Category: ESTA News

Easter is right around the corner and while snowbirds in Florida return to their northern fold, a lot of travel is expected in the United States during the Easter period, like a post-pandemic effect.

The New York Times published an article on the subject last month, reporting that a significant increase in travel bookings, for the spring and summer seasons, had been seen by travel agents and operators. And the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), representing the global travel and tourism industry, predicts that bookings during the Easter period will increase by 130% compared to the same period in 2021. In sum, the WTTC not only expects outbound travel from the United States to increase, but also that travel and tourism to the United States will reach pre-pandemic levels in the current year, which could contribute about $2 trillion to the country’s economy. After two lean years, it’s rather welcome to fill the basket!

Relaxed restrictions

The easing of restrictions related to COVID-19, which is more part of everyday life around the world, is of course playing in the balance and gives hope to the travel industry of a strong comeback this year. According to the New York Times, the latter is already observing a marked interest among travellers for distant international destinations as well as for European cities. The article quotes the WTTC President and Chief Executive Officer as saying: “As travel restrictions ease and consumer confidence returns, we expect a welcome release from pent-up travel and demand. And the Easter celebrations can well testify to this! According to a report from Station 10 Tampa Bay, spring travel trends are expected to even surpass pre-pandemic trends. The expected phenomenon is due to more remote workers, giving parents and young adults the opportunity to travel this spring and summer. And we all know Florida is a real hot spot for that.

Numbers

In 2021, Florida welcomed approximately 122.3 million tourists, which is lower than the 2019 number of 131.069 million, but still up 54% from 2020. Of the 122.3 million travellers who visited the Sunshine State in 2021, 4.958 million of them were international tourists compared to 2.047 million in 2020, but down from the 9.801 million international tourists who visited the Status in 2019.

Canadian visitors

In 2021, only 580,000 Canadians visited Florida, compared to 1.358 million in 2020 and 4.988 million in 2019. If the predictions are good in terms of spring trends that should even exceed those before the pandemic, Florida will be filled with visitors from Canada who may come and eat their choco there or visit the Sunshine State in the summer!

New York State is again emerging as a “hotspot” for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

The number of confirmed cases is rapidly increasing across the U.S., with the majority of counties at high risk of COVID-19 concentrated in New York State.

New York State has 10 out of 14 counties designated as “high” in the nation’s COVID-19 risk level by counties released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the 19th.

Based on the number of new confirmed cases per 100,000 population and inpatients, the CDC evaluates and announces three levels of COVID-19 risk by county: low, medium, and high.

Newly released statistics show that only 14 counties in the country are rated at risk, of which more than 70% are in New York State.

Counties rated as high risk for COVID-19 in New York State are mostly western and northern regions, which are a significant distance from New York City. However, concerns are being raised about the rapidly rising risk of COVID-19 across New York State.

According to provincial government statistics, on the 13th of last month, the average number of new confirmed cases per 100,000 people on 7 days was 8.2, the lowest in eight months. However, it has increased rapidly since then, and now stands at 30.7.

In New York City, the situation is getting progressively worse.

Among the five boroughs in New York City, Manhattan was rated as “moderate” at risk of COVID-19. According to the city’s health department, in some parts of Manhattan, the confirmed rate of COVID-19 is over 15%. The other four, including Queens, are still at a ‘low’ level.

In this regard, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Bashan recommended the use of face masks in all indoor areas.

Nassau County, outside New York City, and Bergen County, New Jersey, also had a “moderate” risk.

In addition to the significant increase in the number of stealth omicron (BA.2) infections, the proportion of new sub-variants BA.2. The fact that there is is cited as a factor.

In particular, according to CDC statistics, the BA.2.12.1 mutation, which is known to be more contagious than Omicron, is becoming the dominant species, accounting for more than 52% of the Corona 19 strains currently spreading in New York.

ABC News reported on the 12th that U.S. airline passengers and public transportation users will continue to wear masks.

The Biden administration said the federal government’s mandatory in-flight mask wear, which is due to expire on the 18th, is currently being reviewed by the CDC based on scientific evidence, and new travel guidelines are likely to be extended.

As the mandatory indoor mask measures have been lifted across the United States, representatives of major airlines have requested the White House to withdraw the mandatory measures for air passengers to wear masks and the mandatory COVID-19 testing for foreigners entering the United States.

However, the CDC is considering extending the compulsory wearing of masks for aircraft and public transport users as there have been recent warnings that COVID-19 may re-spread and the rate of stealth omicron (BA.2) detection in the United States has increased. In fact, after European airlines lifted the mandatory in-flight masks, the number of employees confirmed to have COVID-19 surged.

The federal government began marking passports as a “third gender” on the 11th, not male or female.

The Department of State’s consular department posted a notice on its website on the same day saying, “Choose your last name.” According to this, when applying for a passport in the future, in addition to male (M) and female (F), ‘gender X’ can be selected.

Gender X is a non-binary (person with a gender identity that is outside the binary gender division of male and female), intersex (person with physical characteristics not defined in the definition of male or female), and people who feel uncomfortable with gender distinction. was introduced

The State Department explained through a question-and-answer section that there is no need to provide any other supporting documents when choosing a surname to appear on your passport. This is the same when choosing gender X as well as male or female.

The State Department said, “The last name on the passport application does not have to match the last name on the previous passport or other documents such as birth certificates or identification cards.” he explained.

The Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach (WPB) is buzzing with all the events and activities that take place each month. If you are interested in art, you can visit, from April 4, an exhibition by Devin Osio, artist in residence as part of the New Wave Residency Program. The Dominican American artist creates artworks showcasing Dominican culture through shrine-like paintings incorporating plants, animals and glyphs.

On April 8, 9 and 10, don’t miss the live music shows on the Rosemary Square terrace, in the evening for Friday and Saturday and in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.

Also at the Square, on April 24, there will be a local market from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., where you will find fresh and artisanal products such as guacamole, salsa, teas, spices, breads, nuts, dried fruits, spreads, dips, cheeses, French pancakes, candles, exotic juices, popcorn, turnovers, Baklava and other Mediterranean desserts, honey and ceviche.

Delray Affair The traditional Delray Affair will celebrate its 60th anniversary from April 8 to 10! The annual event will take place in charming downtown Delray Beach, considered the funniest town in the United States. The Delray Affair is one of the largest arts and crafts festivals in the Southeast, hence its nickname, “Delray’s Biggest Sunny Show,” featuring funkiest works and products from around the world.

The 16th Annual Deering on the Bay Seafood Festival will be held on Sunday, April 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay, Miami (16701 SW 72nd Avenue). Taste delicious catches from the sea, plus enjoy cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, fun activities for kids, the presence of stilt walkers from the Virgin Islands, a Bahamian Junkanoo musical parade and more on-site entertainment.

From April 22 to 24, it’s Pompano Beach’s turn to hold its annual Seafood Festival, with all types in addition to live music and local artists. The event takes place at Pompano Beach Community Park where there is ample parking.

On Friday, April 22, from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the 26th Annual Wine & Food Festival will be held on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, between SE 6th & SE 11th Avenue. Four wine tasting and gourmet food services will be on the menu, sourced from nationally renowned wineries and South Florida’s finest restaurants. The event is organized by the American Lung Association of South Florida.

Sanibel Island with Captiva Island, which extends it in a north-westerly direction, are two magnificent barrier islands of warm white sand bordering the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. Located a short drive from Fort Myers on the mainland, they have, since 2007 thanks to a drawbridge, become a very popular tourist and summer destination.

Sanibel is world famous not only for the seashells that can be picked up on the beaches, but also for its museums, its lighthouse, its historic village, and its sunsets, in addition to its wildlife refuges which occupy more than half of the island.

The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum showcases unique and wonderful seashells collected mainly from beaches of Sanibel and Captiva. Apart from the numerous temporary exhibits, there are more than 30 permanent exhibits, lectures, workshops and guided beach walks from Island Inn, Sanibel. The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is open each day for visits from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Several professional companies offer visitors magnificent outings on the high seas. Whether to admire fantastic sunsets at the end of the day, discover wildlife or even fish. There is something for all budgets.

The Sanibel Lighthouse is located at the end of Periwinkle way in 670 acres of parkland surrounded by vacant and unused old Floridian style cottages. Erected in 1884, the lighthouse, which is not open to the public, is a metal frame structure 98 feet high with a staircase of 127 steps.

The Sanibel Historic Museum and Village, founded in 1984, its mission is to preserve and share the history of Sanibel through the ages. You can see the original headlight lens. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With the arrival of spring and the return to a healthy and promising life, many are already planning a visit to Florida in the summer. And kind of like the icing on the cake, buying a cruise to celebrate the return of safe travel sparkles like the North Star at Christmas.

COVID infections are still possible and some cruises are stricter than others. Health rules are issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for cruise lines and ships that sail in US waters. These regulations vary according to the status of the boat and it is very important to know how to recognize yourself before boarding.

Before you even buy your cruise, check to see if the ship’s operator participates in the CDC’s COVID-19 program.

After spotting the boat of your choice on the website, the first tool displayed is a color-coding system, initiated by the CDC, showing the number of reported COVID-19 cases for that vessel. No need to elaborate on the meaning of the red and green rating!

But you should be aware that cruise ships designated “grey”, fly a foreign flag and have opted out of the CDC’s COVID-19 program while operating in US waters. It is therefore impossible to know the public health measures implemented on these ships. Therefore, the CDC has no information on precautions such as the use of masks, testing of crew members, or the vaccination status of travelers for these ships.

The code “yellow” means that the ship has reported that less than 0.3% of its passengers, and/or crew members, have COVID and that the CDC is monitoring the situation. The code “orange” indicates that the ship has reported that 0.3% or more of its passengers, and/or crew members, are fighting the virus – enough for the CDC to have to investigate.

With the start of the boreal summer season 2022, American Airlines resumes several seasonal services that were suspended for more than two years, the American carrier will resume operations to Spain from its East Coast hubs in Philadelphia (PHL) and Charlotte (CLT).

According to data obtained by Aviacionline through Aena Estadísticas in 2019, American Airlines mobilized 1,375,917 passengers and 26,847, 6 tons of cargo in 6,112 air operations between the United States and Spain, for this summer together with Iberia its Joint Venture partner will offer the largest seating capacity between both nations.

Resumption of flights from Philadelphia (PHL)

As of March 26, the U.S. carrier resumed operations in the Spanish capital with daily flights operated in 234-seat Boeing 787-8s, replacing the Airbus A330s that operated in the summer of 2019.

According to data compiled by Aena Estadísticas, this route in 2019 mobilized 136,578 passengers and 3,641.5 tons of cargo in 720 air operations.

On March 26 the U.S. company resumed operations to the Catalan capital with daily flights operated in Boeing 787-8 of 234 seats, replacing the Airbus A330s that operated in the summer of 2019.

According to data compiled by Aena Estadísticas, this route in 2019 mobilized 85,328 passengers and 837.8 tons of cargo in 410 air operations.

The China Eastern Airlines domestic flight carrying 132 people on board crashed into a mountain in southern China on the afternoon of the 21st March 2022.

According to the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the MU5735 airliner belonging to China Eastern Airlines crashed in a mountainous area near Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on the same day at 1:15 pm (local time) from Kunming, Yunnan Province, to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. confirmed to have done

The accident plane, a Boeing 737, lost contact at 2:20 pm, and then crashed down from an altitude of about 8,000 meters in two minutes.

A forest fire occurred in the area where it fell, according to state-run Central Television (CCTV).

An ambulance is currently approaching the scene, and no casualties have been reported.

Another witness said, “I heard the explosion and rode a motorcycle to the site about 10 km from the village.”

It is the first time in 11 years and 6 months since August 2010 that a large airliner crash occurred in China.

On August 24, 2010, a Henan Aircraft airliner took off from Harbin Airport in Heilongjiang Province and landed at Lindu Airport in Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province.

On the 21st, the State Department imposed restrictions on entry into the United States by restricting visa issuance to Chinese officials involved in oppression, including ethnic minorities and human rights activists, both inside and outside China.

Sanctions target Chinese officials believed to be responsible for or complicit in policies and measures that repressed religious leaders, members of ethnic minorities, dissidents, human rights activists and journalists both in China and abroad.

The State Department did not disclose specifically who the sanctions were or how many.

However, as Secretary of State Tony Blincoln urged the Chinese government to stop the genocide in Xinjiang, Tibet’s repressive policies and the suppression of basic freedoms in Hong Kong, it suggests that these figures may be related to human rights issues.

“The United States reaffirms its support for those who courageously speak up despite threats of retaliation,” Blincoln said. We will cooperate with the international community to ask questions.”

The Associated Press said the move was in addition to visa sanctions imposed during the Donald Trump administration for human rights violations in Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet.

In connection with China’s case of human rights abuses abroad, the Justice Department has indicted a former Chinese National Security Agency agent for trying to prevent the election of a Chinese dissident who recently ran for the U.S. Congress.

In 2020, eight people were charged with coercing a New Jersey man the Chinese government was pursuing to return to China.