#it was an outdoor event with a vaccination policy

[covidsafecosplay]

Do you have any general advice about being Covid safe at conventions? I've been under the impression that visiting any con, big or small, masked or not, immunocompromised or not, is a big no-no, since it's a place where several people gather indoors.

I, personally, will not go to cons right now, and it's a big part of why this blog exists in the first place.

I live in a household of disabled people, one of whom has a respiratory disease, and it's just not worth the risk to any of us. We are 100% avoiding anything with crowds. We don't even go to the grocery store if we can avoid it, and thank our lucky stars we live somewhere that we can access reasonably-priced grocery delivery. People call us paranoid, but none of us have gotten covid once, so I have no real desire to change what we're doing.

Every time I think, "hm, local covid numbers are dropping, maybe I can go to something" there's another spike in infections, so I've just kind of...given up. I used to perform at the local medieval faire, my husband used to do burlesque, and my entire household was generally really big into the local performing arts scene. We gave up trying to participate in anything when it became clear nobody was interested in hosting or attending virtual events anymore.

That said, I know "everybody please just stop going to cons" isn't exactly an effective covid safety policy. The "get back to normal" urge is strong, and as much as it pisses me off, people are going to do what they're going to do. I also know multiple people who pretty much have to go to cons because their income depends on artist alley profits, or they're employed in the industry and have to make con appearances as part of their job. Cons are back in full-swing, for better or worse.

For those who have to go to cons, or just really, really want to and can't be swayed, I recommend reading through the People's CDC's Safer In-Person Gatherings Guide. It was originally published in 2022, but the information is good. It covers things that event organizers can do to make events accessible, as well as personal safety precautions attendees should take.

If someone is going to attend a con, they need to:

Check if the venue has upgraded ventilation and covid policies in place (if possible). If the venue has poor ventilation and nobody else is going to give a shit whether you catch covid, maybe reconsider attending that particular event.

Mask up using a properly-fitted, NIOSH-certified N95 or better for the entirety of the event. Wear it properly over the mouth and nose.

Avoid crowded indoor areas as much as possible, sticking to smaller groups in outdoor areas where available.

Stick to small, consistent groups you can contact after the event in case of exposure, instead of mingling in large crowds of strangers.

Get vaccinated and boosted in advance of the event.

Avoid high-risk activities for at least five days prior to the event.

Complete a daily symptom checklist leading up to the event.

Take a covid test the day of the event to ensure covid-free status.

Complete a daily symptom checklist for five days after the event. Test immediately if any symptoms present.

Take a covid test five days after the event, even if no symptoms present. Asymptomatic transmission is still possible.

If testing positive for covid, alert other attendees so they can get tested.

All this info is taken from the People's CDC link, which has become my go-to covid information resource. I and this blog are totally unaffiliated with them, but following their guidelines has helped keep my family 100% covid-free for the entire duration of the pandemic.

If anyone needs inspiration for covid-safe cosplay activities outside the convention scene, or ideas for making your covid mask match your cosplay, I have a post about that here. I also have a post with links to free mask patterns and tutorials here.

[syncretic-scathach]

Got back from my sister’s wedding! The hair stylist turned me into a Gibson girl and it was glorious. It was great to see the whole family in one place, it was the first time it’s happened in years.

Unfortunately... Gentleman Scholar and I caught the most recent iteration of COVID, so things will be quiet around here for a bit. Get the booster if you can!

[drdemonprince]

something im kind of connecting the dots to re: your posts about shaming people who don’t wear masks…in ‘20 and ‘21 I spent a lot of time posting shaming instagram stories telling people they needed to mask, and i yelled at family until i was blue in the face bc they weren’t masking, having big weddings, etc. and it really created a rift (obviously) in my relationships. I’ve also spent a lot of time and energy in the past 4 or so years telling people that it’s not possible to be an ally to trans people if they still engage in any media created by jk rowling. Especially given that her anti trans manifesto has been cited in anti trans legislation in the uk, she says that she assumes that anyone who continues to engage with Harry Potter media approves of her transphobia, etc the list goes on. And yet i still see my friends going to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, marathoning the movies with their friends, going to see the new movies in theaters, and so on. Obviously my aggressive shaming posts and conversations (which have alienated a lot of people) aren’t doing jack shit. Your mask shame posts made me realize that it probably wasn’t right of me to do that. But I don’t see how I can stand up for what I believe in and show people that it’s not okay to keep doing this shit AND play nice and not create trouble. Do you have any thoughts?

Thanks for this great question and for sharing your experiences.

I think when we shame, part of it is a grappling with our own powerlessness. It feels terrible to confront that no matter how much we care, and no matter how much we plead, we cannot make another person take action. When people we love or rely on won't hear our pleas and won't take action, it wounds us so deeply, and it makes sense we react in anger or seek to shame them hoping it will make them care. But it isn't effective.

I think one of the first steps is accepting our powerlessness as individuals. We have to stop expecting ourselves to somehow persuade people to change their behavior and views, when all the research indicates that such change is rare, slow, and very hard, and cannot be accomplished on a person who does not already want to be influenced. We have to sit in the humility of not being able to make others care, and take time to grieve how badly it hurts. Our understandable and huge hurt feelings need to be processed. many of us have a powerful need to express our rage and have it witnessed by others who understand.

From there, we have to think very strategically about what kind of collective work we can do that will shift social norms, facilitate the behavior we want to see, and fight for systemic changes that will actually address the root issues.

This may be things like passing out masks at protests. Joining a local mutual aid fund to contribute to the expenses of people who are quarantining. Protesting an event space to make them institute a masking policy. Unionizing with our coworkers to demand paid sick leave. Shoplifting tests and redistributing them to people in need. Terrorizing the business leaders who dragged us all back into the office. Sharing the wastewater data. Asking loved ones about their COVID mitigation decisions in a sincere way. Organizing outdoor events for our communities. Paying for a buddy's vaccine.

There are countless ways for us to be plugged into an active community that is larger than us. The work is humble, and ongoing, and what you do personally will never be enough on its own, and you must accept that in order to believe that it does not have to be. We are in this together.

In short, I think the tough emotional realities of feeling disrespected and not cared for much be addressed by finding community with people who do care and will give us room to voice our outrage. And then we have to work together to create the circumstances that allow real systemic change to germinate.

Right now, people conflate that emotional need to express rage with the political need to take action. And what feels cathartic to do or say is not necessarily what's persuasive. There has to be room for both.

[narwatharsh01]

Tourism Market: Trends, Growth, and Industry Players

Introduction

The global tourism market is a dynamic sector that continually evolves in response to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, and global events. As we delve into the current landscape, it is crucial to explore the tourism market size, growth patterns, industry trends, and key players that shape the sector's trajectory.

Tourism Market Size and Growth

The tourism market has witnessed remarkable growth over the past decade. According to the latest data the global international tourist arrivals reached 1.5 billion in 2022, marking a 4% increase from the previous year. The tourism industry's robust growth is attributed to factors such as increased disposable income, improved connectivity, and a growing middle class in emerging economies.

The COVID-19 pandemic, however, significantly impacted the industry in 2020 and 2021. International tourist arrivals plummeted by 74% in 2020, representing the largest decline in the industry's history. As the world recovers from the pandemic, tourism is experiencing a resurgence. The UNWTO estimates that international tourist arrivals will surpass pre-pandemic levels by 2023, emphasizing the sector's resilience.

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Trends

The tourism and hospitality industry is undergoing transformative changes driven by technological advancements and shifting consumer behaviors. One notable trend is the rise of sustainable tourism. Travelers are increasingly prioritizing destinations and businesses that adopt eco-friendly practices. Hotels, airlines, and tour operators are responding by implementing sustainable initiatives to meet the demands of environmentally conscious travelers.

Another trend shaping the industry is the integration of technology. From mobile apps for seamless bookings to virtual reality experiences, technology is enhancing the overall travel experience. The use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics is also becoming prevalent, enabling businesses to personalize services, predict consumer preferences, and optimize operations.

Tourism Industry Players

The tourism market is comprised of a diverse range of players, including governments, international organizations, tour operators, airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies (OTAs). Notable industry players such as Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking. com have disrupted traditional hospitality models, offering travelers a wide array of accommodation options and personalized experiences.

Governments play a crucial role in shaping the tourism landscape through policies, infrastructure development, and destination marketing. Collaborations between public and private sectors are essential to foster sustainable growth and address challenges such as over-tourism and environmental impact.

Tourism Market Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of the tourism market involves assessing key factors such as market dynamics, competitive landscape, and regulatory environments. The Asia-Pacific region has emerged as a powerhouse in the tourism sector, with countries like China, India, and Japan experiencing substantial growth. In contrast, established destinations in Europe and North America continue to attract millions of tourists annually.

The post-pandemic recovery has prompted a shift in travel preferences, with a surge in demand for domestic and outdoor experiences. Travelers are seeking off-the-beaten-path destinations, contributing to the diversification of the tourism market.

Travel and Tourism Industry Outlook

Looking ahead, the outlook for the travel and tourism industry is optimistic. The industry is expected to rebound strongly, driven by pent-up demand, increased vaccination rates, and the easing of travel restrictions. The global tourism market is projected to reach $11.38 trillion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2020 to 2027.

In conclusion, the tourism market is a vibrant and resilient sector that continues to adapt to changing circumstances. Understanding the market size, growth trends, industry players, and emerging dynamics is crucial for stakeholders navigating the evolving landscape. As the world reopens for travel, the industry's ability to innovate and embrace sustainable practices will play a pivotal role in shaping its future success.

[luciferspartner]

CW covid & ableism, rant incoming

getting more frustrated by the day at the lack of any kind of covid precautions in public spaces. masks gone from buses. mask policies gone from Uber/Lyft/taxis and any other kind of transit too. masks gone from fucking healthcare. masks and social distancing gone from grocery stores and pharmacies. outdoor spaces back to being crowded and maskless. no ventilation improvements. cleaning protocols getting dropped. getting dirty looks as the one masked person in the area (meanwhile strangers think it’s ok to touch my mobility aids which means an extra round of sanitation when I get home). even in medical settings where masks are required the staff don’t offer masks to the unmasked. or if masks are “strongly recommended” the staff saying “oh you don’t need t wear that anymore!” my fucking immunologist with single layer mask that doesn’t fit and falls below the nose. being at the ER waiting area sat next to families who are saying they’re all covid positive but masks pulled below their chins. the safety risks of asking other people to wear a mask while around us and the risks of saying nothing. isolation of losing access to spaces again. even disability support groups and disability events going in person only and maskless and no testing or vaccines and overcrowded with poor ventilation in physically inaccessible places. I have been so so so lucky and privileged to be alive this far into the pandemic but how the fuck are we supposed to survive this shit without totally reconstructing what community care means in the time of covid

[resiliencyprogram]

Top Corporate Wellness Programs in India: Enhancing Employee Well-being

Corporate wellness programs are crucial for improving employee health, boosting morale, and increasing productivity. Here are some of the top corporate wellness programs in India designed to enhance employee well-being:

1. On-site Health Check-ups

Regular health screenings for early detection of health issues.

Includes blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose level checks.

2. Fitness Programs

On-site gyms or subsidized gym memberships.

Group fitness classes like yoga, Zumba, and aerobics.

3. Mental Health Support

Access to counseling services and mental health workshops.

Stress management programs and mindfulness sessions.

4. Nutritional Guidance

Healthy meal options in office cafeterias.

Nutrition workshops and diet planning sessions.

5. Ergonomic Workspaces

Ergonomic furniture to reduce physical strain.

Workshops on maintaining proper posture and office ergonomics.

6. Health and Wellness Challenges

Monthly or quarterly wellness challenges to promote healthy habits.

Incentives and rewards for employees who participate.

7. Work-life Balance Initiatives

Flexible working hours and remote work options.

Policies supporting parental leave and caregiving responsibilities.

8. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Confidential counseling services for personal and professional issues.

Legal and financial advice support.

9. Preventive Health Workshops

Educational sessions on topics like diabetes, heart health, and cancer prevention.

Vaccination drives and hygiene awareness campaigns.

10. Team-building Activities

Outdoor activities and retreats to foster teamwork and reduce stress.

Regular social events and celebrations to build a positive work culture.

By implementing the best corporate wellness programs in India, companies can create a healthier and more productive work environment. Focusing on employee well-being not only benefits the individual but also enhances overall organizational performance. Investing in the best corporate wellness programs in India is a strategic move towards a healthier, happier, and more engaged workforce.

[realestateppcads]

Travel Industry Trends: Navigating the Future of Tourism

The travel industry has always been an ever-evolving sector, shaped by changes in technology, demographics, and global events. As we enter a new era, post-pandemic, the travel industry is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In this blog, we'll explore the latest travel industry trends that are transforming the way we explore the world and the strategies businesses in this sector should adopt to stay ahead.

The Travel Advertising Industry |7Search PPC

The travel advertising industry is an ever-evolving landscape, with businesses constantly seeking innovative ways to attract travelers and convert them into customers. One effective method in this industry is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. Among various PPC platforms, 7search PPC stands out as a powerful tool for travel businesses to target their audiences and drive conversions. In this article, we'll delve into the travel advertising industry and explore the role of 7search PPC in helping travel companies achieve their marketing goals.

The travel advertising industry is highly competitive, with countless players vying for the attention of travelers seeking their next adventure. Whether it's airlines, hotels, travel agencies, or tour operators, the need to effectively reach and engage potential customers is paramount. This industry encompasses various marketing channels, including social media advertising, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click advertising.

Sustainable Tourism

Sustainability is no longer a buzzword; it's a guiding principle for the travel industry. As travelers become more conscious of their environmental footprint, the demand for sustainable tourism experiences has grown. From eco-friendly accommodations and responsible tour operators to reduced single-use plastics and carbon offset programs, the industry is adapting to meet this demand. Sustainable practices not only benefit the environment but also enhance a destination's appeal to travelers.

Technology and Innovation

Technology has been a driving force behind numerous travel industry trends. Mobile apps, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence have all transformed the way we plan and experience trips. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of contactless technologies, from mobile check-ins to digital boarding passes. In the future, travelers can expect even more personalized and tech-enhanced experiences, including virtual reality tours, AI-driven travel recommendations, and improved in-flight connectivity.

Health and Safety

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered how travelers perceive health and safety. In response, the travel advertisement industry has taken significant steps to ensure the well-being of its customers. Enhanced cleaning protocols, touchless services, and vaccination passports are just a few examples. These measures have not only become industry standards but also key differentiators for businesses.

Domestic Travel

The pandemic ushered in a resurgence of domestic travel. Travel restrictions, health concerns, and the desire for safer alternatives prompted many travelers to explore their own countries. This trend has continued, and businesses that cater to domestic tourists are thriving. Regional tourism has grown, leading to an increased focus on lesser-known destinations and unique local experiences.

Flexible Booking and Cancellation Policies

Travel uncertainty during the pandemic has forced businesses to offer more flexible booking and cancellation policies. This trend will likely persist as travelers value the ability to change plans without financial penalties. It fosters trust and loyalty among customers, knowing they can adjust their bookings as circumstances evolve.

Adventure and Outdoor Travel

As travelers seek open spaces and outdoor adventures to maintain social distancing and safety, adventure and outdoor tourism have gained popularity. National parks, hiking trails, and camping sites have seen increased foot traffic. Tour operators offering unique outdoor experiences are well-positioned to cater to this growing demand.

Workcations and Digital Nomadism

Remote work has blurred the lines between work and leisure, leading to the rise of workcations and digital nomadism. Travelers are combining work with travel, choosing destinations with reliable Wi-Fi and comfortable co-working spaces. This trend has created opportunities for businesses to cater to a new breed of travelers who value flexibility and work-life balance.

Wellness and Mindfulness

The pandemic's impact on mental health has given rise to a trend centered on wellness and mindfulness. Wellness retreats, meditation workshops, and spa vacations are becoming more popular. Travelers are increasingly seeking destinations and accommodations that prioritize their physical and mental well-being.

Cultural and Culinary Tourism

The desire to immerse oneself in local cultures and cuisines has always been a strong motivator for travel. This trend is evolving, with travelers becoming more adventurous in their culinary pursuits and seeking authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences. Food tours, cooking classes, and cultural exchanges are in high demand.

Responsible Tourism

Responsible tourism isn't just about environmental sustainability; it also encompasses ethical and social responsibility. Travelers now expect businesses to engage with local communities and contribute positively to the places they visit. Companies that demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility are gaining the trust of conscientious travelers.

Conclusion

The travel industry has experienced significant shifts and challenges over the past few years, but it remains a resilient and adaptable sector. Businesses that embrace these travel industry trends and prioritize sustainability, technology, health and safety, and the changing preferences of travelers are poised to succeed in this new era of tourism. As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of travel, staying attuned to these trends will be crucial for success, and the industry will continue to evolve, offering exciting new opportunities for travelers and businesses alike.

[blackberrycreekblog]

Join us for a special Halloween themed Llamas and Pajamas family movie night on Friday, October 21st from 4:00-8:30pm! Wear your costume to trick or treat at the animal barns, feed the pigs pumpkins and decorate a mini pumpkin to take home, enjoy face painting, hot apple cider, vegan treats, photo ops, and Halloween stories at the Book Barn! There will also be a pumpkin throwing contest with the winner receiving a $50 @theburgerpatch gift card! When the sun goes down, find your spot on the lawn to settle in for the classic movie, Hocus Pocus, under the stars! Tickets are limited and reserved with a minimum donation of $25/person (includes cider, treats, face painting, and a mini pumpkin to take home). Children under 2 are free. *Event is weather permitting. Refunds will be issued if weather is too stormy for this outdoor event. Important Information: - Any outside food or drinks brought in need to follow Blackberry Creek's vegan policy out of respect for our animals and mission. - Guests who are not vaccinated against COVID 19 must wear a mask as some of the stations will be indoors and/or in close proximity with other guests (e.g. face painting, sheep barn visits). Vaccination cards will be checked at the door and masks will be provided if needed. - Safety waiver and photo release must be filled out here for each guest (even infants and children) before the event. - Lawn chairs or blankets recommended. - Portable toilet and sink available during the event. - We are located at 1170 Pinecroft Road, Colfax, CA 95713. (at Blackberry Creek Farm Animal Sanctuary) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjbSlkGvYHe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[route22ny]

With Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations spiking around the country, dreams of a summer like those many us had in mind just a short time ago have faded.

The fully vaccinated have been told to resume wearing masks indoors. Companies and institutions are leveling vaccine mandates. And some municipalities are requiring people to show proof of vaccination to get into restaurants, bars, and gyms.

Confusion abounds about what is safe to do. (For the unvaccinated, there’s no confusion about what’s most important to do: Get immunized.)

To try to cut through the fog, STAT contacted three dozen epidemiologists, immunologists, and other infectious disease experts around the country to see how they are navigating the risk of Covid in these uncertain times. Twenty-eight responded.

STAT didn’t ask these experts to explain how they would advise others. Rather, we asked them to answer 10 questions — saying yes, no or only if masked — about their own willingness to engage in various activities, assuming they were vaccinated.

Their answers suggest that, with the highly transmissible Delta variant spreading, caution prevails. Those who know viruses best aren’t buying many movie tickets, and most aren’t eating indoors in restaurants.

But in other ways, responses diverged. And at least one expert suggested that geography really does matter when it comes to his own comfort level. Naor Bar-Zeev, a statistical epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, declined to respond to all but one of the questions, saying answers are highly dependent on the circumstances of a place.

“In a place where most people are unvaccinated, or otherwise at high risk, and where there is active transmission, I should act more conservatively and with greater caution, even though I am protected from disease,” he said. “In a place where most people are vaccinated, and there is low transmission, one can be more permissive.”

Let’s unpack their answers.

Of the questions, only one earned a unanimous response: “Would you send your unvaccinated child to school without a mask?”

“Lord, no,” Paul Offit, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, replied. “NO!!! As a parent and a pediatrician, that is a terrible idea,” wrote Andrew Pavia, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Utah.

None of 27 people who answered this question expressed a willingness to send an unvaccinated child to school without a mask. Carlos del Rio, a professor of epidemiology and global health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, said he’d withdraw an unvaccinated child from a school if it didn’t have a mask mandate.

Children under the age of 12 cannot yet be vaccinated as none of the vaccines has been authorized for use in this age group.

The other school-related question — “Would you send your vaccinated teen to school without a mask?” — drew almost as fervent a response, with 24 of 26 saying no.

Ellen Foxman, an immunologist at Yale University, was one of the exceptions. “Yes, if the high school had a high vaccination rate/low Covid transmission rate and my family had no high-risk personal contacts,” she wrote. “If the school required all students and staff to be vaccinated, I would have no problem whatsoever with no masks.”

Pavia gave a nuanced answer for his support for masks for vaccinated teens. “If the vaccinated kids don’t mask, the unvaccinated are unlikely to mask and there is a risk of bullying. Masks for all is much more likely to work,” he wrote.

Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, said he not only wouldn’t allow a vaccinated teen to go to school without a mask, he’d demand the teen wear an N-95 respirator. Cloth face coverings aren’t enough to combat Delta, he insisted.

Shane Crotty, an immunologist at La Jolla Institute of Immunology, said he’d send teenagers to school with masks, but would be okay with them taking them off around friends outside of school or during an outdoor lunch break.

When the experts were asked whether they would eat indoors at a restaurant, responses were slightly more mixed. More than half of respondents said no, but six said they would, or would in off-peak hours, and three more said they would do it but would wear a mask when they weren’t eating.

Saad Omer, director of Yale’s Institute for Global Health, said he would eat indoors in a restaurant that required customers to show proof of vaccination. “I generally feel safe indoors in a restaurant as long as underlying community transmission is low and I’m eating with other vaccinated people,” wrote John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “However, I always prioritize eating outside where possible.”

That approach no longer seems viable to Syra Madad, senior director for the special pathogens program in the NYC Health + Hospitals network. “More than 95% of Americans live in areas of high or substantial community transmission so it’s no longer a matter of ‘Yes, I’ll eat indoors if I’m in an area of low community transmission,’” she wrote.

It seems like we’re over DIY hair — or so the answers to the question of whether the experts would go to a hairdresser or a barber shop would suggest.

All but four respondents said they would go to a hair salon or barber at this point even if they didn’t know the vaccination status of other clients. And even one of the four more cautious respondents allowed that she might consider it. “No, but if we are all far apart and there are few people I might with a mask,” said Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease physician at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Most people who said yes did so with the caveat that they’d wear a mask. Jesse Goodman, a professor of medicine at Georgetown University, said he would go only if he and everyone else in the place was masked. Akiko Iwasaki, a Yale University immunologist, said she would try to reduce the frequency of visits. But Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was in favor of professional hair care in general.

“I know how careful my hairdresser has been,” Marrazzo wrote. “She also needs financial support; my hair also needs it.”

Would the experts go to the theater to see a film? Seventeen said no.

“Non-essential,” said Shweta Bansal, whose Georgetown University laboratory studies how social behavior affects infectious disease transmission.

Florian Krammer, an immunologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in Manhattan, believes most people who are fully vaccinated are well protected at this point. He would go to see a movie wearing a mask.

Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, has a different view on Covid risks than some of the other people STAT polled. He (and others) believe Covid is going to become endemic — we’re going to have to learn to live with it. For fully vaccinated people, Adalja said, the risks even from contracting Covid are pretty low.

“That fact makes me comfortable as a fully vaccinated individual without underlying health problems to resume my pre-pandemic life because I am risk-tolerant and I know that if I am to get a breakthrough infection it is likely to be mild,” he said. Adalja said yes to all but two of STAT’s questions; he would not send an unvaccinated child to school without a mask and would not currently give a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

William Hanage, an epidemiologist in Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said he’d happily skip going to the movies, but his wife enjoys going. So he would go, wearing a mask.

There was almost an even split among the experts to the question of whether they would attend a large outdoor concert or sporting event, with a slight edge going to the “yes” side. Most of the 15 people said they’d do it if masked.

Robert Wachter, the chair of the University of California, San Francisco’s department of medicine, said he’d don a mask “if shouting people [were] at very close range.” Jason Salemi, an epidemiologist at the University of South Florida, said he “would not attend a large outdoor concert right now,” stressing the amount of Covid transmission in his state at the moment.

Move a mass gathering indoors and the answers shift. In response to the question of whether they would go to an indoor wedding or other religious service — one where they did not know the vaccination status of the other attendees — more of the experts said no.

Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease specialist and assistant professor in George Mason University’s biodefense program, for instance, would go to an outdoor concert or sporting event, masked. Even with a mask, she would not attend an indoor wedding or religious ceremony.

Emergency physician Uché Blackstock, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Advancing Health Equity, said she’d forgo indoor and outdoor large gatherings at this point.

We asked two questions about travel: “Would you travel to a part of the United States experiencing a surge in Covid cases?” and “Would you go on a non-essential international trip?” Surprisingly, there was slightly more willingness in the group to travel internationally than to domestic Covid hot spots.

In response to the former, Peter Hotez was succinct. “I’m living it,” said the Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, based in Houston-swamped Covid-19.

Del Rio, who lives in Atlanta, goes frequently to Miami to visit his son and his son’s family. “I am very careful when I travel,” he said. Since the pandemic began he has twice visited his mother in Mexico, “but at this point I am not going. May go later in the year,” he wrote.

Carl Bergstrom, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Washington, said he wouldn’t travel abroad now. Not because of Covid directly, but because he might get stuck somewhere if travel restrictions were instituted. Hanage and his family vacationed on Cape Cod this year instead of taking a planned trip to Iceland, for the same reason.

Nahid Bhadelia, director of Boston University’s Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research, said she would not travel to an American Covid hot zone if she could avoid it, but would travel internationally, if her destination had a high vaccination rate and a low transmission rate.

Angela Rasmussen, a coronavirus virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, said she would travel to a location in the U.S. having an upswing in Covid transmission, but would do it using precautions. As for international travel, “depends where, but masked,” she said.

Our final question was for the physicians in the group was this: “Would you recommend that patients who received the one-dose J&J vaccine get another dose of vaccine?”

Crotty, the immunologist at La Jolla Institute of Immunology, said yes; he tweeted recently about his support for giving J&J recipients an extra dose of vaccine to cope with the Delta variant. “I have had physicians emailing me thanks about my [Twitter] threads on this,” he said.

Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Lifespan Health System in Providence, R.I., said she’s waiting for guidance from the Food and Drug Administration. “But in the meantime, I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone who does get another dose.”

And Helen Keipp Talbot, a vaccine researcher at Vanderbilt University, pleaded the Fifth. Talbot is a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccination policy. “No comment,” was her reply.

***

About the Author: Helen Branswell

Senior Writer, Infectious Disease

Helen covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development.

@HelenBranswell

***

source: https://www.statnews.com/2021/08/17/whats-safe-to-do-during-summers-covid-surge-stat-asked-public-health-experts-about-their-own-plans/

[pixiedoodlein]

10 days until school and I’m no more decided than I was a week ago. I flip flop ten times day about what might be best. A is sick of hearing me talk about it. He doesn’t disagree with my risk assessment but he is sick of talking about it.

It caused an issue with his friend, a friend who is his best friend and is unvaccinated and works in a jail. Months ago we told friend he could only visit (this place is their boyhood dream) once he’s vaccinated. Friend typically believes in science and is very health conscious but his gf is a moron Trump lover and her family the same and that’s who he’s been spending all his time with since this all started. When I asked friend why he’s not vaccinated he said he’s young & healthy, didn’t trust the vaccines, would do it when they got full fda approval. Plenty of young healthy people are dead of this. Anyway then I asked ok so what if you give it to someone who isn’t and dies, people incarcerated in the jail he works in and don’t have the luxury of social distancing, and he was like eh whatever. So yes friend is an asshole, but his best friend for decades, friend has always been kind of an asshole but has many redeeming qualities too. So we said no visit. But then in July when there was no covid here and no covid where he lives and we were blissfully living our covid free lives we loosened up and said he could visit with two negative tests. But then covid got bad again and when asshole friend contacted A the other day to say he took time off in late Sept to visit, A said sorry, it’s fully fda approved now you have no excuses not to vaccinate, we’re worried about our unvaccinated kids, and as of now you can’t visit but hey maybe if you get vaccinated and the numbers look better we can reassess in a month and you can come. Friend was a total dick about it, didn’t understand our point of view at all, stressed A about it, who was in a bad mood about it for days afterward.

Then there’s the neighbors. I had a chat with the kids and a chat with the mom. I framed it as we love them so much and I know they’re careful but I think we should all be more careful while the numbers are so rising (aka only outdoor hangouts) and we are careful but I’ve heard terrifying stories from doctor friends about kids and babies getting very sick, and they have a baby who I don’t want us to make sick, and she said she agreed. The kids have been pretty good about making the adjustment from constant sleepovers to playing outside but M keeps asking me “the kids need to pee are they allowed to use the bathroom, the kids are hungry are they allowed to come inside even for one minute for a snack,” and I feel like the villain (I’ve been saying yes to pee, snacks I’ll bring out). Everyone’s been understanding but nobody is getting what I mean when I say only outdoor socializing. All the kids keep asking me when I’ll take them to town again for ice cream, “but it’s outside” (um yeah but the car’s not), asking their mom to ask me for sleepovers even though they know what the answer will be. The other day they were playing in our yard then it started raining and they were like “we can’t walk home in the rain”- I don’t want them to walk home in the rain, but again the car is indoors!- so I drove them home (but made M stay at our house). They’re not my kids so I can’t make them wear masks and it feels like now I am in the position of being the mean parent who’s psycho about covid, which in a way I am, but it would help me to stick to my guns and feel okay about sticking to them if the government policies matched the severity of the situation, ie mask mandates in public places (instead of stores posting polite recommendations), vaccine mandates, virtual learning options, etc.

Which brings me to school. After selling M hard on real school, then I sold her hard on home school. She already “did” 3rd grade last year (as much as me teaching her in my pajamas counts as doing), but this district has an earlier cut off than the city, so she’s in 3rd grade again here. Which is fine by me- her birthday is the same day as the very late nyc cut off (12/31) and I hated that she was the absolute youngest. I used to beg the school to hold her back and they’d say “but why she’s doing so well!” not understanding that I was thinking ahead to the teen years. But anyway, despite her haphazard pj’d professor, she seemed to learn a lot last year so homeschool this year could basically be unschool. She’d traipse around the forest identifying birds and trees with A and her brother, reading for pleasure, and I’d spend an hour here and there reviewing some worksheets with her so she’d be on track when she starts real school after she gets vaccinated. She was into the idea, until she found out she and one of the neighbor kids are in the same class. Now she absolutely wants to go to real school, AND ride the school bus. The school bus part makes me very nervous. While there is now a school mask mandate (but will it be enforced? what are their lunch procedures, what % of teachers are vaccinated, what % of the older kids in the same building as the little kids are vaccinated, did they actually really update their ventilation system?) and a bus mask rule, it’s a long rural route (15 min drive or 45 min bus) and I have no faith that bus windows will be open and all riders will be masked the whole time.

So just tell her she can go to school but has to be driven by a parent, right? Not so simple. I was offered a job at a (somewhat, commuting distance) nearby nonprofit- an easy low stress job in a bastion of liberalism with very very nice smart coworkers, excellent work life balance, a writing job that sounds made for me, like the job description is exactly what I would put together if I were putting together my dream job (except the pay, which is half what I was making at a fancy DC nonprofit, but high for this area, and our housing cost is half so it should be fine if A can get away from little guy long enough to bring in some money too). It’s mostly remote but approx one day a week in the office and some days there will be things I need to attend out in the community (not necessarily our community, they serve the whole region). It won’t always be the same day in the office and the office is an hour away- so on those days A would have no car to get her to and from school, since I’d need to leave before school starts and get home after it’s done. So I guess we need to buy a new car? Aside from this issue we really don’t need a second car now, were planning to get one eventually, but not until A’s business has enough projects to justify the cost.

Despite its many demands/challenges/ stressors, home school is sounding easier to me at this point (especially because she already did this grade), except she WANTS to go to school. Someone talk me out of putting some lipstick and a pantsuit on her and taking her to get vaccinated. I know, I know: the 5-11 dosage is 1/3 of the 12-adult dosage. The doctors I’ve spoken to are split on this hypothetical kamikaze mission. The doctors I’ve spoken to are also split on me and A going to a pharmacy now for booster. It’s been almost 6 months since our 2nd dose. We do not have compromised immune systems. This county has way more doses than demand and I would feel better sending M to school (bus or not) if we had our boosters and she had a first dose- moral and scientific quandaries aside- because there is A LOT of covid here now, a lot of covid everywhere now, and I feel like we are returning to regular life at the time when we should be most hunkered down.

Which brings me to the data. Per capita there are as many known cases here as in nyc, except nyc has a 50% higher vax rate, much more mask usage, better medical system. People are not getting enough tests here, there is a higher positivity rate, and so I think the actual number of cases is much higher than the reported number of cases. It seems like, friends here and in the city and in the suburbs (I just broke up with a friend in the suburbs because she professes to be a good democrat but is hosting a bonafide super spreader event and vacationing in a place with 39% positivity and a collapsed health care system), are thinking of covid as something you catch from strangers- they wear masks in stores- but aren’t careful at all around close friends and family (so many extended family gatherings, so many, cousins and grandparents and half-siblings and aunts and uncles and whoever), when this is a disease that kills via the people you love most, the ones who’d never intentionally hurt you.

[covidclinic]

Travel Safety Tips for COVID Times

Travel Safety Tips for COVID Times

Are you planning on traveling during the pandemic? Take care to avoid contracting COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could be ended with widespread vaccination, but it won't happen quickly.

Meanwhile, if you must travel, remember to take care to safeguard yourself and others. You're less likely to obtain and spread COVID-19 if you're completely vaccinated, but foreign travel can still increase your risk of contracting new COVID-19 variations. When possible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests deferring travel until you've been fully vaccinated.

Before You Travel:

Consider the following questions as you make travel arrangements:

-Have you Received a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Vaccinate yourself whenever possible. If the vaccine takes two doses, wait two weeks before traveling after receiving the second dose. It takes time for your body to establish immunity to any immunization. Once you've been fully vaccinated, you'll be less likely to spread COVID-19 and will be able to travel freely within the United States.

-Are you at a Higher Risk of Developing a Serious Illness?

COVID-19 can infect anyone, but it is more likely to cause serious illness in older adults and those of any age with certain medical conditions.

-Do you live with Someone who is at a Higher Risk of Developing a serious Illness?

Even if you don't have symptoms, if you get sick while traveling, you can spread the virus to the individuals you live with when you return.

-Do you have any Rules or Limits for visitors to your house or Destination?

Even if you've had all of your vaccinations, you must obey local, state, and federal testing and travel regulations.

Check Local Requirements, Restrictions & Situations:

Some state, local, and territorial governments have policies forcing people to wear masks or get tested, as well as requiring those who have recently traveled to stay at home for up to 14 days. To avoid unpleasant surprises and delays, check for limits at your destination and any potential stops along the way.

Keep in mind that legislation might change fast based on local situations. It's also important to remember that the COVID-19 situation differs per country, including the extent of distribution and presence of variants. Check back for updates as your vacation approaches.

Travel & Testing:

-For Vaccinated People:

The CDC notes that if you have been completely vaccinated, you do not need to be tested before or after your vacation within the United States, nor do you need to be quarantined once you return.

If you plan to travel overseas outside of the United States, the CDC recommends that you get tested only if it is required at your destination. Before entering the United States, you must have a negative test within the last three days of your arrival or documentation of COVID-19 recovery within the last three months.

Plan on having your blood drawn three to five days after your trip. When you get home, there's no need to quarantine. However, keep an eye out for any signs and stay at home if you do.

-For Unvaccinated People:

COVID-19 can be prevented by testing before and after traveling. The CDC suggests having a virus test one to three days before your vacation if you haven't been vaccinated. If you're awaiting test results, postpone your trip. When you travel, keep a duplicate of your results with you.

Three to five days following your vacation, repeat the test. Reduce non-essential activity for seven days, even if you test negative. If you are not tested, you should cut back on non-essential activities for ten days.

Stay at home if you test positive at any stage. If you develop symptoms, separate yourself immediately and follow public health recommendations.

Safety During Travelling:

Even if you are completely vaccinated, you must wear a face mask on planes, buses, trains, and other types of public transportation in the United States. The mask should be snug and cover your mouth and nose fully.

Take the following steps to protect yourself and others while traveling if you haven't got the COVID-19 vaccine:

-As much as possible, keep a distance of 6 feet (2 meters) between you and others.

-Avoid coming into contact with somebody who is ill.

-Commonly touched surfaces include handrails, elevator buttons, and kiosks. If you have to touch these surfaces, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer afterward.

-When there is a high danger of COVID-19 transmission indoors or outdoors, such as at a crowded event or large gathering, wear a face mask. If you are completely vaccinated or unvaccinated, you will need to follow different mask instructions.

-Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.

-Coughs and sneezes should be covered.

-Hands should be washed frequently. It's especially crucial after using the restroom, eating, and coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

-Hands should be washed often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

-Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water aren't accessible. -Cover all of your hands and rub them together until they are completely dry.

-On public transportation, avoid eating or drinking. You'll be able to keep your mask on the entire time.

Air Travel:

Most viruses don't transmit easily aboard planes due to the way air moves and are filtered. On crowded planes, however, social distancing is difficult. Additionally, flight travel necessitates time spent in security lines and airport terminals, which can put you in close proximity to other people.

At screening checkpoints, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has boosted the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and equipment, including bins. The following changes have been made to the screening process by the TSA: -During the screening process, passengers must wear masks. TSA officials may, however, require travelers to change their masks due to concerns about identification. -Instead of delivering boarding cards to TSA personnel, passengers should scan them and then hold them up for examination. -In a carry-on bag, each traveler may bring one container of hand sanitizer weighing up to 12 ounces (350 milliliters). These containers will have to be removed in order to be screened. -Personal belongings like keys, wallets, and phones should be carried in bags rather than dumpsters. This decreases the amount of time these things are handled during screening. Food products should be placed in a plastic bag and then screened before being placed in a bin. Screeners will be less likely to need to open carry-on baggage for inspection if food is separated from them.

Before and after going through screening, make sure to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Car Travelling:

You might not be a fan of flying. You might like driving since it gives you more control over your environment. You'll still need to be cautious about any stops you make, but that can be accomplished with a little forethought.

If you haven't been vaccinated, here are some things to think about before hitting the road:

-Plan to stop as little as possible, but if you grow drowsy, pull over. -Keep face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfection wipes in a handy area so you may use them whenever you need them while on vacation. -Prepare food and drink for the journey. Consider bringing nonperishable foods to hold you over if you have limited access to restaurants and grocery stores. -Before touching any handles or buttons when you require gas, clean them down with a disinfectant wipe. After fueling, wash your hands with hand sanitizer. -When you get to your destination, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. -If you want to get a bite to eat on the go, look for eateries with drive-thru or curbside service.

Other Land Transportations:

-If you are unvaccinated and travel by bus or train, be aware that sitting or standing within 6 feet (2 meters) of others for an extended length of time can increase your risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19. Take the procedures suggested above to keep oneself safe when traveling. -You may require transportation once you reach your destination, even if you fly. On the internet, you can look into car rental alternatives and disinfection policies. Whether you're staying in a hotel, see if there's a shuttle service available. -Maintain social distance, wear a mask, and use hand sanitizer or wash your hands after arriving at your location if you're taking public transportation. If you're using a ride-hailing service, avoid sitting in the front seat next to the driver.

Hotels, Motels & Lodgings: The hotel sector understands how concerned guests are about the coronavirus and their safety. Visit any large chain's website to learn more about how it protects its customers and employees.

The following are some examples of best practices: -Cleaning methods have been improved. -Distancing measures in the social sphere -Staff and visitors are disguised. -Payments are made without using any contact. -If a guest falls ill, follow protocol, such as sealing the room for cleaning and disinfecting.

When illness strikes, even the best-laid plans may have to be abandoned. If you or any of your traveling companions:

-Even if you don't have symptoms, you may be sick or suspect you have COVID-19.

-A COVID-19 virus test is awaiting findings.

-Even if you don't have symptoms, you've been diagnosed with COVID-19.

-Have you been near someone with COVID-19, whether suspected or confirmed, in the last 14 days, even if they didn't show any symptoms?

[warninggraphiccontent]

16 July 2021

Food for thought

At last week's Data Bites, I noted how 'Wales' is a standard unit of area. This week, along comes a map which shows that all the built-up land in the UK is equivalent to one Wales:

The map is from the National Food Strategy, published yesterday (and the man has a point).

It has divided opinion, judging by the responses to this tweet. I understand where the sceptics are coming from - at first glance, it may be confusing, given Wales isn't actually entirely built up, Cornwall made of peat, or Shetland that close to the mainland (or home to all the UK's golf courses). And I'm often critical of people using maps just because the data is geographical in some way, when a different, non-map visualisation would be better.

But I actually think this one works. Using a familiar geography to represent areas given over to particular land use might help us grasp it more readily (urban areas = size of Wales, beef and lamb pastures = more of the country than anything else). It's also clear that a huge amount of overseas land is needed to feed the UK, too.

The map has grabbed people's attention and got them talking, which is no bad thing. And it tells the main stories I suspect its creators wanted to. In other words, it's made those messages... land.

Trash talk

Happy Take Out The Trash Day!

Yesterday saw A LOT of things published by Cabinet Office - data on special advisers, correspondence with parliamentarians, public bodies and major projects to name but a few, and the small matter of the new plans outlining departmental priorities and how their performance will be measured.

It's great that government is publishing this stuff. It's less great that too much of it still involves data being published in PDFs not spreadsheets. And it's even less great that the ignoble tradition of Take Out The Trash Day continues, for all the reasons here (written yesterday) and here (written in 2017).

I know this isn't (necessarily) deliberate, and it's a lot of good people working very hard to get things finished before the summer (as my 2017 piece acknowledges). And it's good to see government being transparent.

But it's 2021, for crying out loud. The data collection should be easier. The use of this data in government should be more widespread to begin with.

We should expect better.

In other news:

I was really pleased to have helped the excellent team at Transparency International UK (by way of some comments on a draft) with their new report exploring access and influence in UK housing policy, House of Cards. Read it here.

One of our recent Data Bites speakers, Doug Gurr, is apparently in the running to run the NHS. More here.

Any excuse to plug my Audrey Tang interview.

The good folk at ODI Leeds/The Data City/the ODI have picked up and run with my (and others') attempt to map the UK government data ecosystem. Do help them out.

Five years ago this week...

Regarding last week's headline of Three Lines on a Chart: obviously I was going to.

Have a great weekend

Gavin

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Today's links:

Graphic content

Vax populi

Why vaccine-shy French are suddenly rushing to get jabbed* (The Economist)

Morning update on Macron demolishing French anti-vax feeling (or at least vax-hesitant) (Sophie Pedder via Nicolas Berrod)

How Emmanuel Macron’s “health passes” have led to a surge in vaccine bookings in France* (New Statesman)

How effective are coronavirus vaccines against the Delta variant?* (FT)

England faces the sternest test of its vaccination strategy* (The Economist)

Where Are The Newest COVID Hot Spots? Mostly Places With Low Vaccination Rates (NPR)

There's A Stark Red-Blue Divide When It Comes To States' Vaccination Rates (NPR)

All talk, no jabs: the reality of global vaccine diplomacy* (Telegraph)

Vaccination burnout? (Reuters)

Viral content

COVID-19: Will the data allow the government to lift restrictions on 19 July? (Sky News)

UK Covid-19 rates are the highest of any European country after Cyprus* (New Statesman)

COVID-19: Cautionary tale from the Netherlands' coronavirus unlocking - what lessons can the UK learn? (Sky News)

‘Inadequate’: Covid breaches on the rise in Australia’s hotel quarantine (The Guardian)

Side effects

COVID-19: Why is there a surge in winter viruses at the moment? (Sky News)

London Beats New York Back to Office, by a Latte* (Bloomberg)

Outdoor dining reopened restaurants for all — but added to barriers for disabled* (Washington Post)

NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return* (Bloomberg)

Politics and government

Who will succeed Angela Merkel?* (The Economist)

Special advisers in government (Tim for IfG)

How stingy are the UK’s benefits? (Jamie Thunder)

A decade of change for children's services funding (Pro Bono Economics)

National Food Strategy (independent review for UK Government)

National Food Strategy: Tax sugar and salt and prescribe veg, report says (BBC News)

Air, space

Can Wizz challenge Ryanair as king of Europe’s skies?* (FT)

Air passengers have become much more confrontational during the pandemic* (The Economist)

Branson and Bezos in space: how their rocket ships compare* (FT)

Sport

Euro 2020: England expects — the long road back to a Wembley final* (FT)

Most football fans – and most voters – support the England team taking the knee* (New Statesman)

Domestic violence surges after a football match ends* (The Economist)

The Most Valuable Soccer Player In America Is A Goalkeeper (FiveThirtyEight)

Sport is still rife with doping* (The Economist)

Wimbledon wild card success does not disguise financial challenge* (FT)

Can The U.S. Women’s Swim Team Make A Gold Medal Sweep? (FiveThirtyEight)

Everything else

Smoking: How large of a global problem is it? And how can we make progress against it? (Our World in Data)

Record June heat in North America and Europe linked to climate change* (FT)

Here’s a list of open, non-code tools that I use for #dataviz, #dataforgood, charity data, maps, infographics... (Lisa Hornung)

Meta data

Identity crisis

A single sign-on and digital identity solution for government (GDS)

UK government set to unveil next steps in digital identity market plan (Computer Weekly)

BCS calls for social media platforms to verify users to curb abuse (IT Pro)

ID verification for social media as a solution to online abuse is a terrible idea (diginomica)

Who is behind the online abuse of black England players and how can we stop it?* (New Statesman)

Euro 2020: Why abuse remains rife on social media (BBC News)

UK government

Online Media Literacy Strategy (DCMS)

Privacy enhancing technologies: Adoption guide (CDEI)

The Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset is now available in the ONS Secure Research Service (ADR UK)

Our Home Office 2024 DDaT Strategy is published (Home Office)

The UK’s Digital Regulation Plan makes few concrete commitments (Tech Monitor)

OSR statement on data transparency and the role of Heads of Profession for Statistics (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Good data from any source can help us report on the global goals to the UN (ONS)

The state of the UK’s statistical system 2020/21 (Office for Statistics Regulation)

Far from average: How COVID-19 has impacted the Average Weekly Earnings data (ONS)

Health

Shock treatment: can the pandemic turn the NHS digital? (E&T)

Can Vaccine Passports Actually Work? (Slate)

UK supercomputer Cambridge-1 to hunt for medical breakthroughs (The Guardian)

AI got 'rithm

An Applied Research Agenda for Data Governance for AI (GPAI)

Taoiseach and Minister Troy launch Government Roadmap for AI in Ireland (Irish Government)

Tech

“I Don’t Think I’ll Ever Go Back”: Return-to-Office Agita Is Sweeping Silicon Valley (Vanity Fair)

Google boss Sundar Pichai warns of threats to internet freedom (BBC News)

The class of 2021: Welcome to POLITICO’s annual ranking of the 28 power players behind Europe’s tech revolution (Politico)

Inside Facebook’s Data Wars* (New York Times)

Concern trolls and power grabs: Inside Big Tech’s angry, geeky, often petty war for your privacy (Protocol)

Exclusive extract: how Facebook's engineers spied on women* (Telegraph)

Face off

Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet? (The Observer)

#Identity, #OnlineSafety & #AgeVerification – notes on “Can facial analysis technology create a child-safe internet?” (Alec Muffett)

Europe makes the case to ban biometric surveillance* (Wired)

Open government

From open data to joined-up government: driving efficiency with BA Obras (Open Contracting Partnership)

AVAILABLE NOW! DEMOCRACY IN A PANDEMIC: PARTICIPATION IN RESPONSE TO CRISIS (Involve)

Designing digital services for equitable access (Brookings)

Data

Trusting the Data: How do we reach a public settlement on the future of tech? (Demos)

"Why do we use R rather than Excel?" (Terence Eden)

Everything else

The world’s biggest ransomware gang just disappeared from the internet (MIT Technology Review)

Our Statistical Excellence Awards Ceremony has just kicked off! (Royal Statistical Society)

Pin resets wipe all data from over 100 Treasury mobile phones (The Guardian)

Data officers raid two properties over Matt Hancock CCTV footage leak (The Guardian)

How did my phone number end up for sale on a US database? (BBC News)

Gendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat (Demos, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung)

Opportunities

EVENT: Justice data in the digital age: Balancing risks and opportunities (The LEF)

JOBS: Senior Data Strategy - Data Innovation & Business Analysis Hub (MoJ)

JOB: Director of Evidence and Analytics (Natural England)

JOB: Policy and Research Associate (Open Ownership)

JOB: Research Officer in Data Science (LSE Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science)

JOB: Chief operating officer (Democracy Club, via Jukesie)

And finally...

me: can’t believe we didn’t date sooner... (@MNateShyamalan)

Are you closer to Georgia, or to Georgia? (@incunabula)

A masterpiece in FOIA (Chris Cook)

How K-Pop conquered the universe* (Washington Post)

Does everything really cost more? Find out with our inflation quiz.* (Washington Post)

[drdemonprince]

Any thoughts on navigating IRL queer/kink spaces as someone still super at risk to covid? What's the masking/willingness to rapid test situation like where you go?

It varies hugely from event to event! There are outdoor Munches and kinky meetups that require masking, and there are others that are more mask optional, which we all know in practice means almost nobody's masking. Some cruising spots like Steamworks used to require vaccination cards, but they don't anymore. Anything in a bar, club, or bathhouse is less likely to be enforcing COVID protocols at this stage, whereas more outdoor or grassroots events are more likely to have specific policies in place. You'll really have to look at the particulars of the specific event and organizer to be able to gauge.

[atlanticcanada]

Some N.S. events still allowed to proceed despite Phase 5 delay

Amid a rising case count, Nova Scotians will have to wait a little longer for the province to drop COVID-19 restrictions.

Despite that, some large events that were scheduled to take place in Nova Scotia before October 4 will be able to proceed without following the current Phase Four gathering limits.

"I think it's simply to be fair. We always try to be fair and reasonable,” said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Medical Officer of Health. “They’ve had these events planned based on certain expectations, people have bought tickets but we're applying a layer of protection, we're saying you can hold your event but you have to have a proof of vaccination in place."

Starting October 4, people 12 and older will need to show proof they've been fully vaccinated to participate in most non-essential activities, such as;

full-service restaurants where patrons sit at tables to be served, both indoors and on patios

liquor licensed establishments, casinos and other gaming establishments, both indoors and on patios

indoor and outdoor fitness and recreation facilities such as gyms, yoga studios, pools and arenas, as well as fitness classes

indoor and outdoor leisure facilities and businesses such as dance and music lessons, climbing facilities, escape rooms, pottery painting, indoor play places, arcades, shooting ranges, go-carts and outdoor adventure

indoor and outdoor festivals, special events, and arts and culture events and venues such as theatre performances, concerts and movie theatres, unless they are outdoor events held in public spaces with no specific entry point, such as Nocturne

participants and spectators for indoor and outdoor sports practices, games, competitions and tournaments

indoor and outdoor extracurricular school-based activities, including sports

bus, boat and walking tours

museums, public libraries and the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

indoor and outdoor events and activities such as receptions, social events, conferences and training that are hosted by a recognized business or organization

indoor and outdoor wedding and funeral ceremonies, receptions and visitation that are hosted by a recognized business or organization

Proof of vaccination will not be required under the new policy for employees of businesses and organizations that offer these events and activities.

The province says proof of vaccination will not be required for most places that don't facilitate formal gatherings, such as:

retail stores

financial institutions

food establishments that primarily offer fast food, takeout and delivery

professional services such as accountants and lawyers

personal services such as hair salons, barber shops, spas and body art

health-care services and health professions such as doctors' offices, dental care, massage therapy and physiotherapy

rental accommodations such as hotel rooms, cottages and campgrounds

faith services

school-based activities that take place during the school day, before and after school programs and school buses

business meetings and other activities where the general public is not present

places where government services are offered

food banks, shelters, Family Resource Centres and adult day programs for seniors or people with disabilities

informal gatherings at a private residence

The owner of Uptown Salon and Spa in Halifax was surprised to learn she won't need to ask clients for proof of vaccination once the province drops restrictions.

"We're going to continue with masks. I think that's the best thing moving forward for us, for the time being. I think it's just best for us to keep everybody safe. It's easier, we’re not mandated to do it but it's highly suggested from our association,” said owner Jennifer Zinck.

The Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth is still working on a policy for when the province moves into phase five but says they're looking at keeping some public health measures in place.

"We certainly believe that masking is a very impressive element to try to manage this pandemic so we will be looking at suggesting masking be maintained at this time,” said Deacon Robert Doyle.

Officials say an exception policy for people who cannot get vaccinated because of a valid medical or behavioural reason is being developed.  

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/3tJZoSv

[lanformant]

Fubar Part I

Written by Dante Augello. America has reached a point that is unrecognizable to me or anyone I know has ever experienced. I have mentioned this before, but I downplay how unprecedented all this is in my mind. Living in Los Angeles I might see more of this than many. Obviously, we are all experiencing these things though. After the country has been in various stages of the shutdown we are agitated, depressed, and radicalized possibly more than any time than I have ever seen.

I've tried to be optimistic, but it’s difficult as I’m sure most people know. Coronavirus cases are higher in Los Angeles than they have ever been by more than triple from when Los Angeles started to open. Protests over police brutality are ongoing in Los Angeles and throughout the country. The national guard was called in recently, driving around the city with M 4s and active denial systems mounted on their Humvees, speeding from protest to protest, and creating an ominously oppressive vibe all over my neighborhood.

“People are buying guns more than ever for fear of economic and social collapse”

There is a 6 block radius being occupied in Seattle called an “autonomous zone” where they claim to no longer use money and that they do not want police to enter the area. All in response to George Floyd’s death. Talk of defunding or completely getting rid of certain police departments are being put into action all over the country as well, which could have very interesting effects. People are buying guns more than ever for fear of economic and social collapse, so much so that complaints of the highly complicated, expensive, and bureaucratic gun laws of California are starting to anger people of all political parties.

Some of these issues will prove benign, however, others are capable of literally causing some type of civil war. With this much unrest and people out of work, its a perfect environment for such events to spiral out of control. However, I am not a fear monger. I do think we will come out of this, maybe not unscathed but relatively so, for this kind of turmoil is not only scary but exciting. These events bring a crackle of life to the changes in policy and governmental organizations that could be made. Changes that could positively affect this country for the entirety of its existence. However short it seems it may be. 

First of all Covid 19 is not going away any time soon. Now that the government is steadily opening up Los Angeles and the rest of the state, coronavirus is rapidly increasing transmission. Not only in California too, but many states have seen higher rates than they ever have before. Masks seem to do little to help the incessant spreading as well, so it seems odd to put so much emphasis on keeping them on at all times, unless indoors. The only time it really makes sense for outdoor use of a mask is in large crowds, but UV light from the sun tends to kill any free-floating viruses almost immediately. Also, getting a 1000 dollar fine for not wearing a mask outside is truly preposterous. However, Until there is more research, it's probably better to keep them on if only to avoid the ticket.

Thousands every day are being diagnosed with coronavirus and unfortunately, we are coming up onin Fall in a few months, which could very well mean a second wave. In hindsight, we should’ve closed earlier, and at this point, it seems we made another huge mistake by opening too early. Nonchalantly murdering an unarmed black man on camera was another momentous disaster, which rightly caused a large amount of angry protesters to huddle in groups screaming and chanting all day spreading the disease much much more. However, we have found some promising things out about this virus. It's not nearly as deadly as we thought it was going to be thankfully, and with proper nutrients, sleep, and exercise it’s doubtful it will cause many problems for you.

Also, vaccines that may work well are being tested regularly. Unfortunately, we do not know that much about it, mostly because it is so new to causing humans sickness, which leaves the possibility of recurrence unknown. we also don’t know how often this virus will mutate. If it mutates regularly and if it's like the flu, that could mean that there will be another Coronavirus outbreak every year just like the flu. This would cause just as much damage or more than the flu does, and that would be on top of the damage the flu already causes. What we are seeing right now is all our efforts being flushed down the toilet. The government has screwed us by closing too late and in turn completely destroying the economy, and now they are opening too early. Similarly destroying the progress we had made trying to get rid of the virus. At this point, it seems it could have been better to not close at all, but that depends on our priorities. Protecting the population with weaker health, or protecting the economy. Unfortunately at this point, we haven’t done much of either by constantly switching our strategies, essentially canceling each other out.

[gordonwilliamsweb]

If You Are Vaccinated, You Can Dance the Night Away

Marissa Castrigno was walking through downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, when she spotted the sign in the window of one of her favorite dance clubs. After months of being shuttered by the pandemic, Ibiza Nightclub was reopening April 30, it announced.

This story also ran on Raleigh News & Observer. It can be republished for free.

Thrilled, Castrigno immediately made plans with friends to be there.

About 50 miles north in Jacksonville, Kennedy Swift learned of Ibiza’s reopening on social media. He, too, decided to attend with friends.

But on the night of April 30, the two groups were in for a surprise — one they would react to in starkly different ways.

In addition to IDs, they learned, they’d need to show covid-19 vaccination cards for entry. The club was letting in only people who had had at least one shot.

“I was shocked,” said Swift, 21. He learned of the policy a few hours before the reopening, when the club posted it on its Facebook page.

He and his friends had to cancel their plans, since none of them was vaccinated.

“I’m not against [Ibiza] exercising their rights as a business,” Swift said. “I just think it’s foolish. … This will discourage a lot of former patrons from returning to the club.”

On the other hand, Castrigno and her friends, most of whom had been fully vaccinated since early April, felt the policy made their return to nightlife even better.

“There was raw excitement about going out to a place and feeling safe,” said Castrigno, 28.

Similar conversations are playing out across the country as vaccination rates increase and bars, clubs and other businesses navigate how to reopen. The concept of vaccine passports — which allow people who have been inoculated against covid and are at lower risk of contracting or spreading the disease to participate in certain activities — has been floated for clubs, cruise ships and other spaces where large groups gather in close quarters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent announcement that vaccinated people can safely gather indoors and outdoors without masks has reignited the idea. Yet these passports remain highly controversial and their implementation is largely piecemeal. Many private businesses are making their own decisions, and governments in different parts of the country are adopting varying stances.

In New York, for instance, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in early May that places where proof of vaccination or a negative covid test are required can operate at a greater capacity. Some nightclubs there have implemented policies similar to Ibiza’s. In Florida, however, Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a law prohibiting businesses, schools and government offices from requiring proof of vaccination, with fines of up to $5,000 per incident.

For Ibiza Nightclub in southeastern North Carolina — a political battleground state — the vaccine card requirement is proving to be a lightning rod. The club’s Facebook post announcing the policy had sparked 70 comments as of mid-May, and posts across other platforms echoed different sides of the issue.

“I am thrilled to see a personal business putting the health and safety forward in order to keep their business running,” one comment read.

Others took a markedly different tone: “This is pretty dumb!”

“Discrimination, expect lawsuits,” read another.

The Honor Code

Last week, after the CDC said vaccinated adults could largely live their lives mask-free, Raleigh restaurant owner Hisine McNeill felt a troubling pang of déjà vu. He owns Alpha Dawgs, a sandwich shop in southeast Raleigh, and said small businesses like his carried the burden of mask enforcement for much of the pandemic. Now, he said, they’re tasked with trusting adults who say they’ve been vaccinated. He isn’t ready to do that.

“I don’t have the luxury of taking chances on an honor code,” McNeill said. “If I have an outbreak because someone didn’t wear a mask and have to close down, who’s going to help keep me open?”

McNeill opened Alpha Dawgs in 2018 and, like most restaurateurs, he said, struggled through the pandemic, professionally and personally. He said he has lost friends and family members and doesn’t believe the pandemic is over.

“I know people personally in the ICU still recovering from [covid],” McNeill said. “I don’t need any more examples about how serious this is.”

So McNeill posted a new requirement on the restaurant’s Facebook page. He asked everyone to continue wearing masks unless they were prepared to show him a vaccine card.

“To whom it may concern,” McNeill wrote. “If you decide to come into my establishment claiming that you are fully vaccinated, I WILL ASK TO SEE YOUR CARD. If you don’t want to provide it then you will have to wear a mask in my store. And if you still don’t want to comply with either then I have the right to deny service. Thank you for your cooperation.”

The day after he posted that statement, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper eased most covid-related restrictions in the state, including its mask mandate. The Alpha Dawgs post stirred some online debate over masks and vaccinations and led to a few responses, including one from the Raleigh Republican Club.

“Should you be in the area…,” it read. “Eat somewhere else….”

McNeill felt the Raleigh Republican Club was calling for a boycott. Afterward, he noticed multiple one-star reviews pop up on Google, not from people who had been to the restaurant, but people accusing McNeill of discrimination.

“This is not political for me, this is a personal belief,” McNeill said. “I have an 85-year-old grandmother I see every other week. I’m going to make sure she’s protected.”

Raleigh Republican Club board member Guy Smith said the group’s post was written collectively, but he didn’t see it as a call for a boycott.

“Our philosophical position is it’s his business, the owner can choose to do what they choose to do within the confines of the individual business,” Smith said. “Our philosophical position is, to demand someone to demonstrate they’re vaccinated with a card, we think that’s out of bounds.”

Smith said the group also condemns writing bogus reviews of a business.

McNeill said Alpha Dawgs’ business has not suffered from the online dust-up.

“I haven’t had any problems,” McNeill said. “Only the online harassment.”

The Nightclub Expected Opposition

Charles Smith, general manager of the club, said he knew the policy would garner backlash, but “we’ve always put the health and safety of both staff and our patrons, and their families, first.”

Since opening as a gay bar in 2001, Ibiza has been a pillar of the LGBTQ community in Wilmington. Although its clientele has expanded over time, it’s still known for drag shows on Friday nights.

Last year, the club shut down March 12, about a week before Gov. Cooper ordered all North Carolina bars and restaurants to stop dine-in service. Ibiza remained shuttered for 14 months, using the time to renovate, Smith said, and leaning on federal and state assistance for small businesses.

When it came to reopening, he said, “the question was: How do we provide the absolute safest experience alongside the nightlife experience we’ve been known for?”

It wouldn’t be easy. Nightclubs are a perfect cocktail of covid risks: lots of people socializing and dancing in close quarters. Alcohol lowering inhibitions. Music forcing people to speak louder, releasing more droplets into the air.

“The concept of social distancing in a nightclub is an oxymoron,” Smith said. And the club’s staff didn’t want to be “the police of nightlife,” trying to separate people on the dance floor, he added.

The safest option, it seemed, was to require people to be vaccinated.

The club waited till all adults in the state were eligible for vaccines before reopening. 

Now Ibiza requires patrons to present their vaccine cards or photos of the cards for entry. On reopening night, the club asked customers to wear masks and limited its capacity to 50%, per an executive order from the governor. But as of May 14, the state lifted its capacity restrictions and masking requirements.

Castrigno, who’d been looking forward to that night for weeks since she saw the sign in the club’s window, said it was “the most jubilant I’d ever seen Ibiza.” Several performers put on a drag show. Customers took turns dancing on poles. Some people wore masks with rhinestones to match their outfits, she said.

She wasn’t surprised that many people took the vaccine requirement in stride. “Queer people are well versed in the risks of public health crisis and protecting the community,” she said, referring to the AIDS crisis, which devastated the community in the ’80s and ’90s.

For James Colucci, who has been a customer since 2016, supporting Ibiza’s vaccine policy is about protecting the club’s employees. Some of them have “spearheaded the [LGBTQ] movement, so we can get together and have events like this,” he said.

But others say the policy is discriminatory and injects the nightclub into people’s personal health care decisions.

Joey Askew, a 37-year-old from Greenville, wrote on Ibiza’s Facebook page, “I’ll never go back to this club until they lift this mandate!!”

In an interview with KHN, Askew said he’s not ready to get the vaccine because there haven’t been lifetime studies of recipients to determine long-term side effects. He’s willing to wear a mask and maintain physical distance, but a vaccine requirement goes too far.

“A mask is something I can buy from anywhere and take off whenever I choose,” he said. “But I can’t take a vaccine out. It’s a permanent choice that [the club] is involving themselves in, and it’s not their place.”

In between the people condemning the club’s policy and those applauding it are many who are conflicted.

Mark Russell, 29, is a nurse in Washington, D.C., who cares for covid patients and contracted covid last year. He plans on visiting Ibiza Nightclub in late May while attending a small wedding in North Carolina where everyone will be vaccinated.

The club’s policy makes him feel safer, Russell said. But he also worries about its effect on people of color, who in many places have faced barriers to vaccination.

“It’s a battle in my own brain, thinking those two things,” Russell said.

For Heidi Martek, 55, the policy raised a personal question. “What about those who can’t get the vaccine?” she wrote on Ibiza’s Facebook page.

She has an autoimmune disease, making her body hypersensitive to any vaccine, Martek said, even the flu shot.

But when commenters on Facebook suggested she sue the club, Martek pushed back. The club is facing difficult choices, she told KHN, and there’s no right answer.

“Whether I can go in or not, I support them,” said Martek, who’s been a patron at Ibiza for six years.

She wants the club to survive the pandemic, unlike other establishments that have closed in the past year.

“It’s not like Wilmington is overwhelmed with LGBTQ clubs,” Martek said. “Ibiza is really important.”

News & Observer reporter Drew Jackson contributed to this story.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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