Sunday, April 26, 2026

#EuropeanSemester – Commission presents Spring Package for a co-ordinated response to #Coronavirus pandemic – EU Reporter

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#EuropeanSemester – Commission presents Spring Package for a co-ordinated response to #Coronavirus pandemic – EU Reporter

The recommendations are structured around two objectives: in the short-term, mitigating the coronavirus pandemic’s severe negative socio-economic consequences; and in the short to medium-term, achieving sustainable and inclusive growth which facilitates the green transition and the digital transformation.

A refocused European Semester package

The Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy outlined the Commission’s growth strategy, based on promoting competitive sustainability to build an economy that works for people and the planet. With the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis this remains of utmost importance. The recommendations cover the four dimensions of competitive sustainability – stability, fairness, environmental sustainability and competitiveness – and also place a specific emphasis on health. The recommendations also reflect the Commission’s commitment to integrating the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals into the European Semester as they offer an integrated framework encompassing public health, social, environmental and economic concerns.

The recommendations cover areas such as investing in public health and resilience of the health sector, preserving employment through income support for affected workers, investing in people and skills, supporting the corporate sector (in particular small and medium-sized enterprises) and taking action against aggressive tax planning and money laundering. Recovery and investment must go hand-in-hand, reshaping the EU economy faced with the digital and green transitions.

The fiscal CSRs this year are qualitative, departing from the budgetary requirements that would normally apply. They reflect the activation of the general escape clause, recommending that member states take all necessary measures to effectively address the pandemic, sustain the economy and support the ensuing recovery. When economic conditions allow, fiscal policies should aim at achieving prudent medium term fiscal positions and ensuring debt sustainability, while enhancing investment.

Monitoring fiscal developments

The Commission has also adopted reports under Article 126(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU for all member states except Romania, which is already in the corrective arm of the Pact.

The Commission is required to prepare these reports for member states that are themselves planning – for reasons related to the coronavirus – or are forecast by the Commission, to breach the 3% deficit limit in 2020. The reports for France, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Spain also assess these Member States’ compliance with the debt criterion in 2019, based on confirmed data validated by Eurostat.

These reports take into account the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic on national public finances. In light of the exceptional uncertainty related to the extraordinary macroeconomic and fiscal impact of the pandemic, the Commission considers that at this juncture a decision on whether to place member states under the excessive deficit procedure should not be taken.

Next steps

A coordinated European economic response is crucial to relaunch economic activity, mitigate damage to the economic and social fabric, and to reduce divergences and imbalances. The European Semester of economic and employment policy coordination therefore constitutes a crucial element of the recovery strategy.

Against this background, the Commission calls on the Council to adopt these country-specific recommendations and on member states to implement them fully and in a timely manner.

An Economy that Works for People Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said: “The Coronavirus has hit us like an asteroid and left a crater-shaped hole in the European economy. This spring semester package has been recast and streamlined to provide guidance to our member states as they navigate their way through the storm. For this immediate phase, our focus is on investing in public health and protecting jobs and companies. As we shift to the recovery, the semester will be essential in providing a coordinated approach to put our economies back on the track to sustainable and inclusive growth – no one should be left behind. We also need reforms to improve productivity and the business environment. Once conditions allow, we will need to strike a balance between achieving fiscal sustainability while also stimulating investment.”

Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Nicolas Schmit said: “Supporting workers, reinforcing social protection, fighting inequalities and guaranteeing people the right to develop their skills will be top priorities for our economic response to the crisis, as well as to ensure inclusive green and digital transitions. We can only achieve this together. The European Pillar of Social Rights remains our compass in these endeavours. The post-coronavirus recovery must foster resilience and upward convergence by putting people at the centre.”

Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni (pictured) said: “The coronavirus pandemic and the necessary containment measures have dealt a brutal blow to Europe’s economies. These recommendations reflect that unprecedented situation. The priorities today are to strengthen our health care, support our workers, save our businesses. Yet the challenges we faced before this crisis have not gone away. So as we look to the future, our investment and reform objectives must remain focused on making a success of the green and digital transitions and ensuring social fairness. That also means everyone must pay their share: there can be no place for aggressive tax planning in a Europe of solidarity and fairness.”

Surveillance reports for Greece, Spain and Cyprus

The Commission adopted the sixth enhanced surveillance report for Greece. The report concludes that, considering the extraordinary circumstances posed by the Coronavirus outbreak, Greece has taken the necessary actions to achieve its due specific reform commitments.

The Commission has also adopted the post-programme surveillance reports for Spain and Cyprus.

More information

European Semester 2020 Spring Package: Questions and answers

Factsheet: European Semester Spring Package

Communication on the country-specific recommendations

Country-specific recommendations

Reports under Article 126(3)

Sixth enhanced surveillance report for Greece

Post-programme surveillance report for Spain

Post-programme surveillance report for Cyprus

European Semester 2020: Country reports

Spring 2020 Economic Forecast

Stability and Growth Pact

Macroeconomic imbalance procedure

The European Semester



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Some signs children may not transmit #COVID-19 two UK epidemiologists say – EU Reporter

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Some signs children may not transmit #COVID-19 two UK epidemiologists say – EU Reporter

There are tentative signs that children may not spread the novel coronavirus as much as adults, two top epidemiologists said on Tuesday, though they cautioned that the bad news was that human immunity may not last that long, writes Guy Faulconbridge.

As Europe and the United States try to get back to work after the first deadly wave of the novel coronavirus outbreak, world leaders are trying to work out when it is safe for children and students can get back to their studies.

The signs are that children may not spread it as much as adults, Dr Rosalind Eggo, who is on committees that advise the British government on its infectious disease response, told members of parliament’s upper house.

“We think that children are less likely to get it so far but it is not certain, we are very certain that children are less likely to have severe outcomes and there are hints that children are less infectious but it is not certain,” said Eggo of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

John Edmunds, a member of Britain’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told the House of Lords’ science committee that it was striking how children did not seem to play much of a role in spreading the novel coronavirus.

“It is unusual that children don’t seem to play much of a role in transmission because for most respiratory viruses and bacteria they play a central role, but in this they don’t seem to,” said Edmunds, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“There is only one documented outbreak associated with a school – which is amazing,” Edmunds said.

But he added there was potentially bad news, though, that human immunity to the novel coronavirus may not last long.



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#Coronavirus – Commission boosts urgently needed research and innovation with additional €122 million – EU Reporter

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#Coronavirus – Commission boosts urgently needed research and innovation with additional €122 million – EU Reporter

The new call is the latest addition to a range of EU-funded research and innovation actions to fight the coronavirus. It complements earlier actions to develop diagnostics, treatments and vaccines by strengthening capacity to manufacture and deploying readily available solutions in order to rapidly address the pressing needs. It will also improve understanding of the behavioural and socio-economic impacts of the epidemic.

Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya said: “We are mobilising all means at our disposal to fight this pandemic with testing, treatments and prevention. But to succeed against the coronavirus, we must also understand how it impacts our society and how to best deploy these interventions rapidly. We must explore technological solutions to manufacture medical equipment and supplies faster, to monitor and prevent the spread of the disease, and to better care for patients.”

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton added: “We are supporting the health authorities, healthcare professionals and the general public in all member states in tackling the coronavirus crisis. To this end, we are deploying innovative technologies and tools that can quickly be used to prevent, optimally treat, and recover from this pandemic and prepare for its aftermath. These include digital solutions and technologies such as telemedicine, data, AI, robotics, and photonics.”

The projects funded under this call should repurpose manufacturing for rapid production of vital medical supplies and equipment needed for testing, treatment and prevention, as well as develop medical technologies and digital tools to improve detection, surveillance and patients care. New research will learn from large groups of patients (cohorts) across Europe and better understanding of the behavioural and socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus epidemic could help improve treatment and prevention strategies.

The deadline for submission is 11 June 2020, while the call will focus on delivering results quickly. Europe, and the world at large, urgently need innovative solutions to contain and mitigate the outbreak, and to better care for patients, survivors, vulnerable groups, frontline health care staff and their communities. This is why the Commission aims to enable research work to start as quickly as possible through shorter timelines for the preparation of expressions of interest and for their evaluation.

The new solutions need to be available and affordable for all, in line with the principles of the Coronavirus Global Response. For this purpose, the Commission will include rapid data-sharing clauses in grant agreements, resulting from this new call, to ensure that findings and outcomes can be put to use immediately.

Background

This new special call under Horizon 2020 complements earlier actions to support 18 projects with €48.2m to develop diagnostics, treatments, vaccines and preparedness for epidemics, as well as the €117m invested in 8 projects on diagnostics and treatments through the Innovative Medicines Initiative, and measures to support innovative ideas through the European Innovation Council. It implements Action 3 of the ERAvsCorona Action Plan, a working document resulting from dialogues between the Commission services and national institutions.

The new call will cover five areas with the following indicative budgets:

  1.     Repurposing of manufacturing for vital medical supplies and equipment (€23 million)
  2.     Medical technologies, Digital tools and Artificial Intelligence analytics to improve surveillance and care at high Technology Readiness Levels (€56 million)
  3.     Behavioural, social and economic impacts of the outbreak responses (€20 million)
  4.     Pan-European COVID-19 cohorts (€20 million)
  5.     Collaboration of existing EU and international cohorts of relevance to COVID-19 (€3 million)

Cohort studies typically observe large groups of individuals, recording their exposure to certain risk factors to find clues as to the possible causes of disease. They can be prospective studies and gather data going forward, or retrospective cohort studies, which look at data already collected.

More information

 



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#ECB – Lagarde cheers Franco-German EU recovery fund plan – EU Reporter

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#ECB – Lagarde cheers Franco-German EU recovery fund plan – EU Reporter

Closing in on a deal after two months of often bitter talks, the European Union’s biggest powers proposed a fund on Monday that would offer non-repayable grants to EU regions and sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, with the cash borrowed by the bloc as a whole rather than by individual member states.

Although the plan still requires the consent of all EU members, it would be a big step towards debt mutualisation, once a taboo for German governments fearing that their taxpayers might be liable for the fiscal irresponsibility of others.

“The Franco-German proposals are ambitious, targeted and, of course, welcome,” Lagarde said in a joint interview with four European newspapers, after announcement of the plan sent the euro higher and reduced Italian bond yields.

“They pave the way for the European Commission to borrow funds over the long term and, above all, they allow a substantial amount of direct support to be provided to the countries most affected by the crisis,” Lagarde told newspapers Les Echos, Handelsblatt, Corriere della Sera and El Mundo.

Buying 1.1 trillion euros of debt this year, the ECB would be expected to buy any bonds jointly issued by EU members, keeping borrowing costs down and increasing the pool of coveted safe assets.

The euro zone economy is expected to shrink by a tenth this year, and even with many coronavirus restrictions already lifted, the recovery is expected to last well beyond this year.

Reflecting on a recent German Constitutional Court ruling that the ECB exceeded its powers with sovereign bond buys, Lagarde said the German central bank is under obligation to carry out the ECB’s decision.

“According to the Treaty, all national central banks should fully participate in the determination and implementation of monetary policy in the euro area,” she said.

Her comments may foreshadow a legal clash as the German court said the Bundesbank must quit the asset buys unless the ECB can prove they are necessary.

If the ECB fails that test, the Bundesbank is likely to face a conflict between its EU Treaty obligation and a ruling by the nation’s highest court.



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Sent home in stitches: 20 years ago, a motorbike accident put an end to my Thailand adventures

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Sent home in stitches: 20 years ago, a motorbike accident put an end to my Thailand adventures

Bangkok (CNN) — Every time I read a news story about a young traveler in hospital in Thailand struggling to get home following a horrible motorbike accident, my stomach twists into a knot.

Pre-Covid, these incidents would hit the local headlines all too often, with accompanying social media comments from readers usually falling into three categories:

1. Admonishing the victim for being foolish enough to ride a motorbike in a country with such dismal road safety records.

2. Casting scorn on the injured party’s family for having the gall to set up a GoFundMe page when said person should have purchased insurance.

3. Fortunately, some sympathy.

I’m glad social media wasn’t a thing 20 years ago, when I was that unfortunate, naive backpacker, lying in a Koh Samui hospital bed with stitches covering significant portions of my body — including my tongue — and a plastic drainage tube in my knee.

A GoFundMe account, on the other hand, certainly would have been handy. I, too, was lacking adequate travel insurance and man did those hospital bills make my Canadian eyes, accustomed only to universal healthcare, water in shock.

First stop: Khao San Road

It was supposed to be a year-long adventure, backpacking through Southeast Asia with one of my closest hometown friends, Jodi, followed by a work holiday in Australia.

After saving for months, I’d quit my job as an assistant producer at a morning show at a TV station in Canada, telling myself this would be my last chance to see the world before getting ensnared by the three “Ms”– marriage, mortgages and motherhood.

Jet-lagged from the 20-something hours of flights, which took us from Edmonton to San Francisco to Seoul to Bangkok — we were backpackers, we went for the cheapest option possible — our eyes widened as we stepped foot on Khao San Road just two hours after we landed at Don Mueang International Airport.

Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.

Karla Cripps/CNN

The famed backpacker district, with its bright lights and pumping music, quickly sucked us in, its “booze vans,” pubs and cheap food helping us battle the scourge of jet-lag for the next several hours till we stumbled back to our guest house on nearby Phra Arthit Road, collapsing into our beds.

We spent the next few days plodding the well-worn tourist trail, Lonely Planet guidebook in hand, as we ticked off all the usual rites of Bangkok backpacker passage — elbowing through crowds at the Grand Palace, falling for tuk tuk scams and paying way too much for a long-tail boat tour of the Chao Phraya River.

Bangkok heat eventually getting the better of us — we couldn’t afford a hotel with a pool; even splurging on a room with A/C felt decadent — we decided to head north, meeting up with a friend from our hometown who had flew in from Australia. From Khao San Road, we took a night bus to Chiang Mai. It was a sleepless, bumpy ride, made worse by the smell of dog poop on the bottom of a fellow traveler’s shoe that wafted into my nostrils from the seat behind me.

Trekking in Northern Thailand.

Trekking in Northern Thailand.

Karla Cripps/CNN

A three-day trek through the green mountains of Thailand’s north quickly reminded us why we came to Asia in the first place — a wonderful, occasionally challenging experience that took us past scenic vistas and waterfalls.

Our nights were spent in local hill tribe villages, where we’d eat delicious, locally prepared food, paired with lukewarm cans of Singha before falling asleep on thin floor mats in small thatched huts.

Destination: Koh Samui

I’m grateful for those two weeks.

Because almost as soon as we left Chiang Mai, things began to unravel as quickly as a cheap crochet bikini top that’s been washed one too many times.

We arrived in Koh Samui after dark, following a series of rides on trains, trucks, boats and one sleepless night on the floor of the airport — in a panic, we foolishly jumped off at the wrong train station in Bangkok in the city’s Don Mueang district and couldn’t afford the nearby airport hotel.

The following morning, Jodi and I explored the island with our shared motorbike rental, hitting up the Big Buddha and other local attractions before heading back to our beach bungalow to get ready for dinner.

2. Karla Cripps Thailand

We spent the night on the floor of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport — even though we weren’t actually flying anywhere.

Karla Cripps/CNN

A lovely German medical worker named Arno, who was familiar with the island and also staying at our accommodation, offered to take us to a nice seafood restaurant on the beach.

The night was fairly uneventful — great food, nice weather — until the drive back to the bungalows. As anyone who’s been to Koh Samui knows, those roads are curvy, winding through the island’s jungle-covered hills.

On one particularly sharp turn, our motorbike hit a patch of loose gravel and skidded onto its side, slamming us into the tiny rocks, which embedded themselves into our new, open wounds.

Jodi was driving — a fact I love teasing her about to this day — and I was riding pillion. And, perhaps most embarrassingly, we weren’t wearing helmets.

Luckily, Arno was on his motorbike behind us and able to flag down a songthaew — a covered pickup truck with seats in the back designed to shuttle around tourists — and take us to an international hospital. I don’t remember much about the ride except that I looked down at my bloody hands, thinking to myself that something terrible had happened. The rest of the ride was a blur.

I recall lying on a bed with bright overhead lights and hearing screaming — I later found out it was me, hysterical as they cleaned out our wounds and stitched us up, with my tongue and knee particularly mangled. I can only assume my knee hit the ground first and I likely bit my tongue.

10. Thalland Karla Cripps

“Where are your damn helmets, ladies?!”

Karla Cripps/CNN

Several painful days passed.

Lying side by side, unable to walk due to our injuries, Jodi and I stared at the single English-language channel on the TV in our room in silent terror, waiting for the nurses to arrive for our daily wound cleanings.

I had never experienced a sense of dread quite like this before. The nurses would gently scrape the pus out of our wounds with scissors and douse them in iodine before putting on fresh gauze, a painful process that had us writhing in the beds in pain and fighting back tears as the women smiled nervously in sympathy.

No doubt, we weren’t the first damaged backpackers they’d laid their hands on and we certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Our insurance provider told us they’d cover our flights home — but not our medical bills. Foolishly, we assumed we wouldn’t need full coverage and just bought the basic policy.

“We’re young, we’re healthy, Thailand is cheap.”

Food is one thing. Healthcare is quite another. Being Canadian, where healthcare is publicly funded, we had no idea how much our treatment would cost.

It turned out, our bills had already ballooned into thousands of dollars, chipping away large chunks of the savings we’d worked so hard to accumulate to fund our once-in-a-lifetime journey.

We needed to get home fast — as uncomfortable as the journey would be.

Back to Canada, 11 months ahead of schedule

Arriving at Koh Samui Airport, I’ll never forget the looks on the faces of fellow air travelers as we were rolled into the departure zone.

With its thatched roof and open-air seating, this airport was designed to evoke feelings of escape, welcoming you to a delightful beach holiday filled with swaying palms and white sandy beaches.

We were the ultimate juxtaposition. There we sat in our wheelchairs, covered in gauze, splotches of iodine accentuating the “road rash” that covered us.

People stared and whispered, some approaching to ask what the hell had happened. I felt offensive. Ashamed, even, for ruining their final moments in paradise with my hideous presence.

8. Karla Cripps Thailand

Not the first tourist to wind up in a Thai hospital after a motorcycle mishap, and certainly not the last.

Karla Cripps/CNN

The flights back to Canada were a blur thanks to the strong painkillers the hospital gave us for the long journey that took us from Samui to Bangkok to Taipei to Vancouver to Edmonton — all followed by a three-hour drive back to our hometown, where our families lived.

My poor parents, from whom I inherited a life-long love of travel, were in Peru on their own adventure. I forbade anyone in my family from telling them about my troubles as I didn’t want to ruin their vacation. (Remember, this was the pre-Facebook days when such secrets could actually be kept.)

When they got back a week later, I surprised them at the front door, black eyes still not healed. Not the welcome home mother dearest was expecting, given I wasn’t due back in Canada for another 11 months.

Eventually, the wounds healed as most wounds do, leaving some badass scars that I’ve learned to loathe a little bit less with the passing of each year.

Today, I consider them a permanent souvenir of life’s unpredictability, a reminder to avoid casting judgment on others for their bad decisions and, most importantly, to always, always go for the full insurance package.

Jodi and I didn’t abandon our travel plans, either. We spent two months at home with our parents, then, sufficiently healed up, restarted our journey in Bali, where we traveled for six weeks before carrying on to Australia for our working vacation — albeit with a far tighter budget than intended.

Nearly two decades later, we returned to Koh Samui for a friend's wedding.

Nearly two decades later, we returned to Koh Samui for a friend’s wedding.

Karla Cripps

And the accident didn’t sour me on Thailand, either.

Just a few years after that Australia trip I moved here permanently and have lived in Bangkok for the last 17 years, happily ensnared in marriage and motherhood — though I could do without my mortgage.

Jodi and her family even flew here for a six-week visit in 2018, a trip that had us ziplining through treehouses in Laos and, yes, enjoying the beaches of Koh Samui we never had a chance to experience first time around.

Rest assured, no motorbikes were driven.

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Married but Living Far Apart

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Married but Living Far Apart

“I get so sad missing him, compounded with all the doubt about when we get to restore our easy travel to each other’s cities,” Ms. Schneider said. To keep connected, they exercise together via FaceTime and tune in to the same lectures, synagogue services and musical events via Zoom. “I put on lipstick, comb my hair and put on jewelry that Larry has given me,” Ms. Schneider said. When they spot each other, they say hello with the Carol Burnett “ear tug.” And, Mr. Moss added, “in the absence of physical intimacy, we are exploring modes of long-distance intimacy.”

Pamela Hinchman, 64, a voice and opera professor at Northwestern University, married Ted DeDee, 70, last year. Her outlook on marriage had always been that “you don’t have to be glued to someone’s hip,” she said. (She has been divorced twice, and he was a widower.)

When they got engaged in 2018, he was living a two-and-a-half-hour drive away in Madison, Wis., with no plans to move in with her in Evanston, Ill., though he was retired. When he told her that the La Jolla Music Society in California needed a new chief executive, she told him, “That’s perfect for you.” Six months before their wedding, he came out of retirement to take the job.

For nearly a year, they have flown more than four hours about twice a month to see each other.

But in January, Mr. DeDee decided he would leave his job in June to focus on a health issue. When the coronavirus threat ramped up, he said he moved up his departure to mid-March “so I can be with my wife, simple as that.”

The coronavirus has changed Ms. Hinchman’s outlook, too. “It’s surprising to both of us, but life together has been put into perspective,” she said.

In the face of so much uncertainty and fear, what she most wants is to be with her husband. “Now the biggest priority is being there for each other, in person.”

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Within a Week, They Fell in Love

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Within a Week, They Fell in Love

Clare Goslant was in search of an affordable place to live in Washington, when she took time off between her junior and senior years at Harvard for an internship with the World Wildlife Fund.

What she found was the International Student House, a community of young students and interns in the district that provides dormitory-style accommodations and two meals a day.

It was there where she also found Alex Plum, who was in a master’s program in East Asian studies at Georgetown’s foreign-service school.

“There was a group of girls, all the same age — 21 or 22 — we all had a bit of a crush on him, but thought he was dating someone else in the house,” said Ms. Goslant, 26. “I sent him a text message asking if he’d want to go out sometime.”

He did, though he tells a slightly different story. Mr. Plum, 29, had grown up in Asia. (His father was the regional president for a small-engine manufacturer.) He had returned to the United States for college and then had stayed for an advanced degree. The international milieu of the residence was familiar to him, and in his job at the front desk, he remembers having seen Ms. Goslant’s application and thinking, “She’s really cute.”

“When she did actually move in,” he said, “I remember seeing her at breakfast and just being really nervous. But eventually I got up the courage to sit down next to her and strike up a conversation.”

The two spent their first date at a briefing by the French ambassador about the European Union at the International Student House. Afterward, they went out for tacos.

They shared their first kiss that night. Both say that within a week, they were already in love.

“At least for me, right away, I knew she was the most caring, compassionate, beautiful person,” he said. “It was a wonderful experience, falling in love.”

“He has a vibrancy and humor and lightheartedness that I hadn’t encountered in anyone else,” she said.”

Ms. Goslant stayed until January 2017 before returning to Harvard, and then in May 2017 went back to Washington for another internship and another summer at International Student House with Mr. Plum.

After he received a master’s degree, he returned to Arizona State University, from which he had graduated and which was also near where his parents were living, in Tempe, and spent about a year working as an assistant director for Asian research. He also began the process of enlisting in the United States Marine Corps.

“He had had a lifelong dream of service that he felt he hadn’t completed,” Ms. Goslant said, though she remembers having questions about how it would affect their relationship. She is now an education assistant at the Boston chapter of Alliance Française, the language instruction and cultural organization.

Last November, at a Marine Corps ball in Las Vegas, Mr. Plum, now Lance Corporal Plum and a machine-gun squad leader, proposed. As his platoon faced imminent deployment this spring, the two decided to get married without planning a wedding.

On March 23, in Phoenix, they did just that. The Maricopa County Courthouse had limited service because of the coronavirus pandemic, but judges were still coming out after the close of court business each day to marry couples waiting there with licenses in hand.

“You pay the judge $100, ask the wedding party next to you if they’ll be your witnesses, and then the ceremony is over in like two minutes,” said Ms. Goslant. “But I was really shocked by how emotional I got during it. Up until that point I sort of looked at it in a more pragmatic way, and I was actually quite surprised by how genuinely emotional I was to be marrying my best friend.”

Ms. Goslant, now living with her parents in Cambridge, Mass., is considering taking the law-school entrance exam and other graduate school options. Mr. Plum remains outside of San Diego, at Camp Pendleton, awaiting deployment instructions.

Both are hoping to narrow the geographical gap after he returns. “It will be difficult but not impossible,” he said. “Nothing’s impossible. That’s the thing. There’s ways and means.”

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What To Do About Travel You’d Booked For Later In 2020

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What To Do About Travel You’d Booked For Later In 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the travel industry in unprecedented ways. With spring vacations canceled long ago and summer options looking grim, many travelers are wondering what they should do about trips they had booked for later in 2020.

Should they go ahead and cancel or postpone? Is it better to just wait and see what happens? Will international travel even be possible? Are refunds an option?

“Right now, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] tells us that all nonessential travel ― foreign and domestic ― is on hold,” Erika Richter, senior director of communications at the American Society of Travel Advisors, told HuffPost. “This is a rapidly evolving situation. However, we know one thing for certain: The virus is not under control. Therefore, travelers need to continue to consult with expert resources to understand the impact on their 2020 travel plans.”

Essentially, travel will return in phases, but there will be restrictions and considerations that affect individual travelers differently.

“Barring a miracle, there will be no vaccine this year,” said Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy. “Even if you can physically go somewhere, no one can make the decision for you about whether or not to make the trip. That’s a matter of personal risk analysis based on the information you have.”

So what major factors should people consider when assessing what to do about travel they had booked for later this year? HuffPost spoke to Kelly, Richter and other travel experts to find out. Read on for their guidance.

Don’t Hold Out Hope For International Travel

There are many factors to consider when assessing what to do about travel you had planned for later in 2020. A big one is whether the trip is domestic or international.

“Local and regional travel will come back first, potentially in 2020, depending on the experts’ advice,” said Richter. “International travel likely won’t see a return until 2021.”

Kelly told HuffPost he believes that many borders will open up later this year, allowing for the possibility of international travel. Still, he noted, “some countries may not let in people from the U.S. because of our inability to handle this like an adult.”

Even if international travel is technically possible, the decision to risk that option will be a personal calculation. It’s safe to assume informed travelers will take a more cautious approach amid the pandemic.

“We always tell travelers to reference objective third-party sources of information like the CDC and the State Department before making decisions to travel,” Richter explained. “Every traveler has their own level of risk tolerance, so it’s important that they are making informed decisions in consultation with expert advice. This also means that travelers need to talk to their health care provider before their next trip ― whenever that trip happens to take place. Every traveler is going to have a different health profile and vulnerability, which will certainly need to be considered before their next trip.”

In addition to concerns about the spread of COVID-19 in various countries, mandatory self-quarantine orders for foreign travelers may also make international trips less appealing.

“Some countries may not let in people from the U.S. because of our inability to handle this like an adult.”

– Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy

“Before you can cancel your plans down the road, it’s important to consider the purpose of your trip and where you’re headed,” said Rob Karp, founder and CEO of the travel planning service MilesAhead. “Consumers need to weigh out their region’s current travel restrictions along with understanding the restrictions being held in the destinations they plan to travel to.”

He added that travelers should think about how they could pose a risk to the destination they hope to visit.

Domestic Travel Will Likely Come With Restrictions

Domestic travel will be a safer, easier option, but there are still many factors to consider.

Even if nonessential travel is back on the table later in the year, some states may have mandatory self-quarantine orders in place. Budget travel expert Lindsay Myers advised paying attention to any travel restrictions at the destination you plan to visit and consulting expert sources.

“Listen and read about what is happening in the area that you want to visit,” she said. “This will help you have a more informed decision on what to do with your reservations.”

If you had planned to fly somewhere else in the U.S., turning it into a road trip may feel like a safer plan. The farther away the destination, the greater the risk to you and others, so consider a shorter trip to somewhere closer to home. Even just an afternoon drive for a hike or other outdoor activity can offer a nice break.

Still, the popularity of the destination is another factor to consider. U.S. beaches and state parks are already having issues with overcrowding.

“The busier the location, the more travel restrictions you are likely to face,” said Axel Hefer, CEO of hotel price comparison site Trivago. “Ask, ‘Will I feel comfortable making the trip?’ Similar to shorter trips, any travel to remote locations might be more manageable in the short term. Also keep in mind that experiences at your destination may be impacted, so you should check whether restaurants and other activities will be open.”

Even domestic travel may entail restrictions and other factors to consider. 

Although you may feel comfortable driving somewhere, there may be concerns about hotels or Airbnbs.

“If you do not feel safe about the cleanliness of your accommodation, try switching your house with a friend or family in another city for the weekend,” Myers suggested. “It gives you a chance to get away and break out of your everyday.”

If There’s A Penalty For Canceling Now, Just Wait And See

After conducting your personal risk analysis, you may feel inclined to cancel your trip. But it could be prudent to hold off, especially if it means incurring a penalty.

“It pays to wait until the last minute to cancel your flight,” said Myers. “Travel has been brought to a standstill, and there is so much uncertainty about when it will come back. Do not cancel your flight because this turns the cancellation into a voluntary cancellation of your reservation. When this happens, the airline does not have to refund you or help you in any way.”

Voluntary changes and cancellations are often subject to fees. Many airlines have implemented more flexible cancellation policies amid the pandemic, but if you’re looking for a full refund, it may be worth waiting to see what happens. Myers noted that many airlines are still canceling flights as they approach their scheduled departure dates, which qualifies more travelers for a refund attributed to an involuntary change.

“It pays to wait until the last minute to cancel your flight.”

– Lindsay Myers, budget travel expert

“It doesn’t cost you anything to keep the option open, even if the end result is the same,” said Konrad Waliszewski, co-founder and CEO of the travel app TripScout. “Consumer protection regulations for COVID-19-related cancellations are only likely to get more consumer-friendly and transparent over the coming months as well.”

For other travel reservations, such as hotel rooms, you should similarly take the time to figure out your options. Travelers can contact the hotels where they reserved rooms or the booking platforms they used to learn about the cancellation policy and what plans they have in place for the remainder of the year.

“The hotel and Airbnb industry have been hit very hard during this pandemic,” said Myers. “If you booked directly with the hotel, contact the hotel directly to discuss your options on moving your date or completely canceling your booking. Airbnb already has cancellation processes with their hosts in place. Hotels and third-party platforms have been constantly updating their reservation policies because of the pandemic.”

If There’s No Fee, Canceling Now Could Help You Save Later

There are reasons you may want to cancel sooner rather than later. For one, travel companies’ cancellation policies are changing rapidly, and the flexibility we’re seeing now not is guaranteed in the long term. Plus, if you’re able to cancel now without incurring a fee, you could even get a better deal later.

“If you’re able to cancel your bookings with no penalty, then you should cancel now,” advised Waliszewski. “If your trip actually becomes possible and safe, then prices will certainly be much cheaper than your original booking, and it’s the one time you don’t have to worry about everything being booked.”

Airlines, hotel chains and other travel suppliers are offering different refund and voucher options for cancellations. If you’re loyal to a major airline or hotel chain, you may feel comfortable accepting a credit instead of a refund.

“Consumers need to ask themselves if that credit is something you’ll actually utilize at another time,” Karp said. “You should also factor in your confidence in the supplier. Is this a brand or company you normally book with and trust? Consumers are less likely to keep a credit with companies they don’t necessarily trust.”

Karp also noted that canceling a flight sooner rather than later may help airlines get a better sense of flight capacity and if that particular route is in demand. He and Richter both emphasized that postponing is an option as well.

“Although this may feel like a strange time to coordinate travel plans, suppliers are being flexible with bookings, vouchers and refunds now more than ever,” Karp said.

Even if you don’t know when it will be safe for you to take the trip you’d planned, you’ll likely be able to postpone again if need be.

Ultimately, travelers with trips scheduled for later in 2020 need to take stock of their current booking options, consult the most up-to-date guidelines and recommendations from public health and safety experts, follow the conditions in their destination of choice and consider personal health factors. These considerations will shape the best course of action.

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Reasons Why You Need To Visit Sicily

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Reasons Why You Need To Visit Sicily

Are you thinking of a beautiful island where you can take your family, next holiday?

Perhaps, you should choose Sicily that has gorgeous and Perfect Island. Sicily is one of the largest Islands in Italy and has seduced travellers with its natural and cultural treasures. It crows wonderful cool weather and varied range of culinary influences.

The Island is full of historical monuments, volcano and mountain scenery that abound it.

 

Here are just a few reasons why you need to select Sicily for your next holiday:

Beach

Everyone loves the calm, warm weather in the beaches, the sand and the perfect sceneries. Beaches in Sicily have the best most beautiful sceneries in the world. The favourable weather is enough to visit the beach for half a year—the glorious summers that stretch throughout the year and the mild winter that becomes a war spring.

Sicily has over 280 beaches that come in all forms and many colours from those in town to private inlets and coves. Most of the beaches have sparkling waters and surrounded with a rocky coastal landscape powdered with white sands.

Your main reason for visiting Sicily should be to spend time at the warm beaches, in Sicily, there are plenty of beaches to choose from.

 

Art

There is an abundance of historical sceneries that surrounds Sicily. The historic buildings that bring about a beautiful mix of cultures, churches and museums make it a perfect spot to bring your family. For instance, if you are searching for Greek architecture (though you are in Italy), you can visit the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.

 

Food

Sicily is the best place where you can find culinary delights and foodies. It doesn’t matter where you visit, in Sicily whether you choose to eat at the street or fine dining hotels the food is guaranteed to be delicious. They have a fresh and seasonal menu that gives you the temptation to taste.

Think of seafood, pizza, pasta and one’s that are coated in a cheese after all you have a variety to choose on, and you may choose either caponata, “involtini di pesce spada” or “con le sarde”.

 

Wine

Think of the long-standing wine traditions that will quench your thirst. In Sicily, you will get Marsala the popular most wine, Nero d’Avola, Syrah and one made from Zibibbo grapes. For the ones that love wine, you will fit right in.

 

Accommodation

It’s affordable and cheap to live in Sicily. Choose the best holiday destinations and accommodation with the best view of the beach. Most of the best hotels in Sicily have a hot spring and surrounded by dramatic views where you can do walking, boating and flora hunting.

 

Conclusion.

Sicily has been developed for tourist attraction, and the locals are kind hosts who are eager to show off their Island and make travellers feel at home. So, if you are planning for a vacation, make sure you select Sicily and write it as your first choice. Wait no more, book a trip to Sicily.

It is a truly great island, and you will not regret it!

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NIMH » Get Excited about the Brain!

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NIMH » Get Excited about the Brain!

A coloring and activity book for kids ages 8-12

Did you know the human brain generates enough electricity to power a small lightbulb?

This free, printable coloring and activity book for children ages 8-12 features exciting facts about the human brain and mental health.

Download and print the PDF version today!

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