The tourism sector had a major setback. 50% of reservations for the weekend were cancelled due to blockades related to protests against further taxes. The Caribbean and Huetar Norte were the hardest hit areas.
After months without tourists, due to covid-19, a recovery started. In Limon, a 70% recovery was noted during the open weekends in September but then the protests stopped the recovery in its tracks. In the southern Caribbean, 50-60% of reservations were cancelled due to inability to get there because of roadblocks.
There are about 12,500 beds in the northern zone, Huetar Norte, and only about 50 were taken on the weekend. One high-end hotel in the region offered to pick visitors up from the local airport and drive them to where the blockades were and then transfer them to another ride on the other side of the blockade. Still, 70% of reservations were cancelled.
Hotel owners want to support the protest because they can’t bear more taxes but the protest also hurt their opportunity to receive the few tourists in the country.
Allison Bonilla’s remains were found, in a hidden dump, according to the judicial police. The 18-year-old girl had been missing since March 4. She was last seen returning to her home. She sent a text saying that someone was following her.
Rescuers hired by the family found clothing items recognized as Allison’s. They alerted the police who then went to the site to carry out a re-inspection. Bones were found and DNA verified that they were Allison’s.
The family is distraught over what happened to their loved one but grateful to have finally found her. They can have the peace of knowing she’s been found. Additionally, there is now evidence for the criminal case of qualified homicide.
The one subject in the case at first admitted committing the crime and told authorities where the body was. He later said that he made those statements under torture and psychological pressure and that they were false.
The Minister of Tourism has made an impressive announcement; The border will be open to all U.S. tourists as of November 1st. Residents of certain states may even come this month, as long as they can show a driver’s license from an approved state.
This comes with news of a drop in the number of covid-19 related hospitalizations, the number of patients in intensive care, and the contagion rate.
The influx of U.S. tourism right as the high season begins is expected to recover at least 80,000 jobs in Costa Rica. $1,500 million will be generated in foreign exchange by 2021 because of this change. It should reactivate employment and the economy. The tourism industry activates other sectors, such as agriculture, fishing, commerce, and transport.
In 2019, 42.5% of all arrivals were from the U.S. North American tourists stay for an average of 12 days and spend approximately $170 per person per day.
Even with this great news, the fight against covid-19 is far from over. An 18-year-old mother in Costa Rica died from covid-19. She had hypertension related with pregnancy. The baby was saved.
16 patients received equine serum against covid-19 and are now home under surveillance. Immediate results show the treatment to be safe. Various types and doses of serum were tested and the efficacy of each will be determined in future studies. The serums use antibodies against different proteins of the virus.
Another 6 patients who received the experimental treatment have died. Many were complicated cases, such as those who arrived with advanced cases, and older adults with other pathologies, such as poorly controlled hypertension. Four of the six were admitted with severe pathologies and quickly became critical. The other two had risk factors for complications.
The serum is applied intravenously when patients arrive at the hospital. It is expected to take ten days or less to neutralize the virus. Those with longer stays or more critical conditions may not see much improvement.
A notable result from the serum is that those needing supplemental oxygen need it for fewer days. Additionally, one patient was discharged after just 3 days, a very short stay for covid-19. One case went from severe to moderate quickly and, by the second day, the patient was able to sit up in bed and drink coffee.
Earlier this week American announced its preflight coronavirus (COVID-19) testing program for customers traveling to international destinations and Hawaii. The initial launch, scheduled for Oct. 15 for passengers traveling from the airline’s hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Hawaii, will now also include passengers traveling to Costa Rica.
In the coming weeks, the airline plans to launch a testing program at its Miami International Airport (MIA) hub for passengers traveling to Jamaica, the Bahamas and Costa Rica. American is also working with CARICOM, an integrated grouping of 20 Caribbean countries, to expand the program to additional markets in the region.Preflight testing for travel to Costa Rica
Starting Oct. 15, customers traveling from DFW to Costa Rica will have access to the airline’s preflight COVID-19 testing program, in partnership with LetsGetChecked, CareNow and DFW Airport. Customers will be responsible for testing costs.
American will offer three options for preflight testing to customers with flights from DFW to Costa Rica:
At-home test from LetsGetChecked, observed by a medical professional via virtual visit, with results expected in 48 hours on average.
In-person testing at a CareNow urgent care location.
Onsite rapid testing, administered by CareNow, at DFW.
Customers traveling from MIA to Costa Rica will initially have one option for preflight testing, with more options becoming available after the program launches at the hub.
At-home test from LetsGetChecked, observed by a medical professional via virtual visit, with results expected in 48 hours on average.
Testing must be completed within 72 hours of the final leg of departure. Tourists and Costa Rican residents who test negative will be exempt from the country’s 14-day quarantine. Negative test results must be uploaded to the country’s Health Pass.
“We applaud American’s efforts to develop a COVID-19 testing program for international travel and we are proud to partner with the airline to include Costa Rica in their initial launch,” said Gustavo Segura Sancho, Costa Rica’s Minister of Tourism. “Initiatives like these are crucial for the recovery of tourism in Costa Rica, an important economic engine for our country, while ensuring passenger health and safety.”
American resumed its operation in Costa Rica in Sept. with service from its DFW and MIA hubs to San Jose (SJO). On Oct. 7, American will resume service to Liberia (LIR) from DFW and MIA, operating a total of 19 weekly flights to the country.
American’s Clean Commitment
American’s preflight testing program will serve as a key element of the airline’s Clean Commitment, a multifaceted approach to giving customers peace of mind when they travel. American has also launched a travel tool, powered by Sherpa, to make travel planning easier for customers who are eager to reconnect with the people and places that matter most.
About LetsGetChecked
LetsGetChecked is a direct-to-consumer at-home health testing and insights company. Offering an end-to-end model, LetsGetChecked’s Sure-track Test offers consumers an FDA EUA-authorized Coronavirus at-home testing solution. The at-home Coronavirus (COVID-19) test incorporates a nasal swab and PCR lab analysis, offering convenient and secure results on average 48 hours upon receipt in the lab.
About CareNow®
Since 1993, CareNow has been committed to providing high-quality family care, urgent care and occupational medicine services in the North Texas area. Open seven days a week and weeknights until 9 p.m., CareNow has over 40 North Texas locations providing convenient, quality and cost-effective urgent care and is accredited by AAAHC and UCA. CareNow is affiliated with Medical City Healthcare. Medical City Healthcare has 46 urgent care centers in North Texas: CareNow (42) and Medical City Children’s Urgent Care (4).
About American Airlines Group
American’s purpose is to care for people on life’s journey. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL and the company’s stock is included in the S&P 500. Learn more about what’s happening at American by visiting news.aa.com and connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.
Human beings began wearing jewelry at least over 135,000 years ago, because that is the oldest known piece found. Throughout time, we have surprisingly continued to adorn ourselves and those that we love in a similar fashion. Because of this, jewelry has become supernatural and promises something more that lies behind the veil of this physical reality.
Many people hold spiritual significance with their jewelry. It is a popular choice to represent love and the divine. The special representation is a celebration of life itself, with variations on significance and meaning throughout history and culture. However, it’s purpose has evolved right before us.
Worldwide, jewelry is worn from ancient times to modern ones. There is no denying the widespread reach that it has over each of our lives. In fact, even the cars we drive have keys which are tied to keychains with beads, charms and such.
Jewelry is a very important part of our spiritual journeys. Like a keychain, it can be a souvenir or something superstitious- rather also considered lucky or unlucky. Its presence can take such life that it can sway the very movement of our vehicles- directing us where we must go along as we travel.
Beginnings
According to the internet;
“Keyrings were invented in the 19th century by Samuel Harrison. The most common form of the keyring is a single piece of metal in a ‘double loop’. Either end of the loop can be pried open to allow a key to be inserted and slid along the spiral until it becomes wholly engaged onto the ring.”
Since then, people have amassed large collections. They are collectible for many reasons. One such reason is to remember places that you have visited on a road trip or a vacation, or perhaps celebrating a family event.
Another reason to collect keychains is because some have very practical purposes, such as a compass, a can opener, flashlight or maybe a pocket knife. Key rings are very inexpensive as well- giving them a spiritual significance that we can all afford and connect with, causing unity.
Map of my Journey
A keychain can be made of any material, it is especially significant as a symbolic marker. We hold the keys to our future, to unlocking so much- right in our hands, all we need is the road to drive us there, – that is where we wish to go & the time.
Like the simple designs and decorations one can easily attain- it symbolizes a practical part of our spiritual journeys and where we are at a specific point in time. Maybe you had seen a beautiful rabbit hopping along the road during an enlightening moment with spirit or God and decided that you had seen a sign, so you saw a rabbit keychain at the gas station and decided to purchase it to savor that energy you once felt and don’t wish to forget. There are many reasons to hold onto one.
The animals on journeys have powerful meanings because they are messengers of something bigger that the trip itself. They are sent on our path because of a divine purpose that we all have waiting inside of each of us to be uncovered by thought.
Not only animals, but flowers, hearts, stars – anything that can inspire the inner guidance we have within ourselves holds a key- a symbol, a picture to transcribe the energy itself and we remember images that are attached to emotion, very easily. We remake them to replay over again in moments of desire and longing for the past and strength for the present.
Key Chain Superstitions
Its known that if you lose your keys, you will also feel lost. That is one of the most horrible feelings in the world to experience- is that sense of dread when you realize they are gone, because we know that they unlock not just a car, a home or storage, but other dimensions as well.
It’s bad luck to have too many key chains on a key ring as it’s believed the weight could damage the engine, probably from the fear of baggage. I remember every time I have ever tried to have a lot of keychains and many people who saw would freak out and claim they could hurt the car somehow, but really- I believe it was an innate psychic reaction they were having instead.
If you have a keychain which represents a city, it’s as if you have a piece of the place itself in your hands, as if to ensure that you do indeed belong there- amongst the others. A lot of people will place a guardian totem from the city on their ring, such as with New York- the statue of liberty, while others feel protected by things like angels and crosses.
Whatever the case is, keychains have opened up many more portals and doors than just the keys themselves will do. The ring itself is mainly circular, again symbolizing the completeness and wholeness of everything in life and how it is all connected- every moment of time, every adventure and every smile.
It’s only been one day since the man who caused the needless deaths of over 100,000 Americans, and I’m sick of hearing the lying refrain: “We all want the president to do well and pull through.” Even his wretched base of doesn’t really care whether Trump pulls through. Why should the rest of us?
The same day that Trump announced (by twitter of course) that he had contracted Covid-19, a New York Times headline read: “Trump Virtually Cuts Off Refugees as He Unleashes a Tirade on Immigrants.”
It was subtitled, “The Trump administration said it would lower the annual cap on refugees further into rock-bottom record territory as President Trump pursues pre-election xenophobic attacks.”
Catholics and Christians, how can you support this man? Didn’t Jesus say, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me?”
For the last four years Donald Trump has been channeling sewage from the American psyche and projecting it onto Democrats and anyone that dare protests, even as he poses as the victim of the Deep State and the mainstream media.
There are nearly 210,000 Americans dead from Covid-19, and infections are approaching 8 million. Scientists and epidemiologists say there would be less than 100,000 dead if precautions were properly taken in February, when the sob is on record admitting he knew how serious this virus is.
So the clichés ‘poetic justice’ and ‘karma’ don’t even begin to cover the cosmic reckoning for thus poor excuse for a man now hospitalized with Covid, just days after he mocked Joe Biden for wearing a face mask.
The deeper question for us as citizens and human beings is this: Given that the
nation and world would be better off if Donald Trump died, why shouldn’t we wish him dead? If Trump isn’t evil, he certainly acts out of extreme collective darkness.
The spiritual response is clear, and as decent people we have to strive to come up to the mark rather than sink down into the muck.
First, we aren’t God and cannot know what is best in matters of life and death. Though my faith has faltered lately, I still feel there is such a thing as what Christian’s call “God’s plan.” And as inscrutable as it is, even the devil (which is a man-made thing) plays its role within it.
Put in more prosaic and secular language, we aren’t omniscient, and it is hateful to wish someone, however baleful, dead.
In any case, I don’t believe there is a “Supreme Being” that is omniscient either. But there is immanent intelligence, and how it unfolds within us has much to do with how we respond to man’s evil.
Therefore the second reason for not wishing Trump dead is that though the Trump Administration is demonstrably evil, none of us is without darkness. “Judge not lest ye be judged” is one of the greatest truisms in any language.
Besides, as distorted as he and the thing that pulls his strings is is, we can use Trump and the darkness he embodies as a mirror to illuminate our own darkness. Doing so, we turn the tables on evil since the last thing it wants us to do is deeply learn about ourselves from our encounters with it.
Indeed, every time we respond with learning about ourselves, rather than some pose of compassion and pretence of well wishes, we weaken evil by eroding the very ground it stands on, which is within each one of us.
During the 300 years of the Jesus Movement before Catholicism became codified and crystallized as the Roman Catholic Church, there was a belief in some circles that in the end even the devil would repent and be absorbed into the “body of Christ.”
I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m sure the devil is human. Nor am I saying Trump is the devil, though I doubt the Donald will have some deathbed road-to-Damascus conversion.
I’m simply saying that without mouthing respectable platitudes like “we all want the president to do well and pull through,” we can withhold judgment, look in the mirror, and truly want what’s best for the American people and humanity.
Doing so, we are co-participants in the messy emergence of intelligent life on Earth. And even if things continue to go badly for humankind, we will not have contributed to the death wish for our planet and species that Trump has personified.
Watching his short goodbye video again on his way to the hospital, for the first time I feel a pang of pity for Donald Trump. As twisted as he is and as hard as it’s been to see, he’s all too human.
