Posts tagged with "Pakistan"

COVID 19 by Symara Wilson for 360 Magazine, Covid Travel restriction

Coronavirus Mutations × U.S. Travel Restrictions

By: Emily Bunn

A breaking news article featured in The New York Times announced that the United States will be imposing a mandatory requirement for negative COVID-19 test results from all incoming, international travelers. The requirement for proof of a negative test in order to fly will begin Tuesday, January 25th.

The CDC has ordered for all travelers to provide proof of a negative test taken no more than 3 days before their travels. Without documentation of a negative test or documentation of recovery supplemented with a letter from a health care provider or public health official, passengers will be prohibited to fly.

The United States is not the only country to be putting in place tighter travel regulations. Due to new mutations of the virus, many countries are adopting stricter border protocol. The New York Times reports:

“Even as the United States moved to impose travel restrictions, citing the danger of the fast-moving variants, a case of the variant spreading in Brazil was identified in Minnesota.”

Variations of the virus in Brazil and South Africa, due to international travel, both pose the threat of COVID-19 mutating. If the virus does mutate, it is potential that the new strain of such will be unreactive to current vaccination efforts.

The New York Times reports that Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, an adviser to President Biden, has commented: “With the world travel that you have, and the degree of transmissibility efficiency, it’s not surprising.” Further, President Biden has broadcasted a ban on travel by all non-citizens into the United States from South Africa, the U.K., Ireland, and 26 other European countries.

An article published today on AP News reported that in attempts to increase vaccination efforts, President Biden announced that his administration is planning to purchase 100 million doses of each of the approved coronavirus vaccines–Pfizer and Moderna. Vaccination deliveries to states will be surged for the next three weeks. The Biden administration has announced that they plan to vaccinate 300 million citizens by the end of summer, as reported by The New York Times.

The President, in a White House briefing on January 26th, commented on importance of increasing vaccination supplies to help Americans:

“And to a nation waiting for action, let me be clearest on this point: Help is on the way.  We can do this if we come together, if we listen to the scientists.”

These efforts come at an especially critical time, as the global number of coronavirus cases has surpassed 100 million, reports The Wall Street Journal. However, that has been recent speculation regarding the accuracy of that number. In New York, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration has been accused of undercounting the amount of coronavirus deaths that occurred at nursing homes. A report released by Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, shows that the coronavirus death count appears to have been cut by approximately 50 percent. The report compares the number of facility deaths publicized by the Department of Health–1,229 deaths, versus the number of facility deaths reported the Office of Attorney General–1,914 deaths. This staggering discrepancy between reported deaths has spurred suspicion against Cuomo, and the Office of Attorney General (OAG) is conducting an on-going investigation concerning the cause of these variances.

However, there is still hope. In Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom rescinded the county’s stay-at-home order this past Monday, reports The Los Angeles Times. This new jurisdiction will allow for all counties in California to return to the four-tier, colored-coded system of assessing coronavirus risk. Lifting the imposed stay-at-home order could allow for the reopening of personal care services and outdoor dining. While LA has been particularly hard hit by coronavirus, the city actually has a higher vaccination rate than most other comparable cities in the U.S. The New York Times reports that “83 percent of the doses the city has received have been administered, compared with 74 percent in New York City; 52 percent in Bexar County, which includes San Antonio; and 58 percent of the doses ordered in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix.”

While the coronavirus situation is still being closely tracked and monitored, hospitalizations and the number of patients in ICUs have been steadily declining. With hospitalizations at their national lowest since December 13th and an increase in vaccination efforts, there is progress to be recognized, despite current setbacks and uncertainties.

Despite progress in vaccination efforts and decreasing corona virus cases, new virus mutations pose critical cause for concern. In countries across the Asia-Pacific region, a new, more infectious variant–the Delta variant–is causing stay-at-home orders to be again put into place. This new variant was first identified in India, and has quickly been spreading. As restrictions begin yet again, countries across the globe are grappling with the harrowing fate that the pandemic is far from over.

In some major Australian cities, such as Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Darwin, residents have been forced into strict lockdowns. Flights are even being banned due to the new threat, with Hong Kong barring British entry. Indefinite stay-at-home orders were extended by the Malaysian government on Monday. In Malaysia, the new variant is especially threatening, as only 6% of the country’s residents are fully vaccinated, reports the New York Times.

India has faced a devastating, major second wave of coronavirus due to the Delta Plus variant, a sub-lineage of the Delta variant. This past spring, the dangerous variant caused thousands of deaths per day, and forced residents into partial stay-at-home orders, yet again. Much like in Malaysia, in India only 5% of the population is fully vaccinated. In fear of a third wave of the virus, Maharashtra’s chief minister, Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, has authorized the use of a fourth vaccine in an attempt to increase vaccination supplies.

In good news, the Covid-19 vaccination is largely effective against the new Delta variant. However, this Delta variant is 50 percent more contagious than several of the other variants of concern, such as the Alpha variant.

As countries continue reopening, people look toward high vaccination rates to change the coronavirus game. In the U.S. and Britain, officials are planning to, or already have, lift most pandemic restrictions. White House secretary, Jen Psaki, recently announced that the United States would send two million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Peru. Additionally, the U.S. looks to send 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Pakistan. A third shipment of 1.5 million Moderna vaccination doses will be sent to Honduras from the United States.

Looking ahead to this weekend, July 30-Aug 1, 2021, the return of  a major musical festival threatens a super-spreader event. The highly infectious variant of COVID-19 has again created a surge in the number of recent coronavirus cases. As festival fans migrate to Chicago for Lollapalooza – the first of which held since 2019 – the Windy City braces for the potentially devastating impact.

Fortunately, the festival is taking several precautions to prevent the spread of the virus. All attendees must be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of event entry. However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that not all guests will be honest about meeting these requirements.

The head of the BBB, Steve Bernas, warns of the potential for festival scammers who fabricate fake vaccine cards and negative test results. “We anticipate a double whammy this year not only the tickets but also the vaccine cards,” Bernas said in a statement. “The scammers will be out in full force.” He continues, cautioning ticket buyers to be on high-alert: “Just like finding tickets, there are countless ways for consumers to find vaccinations cards online, with online marketplaces, ticket sellers, resellers and the like…and unfortunately, some of them are rip-offs”

One of Chicago’s top coronavirus experts, Dr. Emily Landon, also weighed in on the weekend’s festivities. She argues that Lollapalooza’s 72-hour testing window is too lenient, and that the city is inviting in a massive spike of cases by holding the concert. NBC Chicago reports that Dr. Emily Landon commented, “Lolla has let us down with respect to how vigorously they’re restricting people based on the things that they sort of initially told us (about how) ‘we’re going to be really strict’ and now it’s like they’ve lightened up quite considerably on checking vaccines and negative tests.”

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady expressed concerns similar to Dr. Emily Landon’s. Recognizing the importance of getting vaccinated, she commented the following in a coronavirus update last week: “We want people to have a good time and we want this to be as safe as it can be…And so certainly we’ll be watching that just as we do any other gathering, but I am more concerned about the many people who have not chosen the COVID vaccine.”

Still, Chicago’s mayor and top doctor still haven’t wavered their support for the much-loved music festival. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expressed her desire the event to occur as safely as possible, though she didn’t comment on the recent uptick in case numbers and coronavirus hospitalizations. NBC 5 Chicago reports on the current coronavirus statistics in the city:

“Chicago’s average daily number of new cases rose to 130 per day early Monday – a 76% jump compared to last week. The city’s average daily case rate was at 90 per day last week and 41 per day the week before that, meaning it’s more than tripled in roughly three weeks. However, it is still significantly lower than the more than 700 cases per day the city was seeing earlier this year and last, before vaccines were widely available.”

Additional safety measures, including mandatory mask-wearing on public transport, will also be enforced. The Chicago Transit Authority is offering reduced ticket rates this weekend for Lollapalooza travelers.

As Summer winds down, COVID-19 cases are beginning to rise yet again. Several virus variants, including the new Lambda variant, are causing major concern among Americans. In an attempt to quell concern, several cities have launched vaccine passport programs.

Across the United States, metropolitan hubs including New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans are requiring residents to show proof of vaccination before entering indoor spaces. That means that visiting gyms, concerts, restaurants, and more will require citizens to have both of their required vaccination shots. Vaccine passports are not being put in place to stop public gatherings, but are intended to creater safer enviroments outside of one’s home.

However, many Americans are opting to stay indoors yet again, thanks to new variant threats. The Lambda variant, which was first detected in Peru and is quckly spreading through South America, is causing concern among citizens. The New York Times reports that “On June 14, the World Health Organization designated it as a “variant of interest,” meaning, essentially, that experts suspect it could be more dangerous than the original strain.

However, it has been reported that the Lambda variant is likely not as contagious as other deadly virus mutuations, like the Delta variant. And fortunately, the Lambda variant is able to be combatted by the vaccines that have currently rolled out across the U.S. The New York Times records the climbing numbers of the Lambda variant, “As of mid-June, Lambda had been reported in 29 countries, territories or areas, according to a June 15 update from the W.H.O. The variant had been detected in 81 percent of coronavirus samples sequenced in Peru since April, and 31 percent of those in Chile to date, the agency said.” However, assessing the virus has been difficult due to Latin America’s limited ability to conduct geonomic surveillance and follow-up laboratory studies, reports the NYT. Scientists and medical professionals around the world are currently conducting research to better understand this new variant and its implications.

HotelPlanner’s Delta Variant Coverage:

America’s comeback is in jeopardy. The Delta variant is surging, prompting concerns that we need another lockdown. Travel executives are already huddling, discussing potential next steps to both protect guests and their businesses’ bottom lines. Americans were traveling in record numbers, and people are wondering if this could slow down the sector. How could the Delta variant, and other emerging variants, impact travel?

“We are watching the rapid uptick in Delta variant case infections closely, says Tim Hentschel, Co-Founder and CEO of HotelPlanner. “Although some families may choose to curtail their summer travel plans, we remain confident that the vast majority of Americans who were planning to travel this summer will keep their plans, while exercising more caution with crowds and destination selection. For those who are already vaccinated, the Delta variant shouldn’t be a deterrent to summer travel because they should be protected.”

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Founded in 2004, HotelPlanner has enduring partnerships with the world’s largest Online Travel Agencies, well-known hotel chains, individual hotels, online wedding providers, ancillary lodging providers, corporations, sports franchises, universities, and government agencies.

Fifi’s New Song Kudi Lit Vey

Viral music artist Fifi releases urban Desi hit, “Kudi Lit Vey” with producer Byg Bird.

Listen Here: http://lnkfi.re/KudiLitVey

As of late, the upcoming international recording artist, Fifi, unleashes a new Urban Desi track, “Kudi Lit Vey.” The singer partnered with renowned hip-hop Bollywood producer, Byg Byrd, for a new spin on what it means to stay “lit.” In the music video, Fifi grabs our attention in the first scene making a TikTok dance to her song but leaves shortly after for a night out with the girls. The video reminds viewers that they are still powerful during quarantine.

Fifi is an independent artist who gained her initial following on Tok Tok and now has nearly one million followers on the platform, otherwise known as the “Fifi Fam.” She released her first single, “New York Di Kudi,” with Bollywood producer, Deep Jandu, this past November. The video has garnered over 700K views and featured on multiple South Asian music networks and radio stations. Fifi recently caught major press for her women’s rights initiative with her latest single, Mera Jism Meri Marzi, including Pakistan’s Diva Magazine and The Tribune Edit.

Follow Fifi:

YouTube | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter

CAAFD Collective Showcases

CAAFD, The Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers, brought some of the best rising and emerging designers from around the globe to the fashion capital of the world for a spectacularly received set of Spring/Summer 19 Collective Showcases. CAAFD, in collaboration with iFashion Network, presented this Collective Showcase at both the renowned Pier 59 venue as well as the world famous Industria venue on September 10th, 2018.

The Pier 59 collective showcase’s lineup proved a thunderous occasion with designers and brands MOUTON BLANC, Zabetta Couture, Ayni and Thunyatorn, and the Industria collective showcase featured designers and brands Helena Bajaj-Larsen, Yufash, Sania Studio and Patricia Wijaya, both of which mark yet another successful and couldn’t be missed continuation of CAAFD’s long running series of NYFW showcases. Those in attendance were thrilled with the offerings, including several well-known models such as Madeline Stuart and actors including Mario Van Peebles.

The Pier59 showcase came first and began with a performance by Myles C.O Gittens with a fusion violin performance that quickly got the attention of the audience before Designer Hakuyo Miya’s brand MOUTON BLANC started the fashion portion of the show off with an unforgettable experience, courtesy of the Japanese designer’s second showcase on a CAAFD sponsored showcase. Miya’s collection for this follow-up appearance exhibited his trademark fantasy stylings mixed with an elegance that showcased both his Japanese heritage as well as his experiences in Paris. Colors on display were incredibly sophisticated, with bright whites and the occasional darker colors put to good use.

Following that came Zabetta Couture with designer Ruth Zabetta, who also made her second appearance at a CAAFD sponsored showcase. Zabetta Couture showcased the same drive and passion as the previous season’s showcase, and once again made her modern lines and cuts accentuate the feminine silhouettes of each model. This collection was decidedly summer inspired with bright greens and leaf designs on the pieces, with large hats adding to the looks.

Next came an intermission from traditional Korean musician gamin playing a piri, leading into designer duo Ayni’s debut CAAFD sponsored showcase. Ayni’s dedication to ancient traditions with modern sensibilities and environmentally sustainable practices left the audience in awe with the sheer beauty of their pieces. Featuring sheer materials and swimsuit inspired cuts, Ayni’s collection evoked the warmer months. The main colors utilized were reds, yellows and blues.

Finishing off this showcase was also a debut on a CAAFD sponsored showcase, this time for the Thai designer Thunyatorn. Much like Ayni’s collection that showcased heritage and tradition, Thunyatorn also made genius use of her Thai heritage in her pieces, which brought something the majority of the audience had never experienced before. Thunyatorn made quite an impression with gold headpieces on each model, featuring animals in 3D designs, which perfectly complemented the dark colors and cuts of the dresses, which all meshed incredibly well with each other.

Later in the day came the Industria collective showcase, which kicked off with an impressive introduction performance by musician Yoav Shemmesh, featuring the musician on a keytar and launchpad device which provided the rhythm sections for his playing. Following the performance was the first designer for this showcase, Helena Bajaj-Larsen. Featuring striking colors that remained consistent with through each design. Each piece featured unique designs, with no one inspiration, there were bits and pieces from various different countries and regions represented.

Following that came Estonian born designer Kadri Klampe with her Yufash brand. This collection featured extremely unique cuts and sheer materials, creating an entirely unique look. Yufash played with colors and designs throughout each piece, featuring almost glitch-like patterns.

Next came an intermission played by Yoav Shemmesh once again who played a custom CAAFD inspired piece which thrilled the audience goers, which led into Sania Studio and designer Sania Maskatiya with her Pakistani influences clear in her collection. The cuts in this collection remained modern, but the designs and colors were clearly inspired by Pakistan influences.

Finishing this showcase came Patricia Wijaya, a graduate of the Academy of Arts, who closed NYFW with a bang. This showcase left New York City awed with an extraordinarily unique collection featuring fantastical inspired cuts and eye catching headwear. This collection had an underlying dark color palette, with dark blue and golds represented heavily to great effect. The shoes for this collection were provided by Cava Prive and jewelry was done by Dale Beevers

Hakuyo Miya is a Japanese designer who has studied at the Atelier Chardon Savard in Paris. His work with MOUTON BLANC is known for its fantasy style elements, as he does a beautiful job combining real world with fairy tales. Miya’s fiery designs combine color, texture and culture into beautiful and elegant pieces, and has previously made an appearance on CAAFD sponsored showcases. His designs are known for the innovative lines and cuts as well as having an aspect of modernism throughout the collections.

Designer Ruth Zabetta was raised in both Spain and the Dominican Republic giving her a unique cultural background for her beautiful collection. Zabetta Couture is known for modern lines and cuts showcased throughout the collections, and this year is no different. Her modern but feminine collection does an exquisite job of creating beautiful silhouettes consistently though all the pieces. Zabetta’s collection is created for the modern but feminine woman and inspired by years of culture and design.

Ayni’s name, which is derived from a Peruvian turn of phrase meaning “today for you, tomorrow for me,” gives a look into the design process for the design duo, composed of Danish Laerke, and Adriana from Peru. Through Ayni, the duo make good on their name by making the brand focused on honoring ancient traditions, utilizing local materials and altering the production model to promote environmental sustainability. One of Ayni’s main goals is to combine ethics and aesthetics in a way that benefits the environment, but still remaining fashionable by using high quality elements such as luxurious baby alpaca fur and Pima cotton.

Thunyatorn is the brainchild of Thunyatorn Ng, a designer originally hailing from Thailand. Starting in bridal makeup and hairstyling in 2009 when she moved to New York City, she later became the first Thai fashion designer to present during New York Fashion Week. After noticing a demand for traditional authentic Thai styled clothing, Thunyatorn took things into her own hands and spent years researching Thai styles and influences, which she has incorporated into her collections. Through her work, Thunyatorn seeks to popularize authentic Thai clothing across the U.S. by combining its traditional beauty with modern stylings.

Designer Helena Bajaj-Larsen is Half-Indian, Half-Norwegian yet Parisian born and bred, 23-year old designer Helena-Bajaj Larsen is a recent graduate of Parsons School of Design and launched her label just six months ago. She specializes in hand-painted textiles which she creates herself – works of abstract art on fabric, blending her love of textile craftsmanship with her training in fashion design. She draws inspiration from her nomadic lifestyle across various countries and cultures to form breathtaking collections using her one-of-a-kind fabrics as well as stunning sculptural jewelry pieces.

“A Yufash woman doesn’t follow trends; she sets them.” The brand has been worn by members of Little Mix and Billie Lourd in the hit tv series Scream Queens, and Yufash was also featured in an international edition of Marie Claire. Yufash is a unique and forward-thinking brand made for the confident and powerful women of the world, with all garments fabricated in England. The brand was founded in 2015 and since has skyrocketed in popularity. “We as a brand are so excited and honored to have been selected to work the CAAFD, and we look forward to our presentation,” – Kadri Klampe, the Estonian-born founder and designer of Yufash.

Designer Sania Maskatiya and Sania Studio’s designs are marked by their ornate and regal inspirations, which masterfully highlight feminine silhouettes. The designs are inspired by the beauty of nature and the environment while still being modern and classic. The collection will include only high luxe fabrics cut and draped in a luxurious design. The design house engages in some of the best craftsmanship in Pakistan, coming from generations of artisans who have specialized and perfected their craft. The brand is known for including rich textiles, fabric design and embroidery within their pieces. Sania Maskatiya has quickly become Pakistan’s most lauded designer and most prized fashion export.

Patricia Wijaya started her label in 2016 after graduating Academy of Art University in San Francisco. The label first released a Prêt-A-Couture line in Jakarta, which focused on telling a story and showcasing innovation throughout. This years collection is inspired by both fairytales and technology, and showcases a Cinderella like aesthetic in the future. For this collection, Wijaya created what has been described by early viewers as an exquisite collection of a modern day fairytale for the equally modern woman.

About CAAFD:
Council of Aspiring American Fashion Designers, [CAAFD] is a non-profit organization founded through a collaborative effort by a few key pioneers in the fashion industry with the ambitious goal of promoting designers who aspire to expand their brand awareness and do business in the United States. CAAFD educates, promotes and empowers aspiring designers and fashion professionals in gaining a foothold in the fashion business, giving them every opportunity to become the renowned designer they yearn to be. More information can be found at: http://www.caafd.org

About iFashion Network:
iFashion Network is an online portal for everything new and groundbreaking in fashion. It is a global fashion hub, providing articles on designers, events, menswear, women’s wear, shopping, trends, and all the behind the scenes info you could ever want, delivered by unique personalities who know the fashion world inside and out. iFashion Network also boasts several industry leading original fashion-focused internet television shows. More information can be found at: http://www.ifashionnetwork.com