Free Republic

The cruise industry is slamming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the agency's latest travel advisory recommending against cruise travel, which was announced after a series of COVID-19 cases were reported aboard dozens of ships. "The decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for cruise is particularly perplexing considering that cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore," the Cruise...

Two Canadian government scientists escorted from the National Microbiology Laboratory amidst an RCMP investigation and internal review have been let go from the Public Health Agency of Canada, CBC News has learned. "The two scientists are no longer employed by the Public Health Agency of Canada as of Jan. 20, 2021," Eric Morrissette, chief of media relations for Health Canada and PHAC, confirmed in an email late Friday. "We cannot disclose additional information, nor comment further, for reasons of confidentiality." Sources say members of the lab's special pathogens unit were called to a meeting on Thursday and told that Dr....

On Thursday, the State Department raised its global health advisory to level four, its highest level. The new advisory encourages all U.S. citizens to avoid international travel due to the global spread and impact of the Wuhan coronavirus. U.S. citizens who are currently abroad are encouraged by the State Department to immediately return to the United States, if possible, or prepare to remain abroad for an indefinite period of time. U.S. citizens who live abroad are also encouraged to avoid international travel at this time. "If you chose to travel internationally," the State Department warns, "your travel plans may be...

Last Thursday an emergency hearing in Washington, Ken Issacs, the vice president of Program and Government Relations for Samaritan’s Purse, painted a desperate picture of the situation in West Africa, saying: “We believe that these numbers represent just 25 to 50 percent of what is happening,” “We have to fight it now here or we’re going to have to fight it somewhere else.” In the days since the two American workers have returned to America, Samaritan’s Purse has heard widespread concern about their reintegration. “People are afraid to get around them—husbands, wives, no one knows if it’s safe,” he said....