Current Events in April 2021

In updated guidance issued Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated people can travel at low risk to themselves as long as they practice the usual COVID-19 precautions. 

The updated guidance eliminates some of the agency’s previous testing and quarantine recommendations. Health officials said the new guidance is based on the latest evidence, science, and the current state of the pandemic. 

“Fully vaccinated people can travel within the United States and COVID-19 testing or post-travel self-quarantine are not required as long as they continue to take COVID-19 precautions while traveling – wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, socially distancing, and washing hands frequently,” the CDC said. 

The agency noted that a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received the last recommended dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Right now, approximately 20 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is vaccinated. 

International travel

Fully vaccinated people don't need a COVID-19 test before traveling internationally (unless their destination requires one). They also don’t need to self-quarantine upon returning to the U.S. (unless their state or local jurisdiction requires it). 

Due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and differences in vaccine coverage around the world, the CDC says fully vaccinated people should still have a negative COVID-19 test result before they board a flight to the United States. Travelers should also get a COVID-19 test 3 to 5 days after returning from international travel. 

Does not apply to unvaccinated people

People who haven’t gotten a vaccine are advised to continue following the agency’s existing guidance. For unvaccinated travelers, the CDC recommends: 

• Getting tested 1-3 days before domestic travel and again 3-5 days after travel;

• Staying home and self-quarantining for 7 days after travel, or 10 days if they don’t get tested at the conclusion of travel; and

• Avoiding non-essential domestic travel altogether.

At a press conference on Friday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said she still discourages Americans -- especially those who are unvaccinated -- from traveling for nonessential reasons. Walensky said recently that rising case numbers suggest another surge may be on the way, meaning Americans should hold off “a little while longer” before jumping back into their pre-pandemic lives.

"We haven't changed our guidance for nonessential travel at all. We are not recommending travel at this time, especially for unvaccinated people," Walensky said. “With millions of Americans getting vaccinated every day, it is important to update the public on the latest science about what fully vaccinated people can do safely, now including guidance on safe travel.”

Walensky said Americans are still encouraged to get vaccinated as soon as they have the opportunity so that we can all “begin to safely take steps back to our everyday lives.” 

A Southwest Airlines customer has been given the green light to continue his lawsuit against the carrier. Adrian Bombin leads a class action lawsuit asking for a refund instead of the airline credit that Southwest offered when his flight was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Bombin filed his lawsuit on February 27, 2020 – 12 days before the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. Bombin had scheduled a flight from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Havana (Cuba) Airport (HAV) using Southwest’s mobile app. When he checked in on his flight on March 23 -- post-WHO’s declaration -- he was surprised to find that his “travel itinerary had been interrupted” due to cancellations caused by the spread of COVID-19.

In the lawsuit, Bombin says the Southwest customer service representative he spoke to did not offer “any comparable accommodations on another flight.” Bombin said that when he asked for a refund, he was denied and “only offered a credit for use on a future flight.”

Southwest asks for a dismissal of the suit

Southwest asked the U.S. District Court to dismiss the lawsuit, but a judge denied the airline’s petition and allowed it to move forward. Bombin appears to have the Department of Transportation (DOT) in his corner. The agency’s rule in situations like this is that “a passenger is entitled to a refund if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the passenger chooses not to travel.”

The airline’s counterattack is based on its “Conditions of Carriage,” which the airline claims “does not provide for a right of a refund for a non-refundable ticket.” 

Companies can also fall back on the dreaded “terms and conditions” in situations like these. In this case, Southwest argued that anyone who books a flight on its website or its mobile app is required to click and accept its terms. However, Judge Gallagher said "there is no factual support for [Southwest’s] assertion that plaintiffs actually agreed to the terms and conditions when they purchased their tickets."

"In short, there is no proof (beyond the unsworn allegations of defense counsel) that users of the Southwest website and mobile application must click on an icon to accept the terms and conditions before purchasing airline tickets.”

This question has been raised before with Southwest

When questions arose regarding Southwest’s policy on ticket refunds early on in the pandemic, Brian Parrish of the Southwest Communications Team told ConsumerAffairs that the carrier fully complies with the directive from the DOT.

Parrish said travelers may change their travel plans up to 60 days from the original flight date if they want to rebook. Consumers looking to take that route can visit Southwest.com/rebook and view flights that have seats available. He noted that rebooking online is generally a traveler’s best option because call volumes are likely to be very high to reach a Southwest Representative. On the other hand, he said travelers do not need to take any action if they are unsure of their future travel plans.

When ConsumerAffairs asked Parrish what the airline would do if one of its options doesn’t make the consumer happy, he said travelers “may request a full refund to the original form of payment.”

On Thursday, Stanford University announced that it’s looking into the alleged theft of personal data from those in the School of Medicine community. 

Hackers reportedly gained access to information in a 20-year-old file transfer system used by the school. The cybercriminals stole data including Social Security numbers, addresses, emails, family members and financial information. 

“Stanford University School of Medicine has learned that cybercriminals have claimed they have stolen some School of Medicine data,” the university said. “We are investigating this incident and we have reported the incident to law enforcement.” 

At this time, school officials aren’t sure how many people were affected by the breach. The incident has been reported to law enforcement.

“We are working to determine whether individuals’ personal data has been affected, and we will notify any affected individual,” the university said. “We take data protection very seriously, and as a best practice, we recommend that all individuals remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activity or suspected identity theft to the Stanford School of Medicine.”

Part of a larger attack

Stanford said the hack was part of a larger national cyberattack on universities and organizations that use a widely used file transfer service called Accellion. 

Other victims of the attack include the University of Colorado, Washington State’s auditor, Australia’s financial regulator, the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and U.S. law firm Jones Day. Some institutions received ransom demands from the hackers. The bad actors threatened to leak more information unless they received money. 

“This is a 20 year old legacy system. And these are notoriously insecure,” said Jack Cable of the Stanford Daily. “This is something that’s endemic across probably all universities and large companies, in that they’re dependent on software that is really old and is likely pretty vulnerable. That’s why we’re seeing so many breaches.”

Motorists are driving more now that businesses have begun to reopen, but gasoline prices held steady during the week after more than a month of rising prices at the pump.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of regular gas is $2.87 a gallon, about the same as last Friday. But it’s 15 cents a gallon higher than a month ago.

The average price of premium gas is $3.47, a penny more than last week. The average price of diesel fuel is $3.09, a penny less than last week. 

Price comparisons from a year ago are meaningless since prices were plunging because of the economic lockdown. But today’s prices, while moderating, remain above February 2020 levels, before the pandemic hit.

“Growing stock levels and cheaper crude oil prices are putting downward pressure on pump prices for the majority of motorists,” said Jeanette McGee, a AAA spokesperson. “These are positive signs that less expensive gas prices could be around the corner, but not enough to indicate a steady trend just yet.”

While the national average showed stability, several states saw wide variations in price over the last week. In Ohio, the statewide average price of regular gas jumped 18 cents a gallon. The average price is up 14 cents a gallon in Michigan.

Motorists in Oklahoma and Missouri saw prices fall by three cents a gallon this week. 

The states with the most expensive gas

These states currently have the highest prices for regular gas, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey:

• California ($3.90)

• Hawaii ($3.67)

• Washington ($3.33)

• Nevada ($3.32)

• Oregon ($3.19)

• Utah ($3.15)

• Alaska ($3.13)

• Arizona ($3.09)

• Illinois ($3.08)

• Idaho ($3.05)

The states with the cheapest regular gas

The survey found these states currently have the lowest prices for regular gas:

• Mississippi ($2.59)

• Texas ($2.60)

• South Carolina ($2.60)

• Louisiana ($2.62)

• Missouri ($2.63)

• North Carolina ($2.63)

• Oklahoma ($2.64)

• Alabama ($2.65)

• Kansas ($2.65)

• Tennessee ($2.69)

If you’ve been looking for a job, your chances of finding one last month were the best since the coronavirus (COVID-19) shut down the economy 12 months ago.

The Labor Department reports that the economy produced 916,000 jobs last month. In March 2020, as the economy went into lockdown mode, the economy lost 701,000 jobs.

“These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic,” said William Beach, commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Job growth was widespread, led by gains in leisure and hospitality, public and private education, and construction.”

The nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 6 percent in March, considerably lower than its recent high in April 2020. However, it is 2.5 percentage points higher than its pre-pandemic level in February 2020. 

Where the jobs are

Your odds of getting hired last month were best if you applied at a hotel or restaurant. Jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector increased by 280,000 as pandemic-related restrictions eased in many parts of the country. 

The report shows most of the increase was at bars and restaurants, which accounted for 176,000 new jobs. Despite the big gain, employment in leisure and hospitality is down by 3.1 million, or 18.5 percent, since February 2020.

Teachers and school administrators also accounted for thousands of jobs in March as schools began to reopen for in-classroom instruction. Employment rose by 76,000 in local government education, by 50,000 in state government education, and by 64,000 in private education. 

Jobs in construction increased by 110,000 last month, helping to make up for the 56,000 construction jobs that were lost in February. Employment growth in construction was widespread in March, with gains of 65,000 in specialty trade contractors, 27,000 in heavy and civil engineering construction, and 18,000 in construction of buildings. Employment in construction is 182,000 below its February 2020 level.

Business and professional services, a sector that has remained relatively stable throughout the pandemic, added 66,000 jobs in March. However, total employment in that sector is down by 685,000 from before the pandemic.

Retailers added only 23,000 jobs in March, with clothing stores seeing the biggest gains. Employment in health care was largely unchanged.

Average hourly earnings for all employees fell by four cents to $29.96. 

Chrysler is recalling model year 2021 Ram 2500, 3500, and 3500, 4500 & 5500 Cab Chassis trucks with a Cummins 6.7L Turbo Diesel engine.

An electrical short may occur in the Solid State Intake Heater Grid Relay, which could result in a vehicle fire posing an injury risk.

What to do

The remedy is currently under development.

The recall is expected to begin April 30, 2021.

Owners may contact Chrysler customer service at (800) 853-1403. Chrysler's number for this recall is Y08.

On Tuesday, lawmakers in New York approved a bill legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. The bill was also signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday, meaning it’s now legal for consumers in the state to possess and use it. 

Under the bill, New Yorkers aged 21 and older can now legally: 

• Possess up to three ounces of cannabis for recreational use; 

• Possess up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis, such as oils derived from a cannabis plant; 

• Use, smoke, ingest, or consume cannabis products; 

• Give cannabis products to others who are 21 and older; and 

• Store up to five pounds of cannabis at home as long as they take “reasonable steps” to ensure that it’s stored in a secure place. 

The law makes it legal for consumers in the state to smoke marijuana anywhere it’s legal to smoke tobacco; it is not permitted in workplaces, schools, or inside a car. Smoking publicly in any of those areas could result in a civil penalty of $25 or up to 20 hours of community service.

Impaired driving still illegal 

In the bill, lawmakers clearly state that it remains illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. Police will be able to pull people over if they suspect they are driving under the influence of marijuana and will be able to use the smell of cannabis to back up their suspicion. 

Police won’t, however, be allowed to search parts of the vehicle that aren’t accessible to the driver. For example, an officer wouldn’t be allowed to search the trunk for marijuana.  

Since there’s currently no tool to tell whether a person is under the influence of cannabis, the new law instructs the Health Department to look into potential devices that could detect whether a driver is high through a saliva sample. 

Retail licenses

As far as retail sales go, the law opens the door for dispensaries to let people purchase products. Officials must still set certain regulations -- for example, rules determining how the industry will operate, how sales will be taxed, and how licencing will work for cultivators and others in the industry. The first sales are expected sometime in 2022. 

New Yorkers will also soon be able to get cannabis delivered to their homes since the law makes it legal to establish cannabis delivery businesses. 

People who are completely vaccinated have been advised to continue wearing masks and stay six feet apart to protect others. Now, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that may be unnecessary.

Previously, researchers weren’t sure if fully vaccinated people could somehow carry the virus and spread it to others, even if they didn’t get sick. They studied thousands of fully vaccinated first responders and have now concluded that it is highly unlikely that vaccinated people can carry the disease.

“Authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are effective for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in real-world conditions,” the authors of the study wrote. “COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all eligible persons.”

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, put it this way: “Vaccinated people do not carry the virus, they don’t get sick,” she said on MSNBC. “That’s not just in the clinical trials, but it’s also in real-world data.”

The study focused exclusively on the mRNA vaccines -- those produced by Moderna and jointly by Pfizer and BioNTech. The study did not include people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but the same principle may apply.

If you aren’t infected, you can’t spread it

In short, the researchers determined that if you aren’t infected with the virus and are vaccinated, you can’t spread it to others who have not been vaccinated. So, can fully vaccinated people toss their face masks in the trash? The CDC isn’t quite ready to say that.

The health agency has not issued new guidance on how vaccinated people should behave in public. Until it does, the current policy is that the vaccinated population should continue to mask up in public and take other precautions.

But the CDC study is evidence that the day when things start getting “back to normal” may not be that far off.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has sent out a warning about a new vaccine-related scam. The hustle targets vulnerable consumers by enticing them with gifts and cash in exchange for taking a fraudulent post-vaccination survey.

The dangerous reality behind these surveys is that scammers are unlawfully capturing consumers’ personal information and, in some cases, stealing money.

“Fraudulent schemes like this emphasize the need to remain vigilant of those trying to profit from the most vulnerable in the midst of a pandemic,” said Steve Francis, director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR). “HSI has been at the forefront of the government’s investigative response to COVID-19 related crime since the onset of the pandemic and will remain a leader in the fight to prevent fraudulent activity under the guise of protecting the health and safety of our population.”

IPR and HSI are taking this scam so seriously that they’ve brought in the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the leading manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines to investigate all reports of these fraudulent surveys.

How the scam works

As of April 1, 2021, there are no post-vaccine surveys being conducted by any of the vaccine manufacturers -- not Pfizer, not Moderna, and not Johnson & Johnson. HSI reminds consumers that these companies would never request an advance payment for shipping or any other expense.

If something resembling a survey finds its way into your email or messages, here are the red flags you should look out for:

1. The surveys are sent via email and/or text message.

2. Inside the message is an offer of a gift for filling out the survey. The consumer can choose from various free prizes, such as an iPad Pro. 

3. The messages say the recipient only needs to pay for shipping and handling fees to receive their prize. 

4. Then, the victims are asked to provide their credit card information and are charged for those shipping and handling fees.

If a victim falls for that final step, they’re essentially trapped. They will never receive the promised prize, and the scammers have the victim’s personally identifiable information (PII), which they can use in various ways to enrich themselves and access other accounts.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also weighed in on the situation. It said consumers should refrain from clicking on any links, opening attachments, or calling a provided phone number in an email or text. If you want to call the company that supposedly sent the message, the FTC says you should look up its phone number online.

If you do fall prey

If you become a victim of these post-vaccine survey scams, the agencies suggest you immediately take the following steps:

• Report the activity to the online payment service used for the financial transaction. (e.g. your credit card company or bank if you used a debit card.)

• Contact your bank or financial institution if you discover any fraudulent or suspicious activity in your account(s).

If you receive a text message or email claiming to be a COVID-19 vaccine survey and it contains a link or other contact information, you can help stop the spread of the scam by reporting the communication to the IPR Center at IPRCenter.gov. 

Consumers can also report suspected illicit criminal activity or fraudulent schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic by emailing Covid19Fraud@dhs.gov.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.)

Total U.S. confirmed cases: 30,467,164 (30,399,372)

Total U.S. deaths: 552,246 (551,118)

Total global cases: 129,083,807 (128,421,931)

Total global deaths: 2,819,141 (2,807,094)

15 million J&J vaccine doses discarded after factory mix-up

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed further shipments of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine after an issue at a Baltimore manufacturing plant resulted in a batch that “didn’t meet company standards.”

The FDA says 15 million doses of the vaccine had to be discarded. Workers at Emergent BioSolutions reportedly mixed up two vaccine dosages.

“Quality and safety continue to be our top priority,” Johnson & Johnson said in a statement. “Therefore, as we continue to work with FDA and Emergent toward the emergency use authorization of the Emergent Bayview Facility, Johnson & Johnson is providing additional experts in manufacturing, technical operations, and quality to be on-site at Emergent to supervise, direct and support all manufacturing of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.”

Delta will unblock middle seats starting May 1

Delta Airline flights are about to get a little more crowded. The carrier has announced that it will once again be selling the middle seat aboard aircraft. The seat has been left empty since the start of the pandemic to maintain social distancing.

Delta said it will begin unblocking the middle seat on all flights beginning May 1. It is the last major airline to keep all middle seats empty. Alaska Airlines said it would block the middle seat in Premium Economy through May 31.

United Airlines never had a policy of keeping the middle seat empty, saying there was no health reason to do so. It characterized middle seat blocking as a “publicity stunt.”

CDC: Vaccinated people don’t carry or spread the virus

If you’ve been completely vaccinated against COVID-19, do you still need to wear a mask in public? According to current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you do.

But a new CDC study tells a different story. In an analysis of thousands of vaccinated first responders, it found they did not carry the virus or pass it on to others. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, put it this way: “Vaccinated people do not carry the virus, they don’t get sick,” she said on MSNBC. “That’s not just in the clinical trials, but it’s also in real-world data.”

It’s likely that the CDC will alter its guidance for vaccinated people at some point, but the health agency wants everyone to stay masked up until then.

CVS logs more than 10 million vaccinations

CVS Health said its retail pharmacies and clinics have now administered more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. CVS was an early participant in the government’s Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program and Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. 

After a ramp up period, the company said it is now giving vaccinations in nearly 2,000 stores across 44 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. As vaccine supplies increase, CVS says it will have the capacity to administer up to 25 million shots per month.

"We've experienced some of our highest customer satisfaction scores ever, which speaks to the seamless digital scheduling experience we've built and the professionalism of our health care teams putting shots in arms," said Karen S. Lynch, CEO at CVS Health.

Play Ball!

It’s opening day for Major League Baseball (MLB), and the league, along with its fans, are hoping for a different experience than last year’s shortened season. With millions of Americans already vaccinated, hopes are on the rise.

In fact, the MLB plans on a full 162-game season and a return of fans in stadium seats -- just not too many fans in some stadiums. The Texas Rangers plan for a full house for its home opener next week but plan to play before reduced crowds after that.

Under league rules, players who have been vaccinated would not have to wear masks in dugouts or bullpens and will not be required to wear tracking devices in team facilities, according to ESPN and USA Today.

Around the nation

• Pennsylvania: State officials have announced that all state residents will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine by April 19. That’s in line with President Biden’s revamped timeline, which originally targeted May 1 as the date for universal eligibility.

• Arkansas: The state has lifted its mask mandate, and many Arkansas churches are celebrating since the change comes just days before Easter. But some church leaders are showing caution. “We still have a sense that it’s not yet time for large groups to come together in small spaces,” said Pastor Rod Loy of First NLR in Little Rock.

• Idaho: The return from spring break will mark a change for students in the state’s largest school districts. Ending the hybrid system that has been in place for nearly a year, all five of the state’s largest school districts will be running an in-person model of education by the end of the month.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected the idea of giving people vaccinated against COVID-19 so-called “vaccine passports” in order to get into movie theaters, sporting arenas, and other places that have remained empty during the pandemic.

At a press conference on Monday, DeSantis said vaccine documents like those rolled out this week in New York are unnecessary and pose privacy risks. 

"It's completely unacceptable for either the government or the private sector to impose upon you the requirement that you show proof of vaccine to just simply be able to participate in normal society," DeSantis said. 

He said there are risks in letting large corporations handle consumers’ vaccine information. 

"You want the fox to guard the henhouse?" he said. "Give me a break."

DeSantis said he will issue emergency rules this week that will block businesses from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination. He said the rules won’t apply to schools and universities since they have different vaccination requirements, such as requiring students to be vaccinated against measles. 

Federal government won’t issue vaccination passports

New York recently launched a voluntary digital “vaccination passport,” called the Excelsior Pass, which state residents can use as proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the passport will make it easier to quickly reopen sporting, concert, and wedding venues and get the state's economy back on track. Madison Square Garden and the Times Union Center have already agreed to implement the system.

White House officials have said the federal government will refrain from administering vaccine passports due to the possibility that it could dissuade privacy-minded people from getting vaccinated. 

"We do know that there is a segment of the population that is concerned that the government will play too heavy-handed of a role in monitoring their vaccinations," White House senior adviser Andy Slavitt said on Monday morning. "In point of fact, it would discourage people, to feel like that was the role we're playing."

Slavitt said the government will instead issue guidelines and requirements to the private sector, which will help pave the way for the development of a “marketplace of solutions.” 

An ongoing trial of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has confirmed that it is “highly effective” against COVID-19 (as well as variants of the virus) for half a year after the second dose. 

On Thursday, the companies said data from more than 12,000 vaccinated participants showed that the vaccine was still protective six months later, demonstrating a “favorable safety and tolerability profile.” 

“These data confirm the favorable efficacy and safety profile of our vaccine and position us to submit a Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA,” said Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s Chairman and CEO, in a press release. “The high vaccine efficacy observed through up to six months following a second dose and against the variant prevalent in South Africa provides further confidence in our vaccine’s overall effectiveness.”

The study is ongoing, and those involved will continue to be evaluated after another six months have passed. For now, Pfizer and BioNTech have confirmed that the vaccine remains more than 91 percent effective against COVID-19 with any symptoms for six months. 

Protective against variants

The vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech also appeared to protect vaccine recipients against the South African coronavirus strain, B.1.351 -- a variant that was previously believed to evade the protection of vaccines. 

"The vaccine was 100% effective against severe disease as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 95.3% effective against severe COVID-19 as defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)," Pfizer and BioNTech said.

“In South Africa, where the B.1.351 lineage is prevalent and 800 participants were enrolled, nine cases of COVID-19 were observed, all in the placebo group, indicating vaccine efficacy of 100%," the company said.

Pfizer’s CEO said the promising data positions the company to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA), or an application for full approval, to the FDA. 

"The high vaccine efficacy observed through up to six months following a second dose and against the variant prevalent in South Africa provides further confidence in our vaccine's overall effectiveness,” Bourla said. 

Airlines continue to cautiously get back to something resembling “normal.” Last week, several carriers announced they were bringing back in-flight services like beverages and snacks. Delta Air Lines also feels good enough about the safety measures that it added during the pandemic and the continued climb in vaccinations, so it’s returning middle seats to the sales queue effective May 1. 

The airline introduced the middle seat block in April 2020 and was the only airline to keep the change in place for a full year. CEO Ed Bastian said passengers have adapted well. 

“While Delta’s decision to block middle seats has given many customers a reason to choose Delta over the past year, the signature hospitality of our employees and the experiences they deliver to customers every day have also deepened their trust in our airline,” he said. 

“The relationships we’ve built, together with the knowledge that nearly 65 percent of those who flew Delta in 2019 anticipate having at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, are what’s giving us the assurance to offer customers the ability to choose any seat on our aircraft, while also introducing new services, products and rewards to support the journey. We take great pride in the trust we’ve built with customers by listening and delivering on what they said was most important, and that is the approach you can continue to expect.” 

Masks aren’t going away

Although middle seats are returning, Delta is not letting its guard down completely. Face coverings and masks are still required, and the company isn’t letting up on its cleaning procedures. 

The company’s relationship with experts at the Mayo Clinic and Emory will remain unchanged, as will its partnership with Lysol-maker Reckitt. Internally, Delta will also continue to lean on the expertise of Dr. Henry Ting, who the company hired as its first Chief Health Officer. 

To prove how important health safety is to the airline, Delta is also installing onboard hand sanitizer stations and antimicrobial lavatory lighting. It’s also introducing contactless payment technology onboard to minimize touchpoints during the payment process, giving all customer-facing employees Lysol Disinfecting Wipes to clean areas at airports and on aircraft, and working with the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to make sure checkpoint cleanliness is up to par.

The Ford Motor Company is significantly reducing its output at six North American assembly plants, the result of a persistent shortage of vital computer chips in the supply chain. The move may lead to fewer vehicles heading to dealer lots in the months ahead.

Some facilities will be closed entirely for up to three weeks. Others will operate normally at reduced capacity with little to no overtime. 

The plants targeted for the slowdown are in Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Ontario, Canada. These locations produce a wide range of Ford vehicles, from F-150 pickups and vans to the Ford Explorer SUV and Ford Escape crossover.

Shortage caused by the pandemic

The ongoing chip shortage began soon after the start of the pandemic last year. When car sales came to a screeching halt, automakers canceled existing orders for chips, expecting their plants would remain closed for an extended period.

But dealers quickly changed to an online business model and sales rose, leaving automakers without some key parts to produce cars and trucks. Because of the long lead time required to manufacture computer chips, the shortage has dragged on.

Ford temporarily closed production lines at plants in Michigan and Missouri in February. In early March, General Motors announced that it was extending its plant shutdowns.

Cox Automotive reports that the cutback in production has reduced inventories of available new cars, giving consumers fewer choices while reducing dealer incentives. It predicts sales of new cars in the first quarter of this year were nearly 5 percent lower than the same period in 2019.

The company reports that the supply of cars and trucks at dealerships across the country this week is 2.67 million vehicles, down approximately 20,000 units from the prior week and the lowest point since mid-January. Supply is 21 percent lower than this time last year.

“Inventory acquisition is the number one priority for dealers,” said Jonathon Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, in a presentation to reporters and analysts. 

Car prices continue to rise

With demand still strong and supplies falling, dealers are in the driver’s seat when negotiating with buyers. After peaking in late December, Cox Automotive reports that the average listing price of a new vehicle in March was 7 percent higher than in March 2020.

Rising prices and falling inventories of new cars have also had an effect on used car prices, pushing them higher. Reports show that used car prices increased every week during March.

A new study conducted by researchers from the American Heart Association explored what steps consumers can take to protect their health into older age. 

According to their findings, adopting a healthy lifestyle during middle age is likely to lead to the best health outcomes down the road. For example, the team found that following a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercise in midlife was associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome in later life. 

“Health care professionals could use these findings to further promote and emphasize to their patients the benefits of a healthy diet and a regular exercise schedule to avoid the development of numerous chronic health conditions in the present and in later life,” said researcher Vanessa Xanthakis, Ph.D. “The earlier people make these lifestyle changes, the more likely they will be to lower their risk of cardiovascular-associated diseases in later life.” 

Protecting long-term health

The researchers evaluated long-term health outcomes from more than 2,300 participants enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study. For eight days, the participants wore hip monitors that tracked all of their physical activity, and they also tracked their diets and answered food questionnaires. The participants received regular health exams during their time in the study, which the researchers compared with the data from their activity and food logs. 

The team referenced U.S. guidelines for diet and physical activity to determine where the participants fell compared to national recommendations. Participants who met both standards for diet and exercise were 65 percent less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, which is a series of conditions -- including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar -- that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, less than 30 percent of the participants involved in the study successfully met recommendations for both standards.

When looking at participants who met only one of the standards, the researchers learned that both still led to better health outcomes individually. Those who exercised regularly were more than 50 percent less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, and those who only followed a healthy diet were 33 percent less likely to have long-term health concerns. 

To ensure health and longevity, the researchers recommend that consumers adopt healthy habits as soon as possible.

“It is noteworthy that we observed a dose-response association of adherence to diet and physical activity guidelines with risk of cardiometabolic disease later in life,” said Dr. Xanthakis. “Participants who met the physical activity guidelines had a progressively lower risk of cardiometabolic risk as they increased adherence to dietary guidelines.”