we'll figure it out. clicking that "complete order" button was one of the scariest and craziest things i can remember ever doing.

october 2012 - a couple weeks into our journey during our vagabonding around the UK phase, alex informs cynthia he has, like, no more money, dude. we enroll in a TEFL course in prague as to start thinking about a sustainable way to stay in europe as just work-staying around isn't going to last us too much longer, especially with the two of us depleting funds meant for one person.

mid-november 2012 - after one month in the schengen zone (france & germany), we arrive in prague and have one month down, two months ticking away on the clock. the feeling is palpable.

end of november, 2012 - we hire a visa specialist to help us "sort our f--king lives out". it works.

january 2013 - we officially submit our application for a freelance work visa at the czech embassy in bratislava. about a month and a half later, we go back to pick it up. we feel pretty cool and fancy because we get to stay in europe.

september 2015 - our first reapplication process goes okay, despite having to go to an apology session with the immigration office, telling them how sorry we are that our application was submitted late. (this was due to a variety of factors) after some time, we are re-approved.

september 2017 - it's time to reapply for our two year visas. we submit our reapplication.

march 2018 - "so, have you heard anything about our application?" "no ... have you?"

may 2018 - in true immigration form, a long long long long period goes by and then the first problem surfaces - we have the wrong insurance. cry a bit, spend loads of money, incur debt, but meet their requirements. resubmit. looking back, i am thanking my lucky stars this all happened in the spring and summer. if it were in the autumn, we’d have been ruined.

june 2018 - mere hours before we are to fly out on a vacation, receive a long, scary letter informing us we have days left (essentially) unless we can fix our taxes, which were done improperly this past spring.

july 2018 - month of stress and believing we are going to probably be deported. by some miracle, are granted ability to refile our taxes, one of the best hopes for being accepted.

early august 2018 - waiting, hoping, praying in berlin for a month, hoping the actual stress rash i got last month goes away soon because that thing is itchy. i scratch my legs and arms a lot. alex tells me to stop. scratchscratchscratch.

mid-august 2018: ACCEPTED! we found out while out to ice cream with natalye and family in berlin. we eat our ice cream even harder and with more vigor.

september 2018: during a trip to immigration, our friend and translator suggests that perhaps we should apply for permanent residence as "you guys should be eligible for that by now"! it's true, we had been eligible since about january of that year. find out we need to pass a czech exam, schedule it for the end of november. (good thing we had 3 straight years of lessons under our belt - definitely came in handy for situations like this one!)

december 2018 - after having passed the A1 czech language exam, we apply for permanent residence... ON OUR OWN... WITHOUT OUR TRANSLATOR... days before christmas. spend the last working days before christmas at social security and the financial office requesting various necessary forms. could be wrong, but i like to think that wishing our dear officers "veselé vánoce" may have endeared us a bit.

early january 2018, literally ten days after our application: ACCEPTED! danced around the room. the rest is history.

i'll leave you with a quote from cheryl strayed i often think about.... it’s a beautiful way of looking at those big life choices.

“I’ll never know and neither will you of the life you don’t choose. We’ll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was important and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn’t carry us. There’s nothing to do but salute it from the shore.”

thanks for your nice words on social media, friends. here’s to never talking about immigration again!