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When will travel bans lift?
Along with wanting the COVID-19 crisis to be over and for life to turn to normal, many of us are wondering when we will be able to travel again. It is a difficult question as there are so many unknowns. Will there be a treatment or a vaccine? Will it die off in summer like seasonal flu? Although there are no definitive answers, countries are beginning to talk timescales, and it’s not great news. Even with the specifics, I am going to talk about, I would treat it all with a pinch of salt and not get too depressed. When you think how rapidly the crisis unfolded, there could be dramatic and sudden changes still to come. For example, the development of an antibody test could be a game-changer if you can prove you have already had the virus. So could more rapid and simple testing to allow for medical certification before travel.
So far the following areas have spoken specifically about re-opening borders.
- France – France has extended its border controls until 31 October 2020.
- Europe’s Schengen zone is currently due to be closed until this week with the EU recommending the closure is extended for a further 30 days until 15 May. However, the French president, Emanual Macron, is pushing for the borders within the Schengen area to be closed until September 2020. Although it could be that this is relaxed to certain countries. Part of the concern is that different countries COVID-19 epidemics have started on varying timelines. For example, Africa could be badly affected but so far appears to have relatively few infections in comparison to the rest of the world. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a German newspaper that she would advise people not to book summer holidays for 2020 as it unknown how long the virus will continue to stop travel within Europe.
- Australia – Federal Tourism Minister, Simon Birmingham told Australian’s via ABC’s channel ‘I wouldn’t put any guarantees that you could undertake that overseas trip in December,’ he told ABC’s News Breakfast. He did add that things could change and the timescale bright forward. But the message is, if you are planning an Australia trip, book it for as far into the future as possible or take advantage of airline’s free change policies.
If I was to guess, I would bet that the US will be keen to open borders as quickly as possible, although I would expect this to be to limited countries that appear to have COVID until control.
On the positive side, flights in China are starting again with Air China filing flights for the weeklong May holiday at 2019 levels.
Etihad trials new medical self-screening
Etihad Airways will partner with Australian company Elenium Automation to trial new technology which allows self-service devices at airports to be used to help identify travellers with medical conditions. This could potentially include the early stages of COVID-19.
Etihad will be the first airline to trial the technology, which can monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of any person using an airport touchpoint such as a check-in or information kiosk, a bag drop facility, a security point or immigration gate.
The Elenium system will automatically suspend the self-service check-in or bag drop process if a passenger’s vital signs indicate potential symptoms of illness. It will then divert to a teleconference or alert qualified staff on-site, who can make further assessments and manage travellers as appropriate.
In partnership with Amazon Web Services, Elenium has also developed ‘hands free’ technologies that enable touchless use of self-service devices through voice recognition, further minimising the potential of any viral or bacterial transmission.
Etihad will initially trial the monitoring technology at its hub airport in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, at the end of April and throughout May 2020, initially with a range of volunteers, and, as flights resume, outbound passengers.
Jorg Oppermann, Vice President Hub and Midfield Operations, Etihad Airways, said: “This technology is not designed or intended to diagnose medical conditions. It is an early warning indicator which will help to identify people with general symptoms, so that they can be further assessed by medical experts, potentially preventing the spread of some conditions to others preparing to board flights to multiple destinations.
The thought of potentially intrusive medical screening may be an uncomfortable concept for most leisure travellers, but sadly this is likely to become the norm if we want to start travelling again. Or at least until the world is sure that it has defeated COVIOD-19.
Heathrow down to just two terminals
As we reported some time ago, Heathrow are merging their operations into just two terminals – 2 and 5. BA have already moved their operation to T5 and it is now expected that airlines from T4 will start moving into T5 and those from T3 into T2. Terminals 3 and 4 are expected to close by the end of the month but no firm date has been set yet. Terminals 3 and 4 will be used for parking aircraft. Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye is calling for an international standard for health screening in airports to allow people to start travelling again.
Hilton Doubletree hotels cookie recipe to bake at home
If you have ever stayed at a Doubletree hotel, you will no doubt remember the warm cookie you were handed at reception that oozed it sticky sweet chocolate over your hands as you ate it. Now if you would like recreate that experience at home, Doubletree have released the secret recipe in the hope of reminding us of happy stays with them. The recipe is in US units but you can use a handy converter here.
“We know this is an anxious time for everyone,” said Shawn McAteer, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton. “A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness.
“We hope families enjoy the fun of baking together during their time at home, and we look forward to welcoming all our guests with a warm DoubleTree cookie when travel resumes.”
You can watch how to make it here
DoubleTree Signature Cookie Recipe
Makes 26 cookies
½ pound butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 ¼ cups flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cinnamon
2 2/3 cups Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts
Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.
With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for about 45 seconds. Don’t overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer and stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
Cook’s note: You can freeze the unbaked cookies, and there’s no need to thaw. Preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.
7 comments
‘she would advise people not to book summer holidays for 2019’
I’ve struggled to find any flights available for that date…..;)
If you try this recipe please note that Americans use salted butter, which comes in pre-wrapped sticks of precisely measured butter, in each block of butter sold. 2 sticks of butter contain 1440 mg or 1/4 teaspoon of salt. So you have use salted butter or add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe. The main brand is
https://www.landolakes.com/products/butter-spreads/salted-butter/
What’s the source of information for every blogger saying T4 flights will move to T5? Heathrow have not said this.
https://www.heathrow.com/customer-support/faq/coronavirus-covid-19
Scroll down to the FAQ for ‘Are you closing any of your terminals..?’
Heathrow has now moved to single runway operations (you can read more on that in the FAQ above), and in the coming weeks we will temporarily move airline operations from Terminals 3 and 4 into Terminals 2 and 5 alongside the airlines that already operate there. Our teams are working closely with our airline and other partners to ensure this move is as smooth and efficient and possible and we will provide clear guidance to passengers on this webpage, our app and our social media channels.
The significant reduction we are seeing in passenger traffic will ensure that passengers are able to continue to adhere to the government’s social distancing guidance even as the operation is consolidated. Consolidating our operations will also help us to protect long-term jobs at the airport by reducing our cost base.
It is very important that those passengers who are using Heathrow for essential travel in this time keep in touch with their airline to confirm which terminal their flight departs from before travelling to the airport: https://www.heathrow.com/airline-contact-info.
You can also read more information on this, and other news, here: https://www.heathrow.com/latest-news/heathrow-remains-open-for-the-uk
So nothing that says T4 airlines are moving to T5 like a lot of the blogs are saying…
Minor point – Antigen testing is what is happening now, to identify people who currently have Covid-19 infection. A test to determine if someone had ever been exposed to the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus and therefore might have some level of immunity to Covid-19 would be an Antibody test, an acceptably reliable version of which has yet to be found.
Yes I meant antibody. Isolation brain!
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