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SS Future Re-Open Plan: Timing, Testing Needs??!!

TLCOhio

By TLCOhio,
in Silversea

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Lois R Great Review Rare

Lois R

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, WesW said:

JP, just posted this on another thread (maybe we will have Moon in Greece this summer)

 

On FB a canceled guest said that the Moon's summer itineraries (June thru early Sept) will now be Greece.  The Resumption of itineraries page on SS website is now updated as of April 8 and says the Moon's first voyage is in June. However, the main SS website shows no summer itineraries--yet.

 

Believe something in the Silversea itinerary kitchen for the Moon this summer is in the oven.

Good morning Wes, I wasn't going to say anything but since you posted this........I heard 

the same thing......A great possibility Greece is in the fold.😃.....it may be hot in the summer

there but WOW, I would love to be on that ship to see Greece.😃

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Silver Spectre "Live from...." Rare

Silver Spectre

Posted
Posted

Seabourn announced Greek cruises from July a couple of days ago, and will require full vaccination from an ‘approved’ Covid vaccine, administered at least 14 days before sailing. The announcement doesn’t say approved by whom. I would suspect that SS will have to follow the same requirement.

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Silver Spectre "Live from...." Rare

Silver Spectre

Posted
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2 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

Seabourn announced Greek cruises from July a couple of days ago, and will require full vaccination from an ‘approved’ Covid vaccine, administered at least 14 days before sailing. The announcement doesn’t say approved by whom. I would suspect that SS will have to follow the same requirement.

Now updated to require vaccination, and starting in June.

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WesW "Live from...." Rare

WesW

Posted
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“Our guests share our excitement for our eagerly-anticipated healthy return to service. In recent months, we have seen the cruise industry resume responsibly in destinations around the world and we are delighted to announce these new inaugural sailings for our flagship,” says Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises. “Vaccinations will play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, which we prioritise above all else. Paired with our science-backed onboard procedures, which leverage on the expertise of the Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel, vaccinations will enable our guests to travel deep into the world once again, with a renewed sense of appreciation for our beautiful planet. Backed by the Royal Caribbean Group, we have introduced a range of initiatives—including our ‘Cruise with Confidence’ programme and our COVID-19 protections—to enable our guests to travel in superlative comfort and with unwavering confidence.”
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spinnaker2 "Live from...." Rare

spinnaker2

Posted
Posted

Lois yes i am considering  a booking.

if the price isn’t too outrageous.

 

I have been to many ports in Greece, but would love to go back. 

My grandmother came from Samos to the USA when she was about 14. 

I visited there a few years ago to meet my cousins.

 

 

 

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Lois R Great Review Rare

Lois R

Posted
Posted

Me too!  Just have to wait and see how much it will cost.........

 

The first time I sailed to Greece was back in 2012!  I LOVED IT but never went back! 

 

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crusinbanjo "Live from...." Rare

crusinbanjo

Posted
Posted
On 4/6/2021 at 7:30 PM, docruth said:

I’m posting this because I just have to laugh. I hope you will find it pretty silly. Global Entry was work up front, just precisely to speed me through the airport on the way to, and especially back home, from my travels. In their infinite wisdom, these folks think it would be oh so much better to do an interview with a CBP officer at the tail end. Aargh.

 

Dear Global Entry Applicant,

Instead of scheduling an appointment at a Global Entry Enrollment Center, you have the unique opportunity to interview for Global Entry when you return from your next international trip.

What is Enrollment on Arrival? Global Entry applicants who are conditionally-approved can complete their interviews, the last step of the Global Entry process, while they are clearing through United States Customs and Border Protection or Pre-Clearance. 

Enrollment on Arrival (EoA) is ONLY available at participating international airports in the United States and select Pre-Clearance locations and is NOT available on domestic connections.

Enrollment on Arrival is now available at the following locations: 

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)

Abu Dhabi international Airport (AUH)

Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix in Oranjestad, Aruba (AUA)

Baltimore/Washington International Airport (MWI)

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)

Calgary International Airport (YYC)

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Chicago Midway Airport (MDW)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) 

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

Denver International Airport (DEN)

Detroit Metropolitan International Airport (DTW)

Dublin Airport (DUB)

Edmonton International Airport (YEG)

Fairbanks International Airport (FAI)

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston

Halifax International Airport (YHZ)

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Honolulu International Airport (HNL)

John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (JFK)

John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)

Kansas City International Airport (MCI)

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)

Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK)

McCarren International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas

Miami International Airport (MIA)

Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

Montreal-Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport (YUL)

Luis Munoz Marin International Airport San Juan (SJU)

Lynden Pindling Nassau International Airport (NAS)

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)

Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport(SJC)

O'Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

OrlandoSanford International Airport (SFB)

Ottawa International Airport (YOW)

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)

Portland International Airport (PDX)

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU)

Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) 

Sacramento International Airport (SMF) 

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

San Antonio International Airport (SAT)

San Diego International Airport (SAN)

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Shannon Airport (SNN)

St. George’s Bermuda International Airport (BDA) 

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) 

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston

Winnipeg James Armstrong international Airport(YWG)

Check the CBP.gov website for an updated list of participating airports.

What do I do when I land in the international terminal? Follow the signage directing you to CBP officers who can complete your Global Entry interview during your admissibility inspection. In addition to your entry document (e.g., your passport), you will need documents providing evidence of residency. Examples are driver's license (if the address is current), mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill, etc. This is not required for minors. 

If you would like to save time and effort, then join the thousands of other conditionally-approved Global Entry applicants and participated in Enrollment on Arrival.

This is an automated email.

Please do not reply.

 

To which I say, “Don’t worry, I won’t!”. No shortage of geniuses over there at Global Entry. Can’t wait to see what they’ll want for Nexus, maybe a layover in Canada for an interview with CCDP and a two week quarantine in a hotel? Hey, that’s a way to get the hotels up and running! Shoulda been an insultant, with ideas like that.

 

Laughs,

 

Doc Ruth

I get the same email pretty frequently, I waited over 9 months for an interview, only to have it canceled with NO reschedule, all I get are these emails and with international travel off the table right now, there is no possible interview, so it was just a waste of my time and money.

 

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crusinbanjo "Live from...." Rare

crusinbanjo

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

Additional information on the SS website, negative Covid test before embarking, masks in indoor public areas (not when eating or sat in the bar), and only allowed ashore on an SS excursion wearing a mask.

well that would be  too much for me, I'll wait until things are better, or travel independently .

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Randyk47

Randyk47

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, crusinbanjo said:

well that would be  too much for me, I'll wait until things are better, or travel independently .


The ship conducted only tours is a deal breaker for us.   It’s not that we think SS tours are bad, indeed we’ve taken a number of excellent SS tours.   We’ve also done a number of private tours and self-guided tours which would be prohibited under the new rules.  Thinking of  Greece only we have probably spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 50+ days cruising in and out of Greece and the Greek islands plus probably another 10 days pre and post cruise land time.   We have collected a number of favorite restaurants, coffee shops, museums, local artists,  etc, etc, on the mainland and the islands.  The thought of not being able to go to some of these is not appealing.  We’ll just wait and maybe like Cruisebanjo travel independently.   

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Reef Knot

Reef Knot

Posted
Posted

I would be happy to comply with the new protocols for boarding and whilst on board. I'm so used to wearing a mask now when out in public places that donning one to walk the corridors whilst on board shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.

However my concern is the following

"All crew and guests will be required to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding. Only those who test negative will be permitted to board our ships"

So what happens when you have had the vaccination, fly to the embarkation port and and then test positive upon boarding?  I know its highly unlikely to test positive at that stage especially as you would off had a PCR test prior to flying but..... the possibility is there for a massive disappointment .

 

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Randyk47

Randyk47

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, Reef Knot said:

I would be happy to comply with the new protocols for boarding and whilst on board. I'm so used to wearing a mask now when out in public places that donning one to walk the corridors whilst on board shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.

However my concern is the following

"All crew and guests will be required to take a COVID-19 test prior to boarding. Only those who test negative will be permitted to board our ships"

So what happens when you have had the vaccination, fly to the embarkation port and and then test positive upon boarding?  I know its highly unlikely to test positive at that stage especially as you would off had a PCR test prior to flying but..... the possibility is there for a massive disappointment .

 


Therein lies the rub.   Obviously vaccination is not a guarantee you won’t catch Covid so it could happen.  Then add the possibility of a false positive.  Unfortunately it’s a slight but real risk.   Sure makes insurance that would cover those possibilities important.   

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taxatty "Live from...." Rare

taxatty

Posted
Posted (edited)

E-Mail message from SS just received:

 

 

Dear XXXXXXXXXXXX,

I understand that you share our excitement for our healthy return to sailing, and I extend my gratitude for your ongoing patience and support in this regard. Our team has worked tirelessly to enable our resumption of cruising.


I am pleased to be writing to you today with encouraging news that edges us closer to the moment in which we are all reunited on board our beautiful ships.

 

In line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for safe international travel and in recognition of the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations in ensuring the safety of international travellers, Silversea Cruises will require all embarking crew and guests to have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

As I’m sure you will agree, vaccinations will play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit, which we prioritise above all else. Vaccines will enable you to travel deep into the world once again, with a renewed sense of appreciation for our beautiful planet, in superlative comfort, and with unwavering confidence.

 

On this note, I am delighted to inform you that we will resume cruising in the Eastern Mediterranean aboard Silver Moon from 18th June 2021. Silver Moon – our new flagship – will depart on brand new 10-day itineraries from Greece. Including calls in some of Greece’s most beautiful destinations, such as Santorini, Paros, Mykonos, and Crete, as well as Haifa (Israel) and Cyprus. The new round-trip itineraries will be unveiled and on general sale from 15th April.

 

To help safeguard your health and wellbeing, we have introduced a comprehensive, multi-layered set of science-backed protocol, which have been informed and approved by the Royal Caribbean Group’s Healthy Sail Panel. Silversea will continue to work closely with relevant governing bodies and health authorities to evolve its health and safety procedures, as new health recommendations are issued and as the fluid situation advances.

 

The protocol founded on vaccinations will include enhanced sanitation procedures providing the highest standards of cleanliness in travel, increased air filtration to ensure the supply of fresh and filtered air from outdoors throughout the ship, high-quality onboard medical care with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and enhanced medical teams on each ship.

 

I look forward to contacting you in the near future with more exciting news about our healthy return to sailing.

 

Until then, stay safe and stay healthy and get ready to cruise again!

 

Roberto Martinoli,
President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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taxatty "Live from...." Rare

taxatty

Posted
Posted

As reported by the Miami Herald, Florida Governor DeSantis has now sued the federal government to get cruises restarted in Florida. 

 

Some cruise companies frustrated with the CDC’s process are planning to start cruises from Caribbean ports as soon as June, a move DeSantis said he doesn’t want to see continue any longer.

 

“Instead of flying to Miami, spending money to stay in our hotels, spending money to eat in our restaurants before they get on the ship, they’re going to fly to The Bahamas, and they’re going to get on the ships from the Bahamas, and they’re going to spend money in the Bahamas,” said DeSantis. “And they’re going to do the same thing they would have done, it just won’t be helping the state of Florida and it won’t be helping our folks here who really depend on it.”

 

The lawsuit, which Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said she filed Thursday morning but still hasn’t appeared on the federal judiciary’s court records site, is aimed at the Biden administration, the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC, she said.

 

Legal experts say the lawsuit has very little chance of proceeding. The federal government has very broad control to regulate ports of entry and international commerce.

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/tourism-cruises/article250505354.html

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TLCOhio "Live from...." Rare

TLCOhio

Posted
  • Author
Posted
2 hours ago, worldtraveller99 said:

Also a bit concerned re only an "approved" vaccine. Who is getting a vaccine which has not been approved? And some countries are anti the AZ vaccine, and that is what most of the (perhaps aged 50+) of us in the UK have had.

 

Much has been happening affecting these re-opening questions and is being shared on this very active thread. Appreciate ALL of these various comments and follow-ups.  

 

Above by worldtraveller99 raises an excellent question as the exact legal and practical meaning for what is an "APPROVED" vaccine??  Just by the U.S. and/or UK governments?  OK'd by some Euope countries?  China?  Russia?  India?  Is an "emergency" vaccine approval good enough and for how long of a time period?

 

From the Wall Street Journal's sister publication of Barron's  this morning, they had this headline: “How Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line Are Courting American Customers” with these highlights: “Unable to sail out of U.S. ports, at least two cruise operators have come up with plans to start voyages for American passengers this summer.  Royal Caribbean Group  recently said that it will offer sailings in June out of Bermuda and the Bahamas to fully vaccinated adult passengers and guests under 18 with a negative Covid test result.   Similarly, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings this week said that it will start offering voyages this summer from Greece, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica to fully vaccinated U.S. passengers. The crews will be vaccinated as well.  While the offerings won’t make up for the lack of business out of U.S. ports, which have been shut down since March 2020 due to the pandemic, they are effectively a way to work around the no-sail order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  In another move, Norwegian CEO Frank Del Rio wrote a letter this week to the CDC outlining a plan to restart sailing out of U.S. ports starting July 4 with mandatory Covid vaccinations for guests and crew.”

 

Here is more of their reporting today: "In an email to Barron’s earlier this week, a CDC spokeswoman said that the agency 'is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising following the recent update of the conditional sailing order.'   She added: 'This goal aligns with the desire to resume passenger operations in the United States expressed by many major cruise ship operators and travelers, hopefully, by mid-summer with restricted revenue sailings.'  Restricted revenue sailings refer to test cruises, a phase that would come before an official reopening.  UBS analyst Robin Farley believes that Royal Caribbean is best positioned for a restart in the U.S.—a scenario she expects to occur later in the third quarter.  Farley also points out that the company has spent heavily on developing private islands, including Perfect Day at Cococay, which opened in 2019 and is in the Bahamas.   All of the cruise lines have private destinations, Farley says, adding that those offerings allow these companies to carefully control the ports that their voyages go to. And they work well with shorter itineraries, something that’s expected to be offered a lot whenever the restart occurs."

 

Full story at:

https://www.barrons.com/articles/how-royal-caribbean-and-norwegian-cruise-line-are-courting-american-customers-51617895930

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 51,197 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

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TLCOhio "Live from...." Rare

TLCOhio

Posted
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Posted
1 hour ago, chrism23 said:

Thanks Terry.  But I am confused as hell and probably will be for sometime yet.  Now I don't care about the money, I am worried that SS will try to book us on The 6/21 Silver Moon trip that was cancelled seeing that it was the same time and same itinerary. Lastly and unrelated to health issues, there has been much press given to Venice cancelling cruise ship docking.  Amen.  Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

 

Agree above that these are very confusing times, especially if you have significant money down to a cruise line and with schedule changes/uncertainity, etc.  Also, agree that the potential changes for Venice spur major debate, question and discussion. Personally, super love Venice, especially in the evenings when the day-tripper mobs have departed.

 

From the Washington Post late this afternoon, they had this headline: “Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. Many countries may not hit that target this year.” with these highlights: “In the United States, the good vaccine news keeps coming. For much of the world, things look bleak. As of Thursday, just short of 20 percent of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated, giving some 66 million people a strong measure of protection.  By contrast, Covax — a World Health Organization-backed push for equitable distribution — aims to secure enough doses to cover up to 20 percent of the people in participating countries by the end of 2021, but it may not meet that relatively modest goal, experts warn.  The gap between the vaccine 'haves' and 'have-nots' is widening, fueling frustration and potentially extending the pandemic.”

 

Here are more details from this reporting: "So far, the vaccine race has been dominated by a handful of relatively wealthy nations: most notably Israel, where nearly 57 percent the population was fully vaccinated as of April 7; Chile, at about 22 percent; and the United States. Britain has been vaccinating rapidly, as well, but it has delayed second doses as it tries to get a first to as many people as possible.  Our World in Data estimates based on publicly reported data that at least 5 percent of the global population has had a dose, with the real number (incorporating China’s nonpublic tally) perhaps between 6 and 7 percent.  Priority-supply deals, export restrictions and other means of hoarding by rich nations have contributed to a severe global supply crunch and left many countries scrambling.  Some countries are still waiting for their first shots to arrive, or have just started vaccinating. A recent WHO estimate suggested that just 2 percent of the 690 million doses administered to date globally went to Africa."

 

For Silversea, noted for their great variety of worldwide itineraries, being able to sail to their varied, interesting ports poses a major challenge with the very limited vaccine prospects now in most countries.  Right??.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/percent-of-us-population-vaccinated/2021/04/08/034be0aa-971a-11eb-8f0a-3384cf4fb399_story.html

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Kotor/Montenegro:  Exciting visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 48,208 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193

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Randyk47

Randyk47

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, TLCOhio said:

 

For Silversea, noted for their great variety of worldwide itineraries, being able to sail to their varied, interesting ports poses a major challenge with the very limited vaccine prospects now in most countries.  Right??.  

 


Correct.  However I have always been of the view that barring any further complications cruising was going to take a year plus to even approach getting back a full slate of cruises.   We may very well see limited destinations and repetitive itineraries well into 2022 if not 2023.   I also think full fleet deployment is going to be problematic and that goes back to the potentially more limited destination choices.   

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worldtraveller99

worldtraveller99

Posted
Posted

I understand that all adults over 18 here - and now there are trials for children too - will be vaccinated by July, and that those over 70 will receive a booster this autumn - hopefully tweaked to include the known SA & Brazil variants. But does that leave us just cruising round the UK?

 

I cannot remember who above said that they had now postponed again their planned cruise to 2023, I still hope our July 2022 Alaska cruise will run!

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TLCOhio "Live from...." Rare

TLCOhio

Posted
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Posted
15 hours ago, Randyk47 said:

I have always been of the view that barring any further complications cruising was going to take a year plus to even approach getting back a full slate of cruises.   We may very well see limited destinations and repetitive itineraries well into 2022 if not 2023.   I also think full fleet deployment is going to be problematic and that goes back to the potentially more limited destination choices.   

 

Appreciate these above comments and the wise follow-up from savvy Randy.  For many reasons, including the complex rules from the CDC, it is going to be a slow, staged re-opening to cruising as we knew it in the "good, old days". Fortunately, in some areas, the vaccine is helping move us in the right direction.   BUT, there are many "if's" and unknowns, including as to the upcoming booster shots and the variants.  See below.    

 

From The Hill publication from the Washington, DC, area yesterday, they had this headline: “Moderna says its booster shot against COVID-19 variants is on the way" with this sub-headline: "Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks on Wednesday said the company should be able to supply booster shots by the end of 2021.”

 

Here are some of their story highlights: “Moderna may be able to provide booster shots for protection against COVID-19 variants by the end of the year. Reuters reports Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer Tal Zaks on Wednesday said the company should be able to supply booster shots by the end of 2021, adding that testing shows the boosters provide a confident level of protection against coronavirus variants. The National Institutes of Health began testing a booster shot from Moderna against a variant first found in South Africa that has given scientists some cause for concern compared with other strains.  The variant, B.1.351, appears to be more contagious than previous strains and could possibly evade some of the protections generated by therapeutics and vaccines, although preliminary evidence has shown current vaccines provide an adequate degree of protection against variants.  'Out of an abundance of caution, NIAID has continued its partnership with Moderna to evaluate this variant vaccine candidate should there be a need for an updated vaccine,' Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said last week.  Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the variant of coronavirus that originated in the United Kingdom, the B.1.1.7 variant, has become the dominant strain in the U.S.”

 

Full story at:

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/547143-moderna-says-its-booster-shot-against-covid-19

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Dubrovnik!  Nice visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 47,814 views.    

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227

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