London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

COVID economy

COVID economy

A few weeks ago, an announcement was made by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stating that those who are fully vaccinated would no longer have to wear a mask inside of a store/restaurant.

Thomas C. Famous

Essentially, there would be an honour system where those who were not fully immunised would keep their masks on.

Most people rightly thought it way too soon for that type of decision as many would just blatantly go maskless.

During my travels in a few North Eastern States, specifically, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Maryland about 98 per cent of the population keep their masks on both inside and outside.

Most restaurants and other outlets have plexiglass-like barriers up in order to keep customers as “isolated” as possible.

Major retail chains such as Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowes allow for persons to go maskless; however, the vast majority of their customers and staff do keep their masks on.

Educating the masses


In visiting multiple states, it is clear that there is a coordinated effort to educate persons on both the need for and availability of vaccines.

As you listen to the radio, there are no less than three ads per hour by well-known local or national personalities.

Generally, they fairly candidly state their own experiences and then urge residents to speak with their medical professionals for advice re getting tested or immunised.

On highways and local roads, there are numerous billboards that indicate locations where persons can get access to vaccines.

Depending on the area one is in, there are informative pop-up adverts whilst visiting websites or watching YouTube.

Back to work


Bars and restaurants in New York City, and Rhode Island, have been given the all-clear, with strict health guidelines, to fully open.

Giant movie theatre chain AMC has opened its doors to those hungry for both popcorn and the big screen. It seems to have a very vigorous cleaning regime with staff who wipe down every seat as soon as patrons exit a theatre.

In Newport, Rhode Island, a town built around catering to high-end tourists, one can see the hustle and bustle starting back.

Souvenir shops, top-shelf eateries, and grocery stores have all seen an uptick in the activity of fully masked patrons.

All of this spells good news for workers who have been underemployed or unemployed for over one year.

Likewise, in Bermuda and other islands, it is great to see hotels, restaurants, and other establishments starting to safely open again.

Rules are rules


Recently, Delta Airlines has announced that all new employees must be immunised.

Major cruise lines, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines have an ongoing battle with Florida Governor Ron D. Desantis, over their policy that only vaccinated passengers will be allowed to board their ships in Florida.

Fortunately, for most Americans, tourism is not the mainstay of their economic engine. So, the vast majority of their workforce remained employed over the last year, even if that meant working from home.

However, the reality for islands is that they rely on visitors to bring in foreign exchange, so they have had to balance out economics with safety.

In Grenada, the government along with the Grenada Tourism Authority, have had to mandate that all workers in the hospitality industry get immunised.

In the [British] Virgin Islands, a number of resorts have implemented policies that employees must be immunised in order to be around guests.

The Cayman Islands government is now discussing making it mandatory for all guest workers to become immunized in order to gain or retain their work permits.

Naturally, this has caused public outcry from some quarters of society; however, people realise the harsh economic realities that come with a lack of visitors.

Survival


As the world attempts to get back to work, every local or national government and company will be setting legislation and policy in order to have safe working environments for both staff and clients.

COVID-19 is going nowhere, so we all have to adapt our living and working arrangements in order to survive in both health and finances.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
After 200,000 Orders in 2 Minutes: Xiaomi Accelerates Marketing in Europe
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
×