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Swiss apartment-style hotel launches Covid-19 guest package

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — The modern, luxury apartments in Switzerland don’t have a mini-bar — they have a big bar. They also have everything a social distancing guest could need: private gym, sauna, spa, kitchen, option for grocery delivery and very little human interaction.Le Bijou, a high-end Swiss hospitality company with 42 units in nine locations throughout Switzerland, recently launched a new package for guests in response to the coronavirus outbreak and the country’s lockdown.But while an added bonus for concerned guests — both locals who’ve quarantined themselves in one of the apartments and international visitors who find themselves stuck in a country with severely diminished hospitality facilities — the Covid-19 services on offer is just one of many perks of a stay at Le Bijou.Le Bijou operates like a modern luxury apartment with hotel amenities per the guest’s desire.Courtesy Le BijouGuests looking to heed social distancing guidelines and “stay home” can do so in the lap of luxury at the Swiss hotel-like apartment.Alexander Hübner, CEO and co-founder of Le Bijou, says they’ve always operated with a modern approach “using a lot of technology to reduce staff costs as much as possible,” something he says has proven even more beneficial to them at this moment in time.”[You] don’t need to interact with anyone you don’t want to,” Hübner adds, noting that while daily cleaning services come with the nightly price, it’s an option more and more guests are opting out of. Instead, with their grocery lists, procured by staff, they are also requesting cleaning supplies so they can maintain the temporary home themselves.In Switzerland, Le Bijou offers luxury apartment-like accommodations, which rely on modern technology for most of its operations.Courtesy Le BijouAnd temporary home is perhaps the best way to describe the current stays, which range from about 14 days to two months, says Hübner. Before coronavirus, the average stay was two or three nights.Hübner says when news of Covid-19’s presence in Europe was first realized, Le Bijou began providing additional options and services to guests. He and his team were paying attention to the coronavirus’ spread in China and Europe, but Hübner admits people were generally relaxed until it hit Italy. That’s when they doubled down and devised a service providing “something people actually need right now.”Enter Covid-19 services, a fully customizable stay with on-site coronavirus testing for symptomatic individuals and nurse care. Partnering with Double Check, an exclusive private health clinic in Switzerland, Le Bijou does not have an endless supply of tests, just enough for people demonstrating symptoms, according to Hübner. It’s unclear just how many tests they have or how long Le Bijou could run the Covid-19 package.Apartments have private gym areas, saunas and spas — allowing quarantined guests to sweat it out in private.Courtesy Le BijouBut for people stuck in Switzerland with funds to cover an extended luxury stay, it may be an attractive option.A medium-size apartment (100 square meters), like a “hotel suite,” says Hübner, would typically cost about $1,000 per night, but rates have dropped as travel has all but come to a screeching halt, and now, one of the medium-sized units can be had for $500-600 a night. The coronavirus test is an additional $500, which includes lab costs, related administration, the in-room doctor visit and results. Most of Switzerland’s five-star properties have closed their doors, but at Le Bijou, there’s luxury accommodation and health screening for the handful who can afford it. People who test positive, however, would likely be transferred to a hospital for care in a proper medical facility.

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The coronavirus-themed foods bringing light relief to customers

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — Among global efforts to offer some light relief to the current crisis, bakers and chefs have been producing coronavirus-related dishes that are hopefully a lot tastier than the epidemic which has inspired them. In Hanoi, Vietnam, a chef at Pizza Home has created a coronavirus-themed burger.Hoang Tung says he dreamed up the burgers, which feature green-tea stained buns with tiny “crowns” designed to look like microscopic images of the virus, to take the fear out of the infectious disease.”We have this joke that if you are scared of something, you should eat it,” Tung told Reuters.’Corona burger’Chef Hoang Tung says he devised this coronavirus-shaped burger to try to take the fear away from the virus.Manan Vatsyayana/AFP via Getty Images”That’s why the coronavirus isn’t scary any more after you eat a burger in the shape of the virus itself. That way of thinking spreads joy to others during this pandemic.”According to Reuters, the takeaway shop is currently selling around 50 of the burgers every day, which is particularly impressive considering the number of businesses that have been forced to close down as a result of the pandemic.In France, pastry chef and chocolatier Jean-François Pré opted to create coronavirus Easter eggs.The chocolate eggs, which have been painted black, are dotted with red painted almonds to replicate how the virus looks while viewed under a microscope.Pré told French language newspaper Le Telegramme he devised the eggs to bring some humor to the situation after growing “tired of hearing” about coronavirus.He began selling them at his shop in Landivisiau, which is located in Brittany, northwestern France, earlier this month, a few weeks before France went into lockdown.Toilet humor These toilet roll cakes from Schuerener Backparadies are going down well with customers. Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty ImagesMeanwhile in western Germany, the Schuerener Backparadies bakery has added two different coronavirus-themed creations to its selection.Not only can customers buy biscuit versions of the face mask emoji, the establishment, owned by Tim Kortuem, is also offering toilet roll shaped cakes.A nod to the well-documented toilet paper shortage that’s occurred across the world as consumers frantically buy up huge quantities, the marble cakes are wrapped in white fondant etched with tiny diamond shapes in the style of quilted toilet roll.The novel cakes were an instant hit with customers, and the team at the bakery, situated in the city of Dortmund in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region, are currently making at least 200 a day.In fact, Kortuem told Reuters Television the toilet roll cakes are helping to keep the Schuerener Backparadies in business during these difficult times.”The customers are totally crazy about it,” he says. “Most people just like it as it adds some fun to these times.”Like France, and many countries around the world, Germany has imposed extensive restrictions and many non-essential businesses have been forced to close.However, restaurants and eateries that offer food delivery and pick-up are allowed to remain open.Fauci factorDr. Anthony Fauci doughnuts are now being sold at Donuts Delite in New York.Nick Semeraro/Donuts DeliteOver in the US, a New York doughnut shop has dedicated its latest offering to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force who’s won the public over with his straight-talking approach.The team at Donuts Delite in Rochester decided to make Fauci the “face” of one of its doughnuts as a way of lifting the mood.The team were impressed by Dr. Fauci’s handling of the situation so far. “We loved his message and how thorough he was, and how he kept everyone informed during the crisis … so we wanted to give back and say thanks.”According to Semeraro, the shop has sold thousands of the buttercream-frosted doughnut, which features Fauci’s face printed on edible paper, with customers asking for the treat to be sent to various cities and states.”We had no idea it was going to blow up this big,” he said. “We didn’t know everyone else felt the same way we did.”There’s no word on a coronavirus-themed pizza yet, but we suspect it won’t be far off.

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Airbnb announces plan to offer free accommodations to coronavirus responders

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect people all over the globe, Airbnb has stepped up with a plan to offer free or subsidized housing to people working on the disease’s front lines, namely health care professionals, emergency workers and relief personnel. “Medical workers and first responders are providing lifesaving support during the coronavirus outbreak and we want to help,” Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia said in a statement. “We’ve heard from countless hosts around the world who want to provide a comforting home to heroic first responders. We are connecting our nonprofit partners, government agencies and others with our incredible host community to work together in these extraordinary times.”Homes and apartments made available through this program will need to meet a standard of cleanliness determined by Airbnb-selected medical experts.The company’s goal is to house 100,000 of these workers around the world. Both emergency workers who are looking for accommodations and hosts who would like to make their properties available can visit an Airbnb portal designed specifically for that purpose.A version of this initiative began last week in France, where the government and Airbnb worked together to find 4,000 hosts willing to let medical personnel like doctors, nurses and caregivers stay in their accommodations for free.This doesn’t mean that every single listing on Airbnb will immediately be up for grabs, though. It will still be up to individual hosts to decide if they want to donate the use of their accommodation. “Hosts can opt into the program and have the option of opening their homes for free through Airbnb’s Open Homes platform, created in 2012 to meet the needs of people requiring emergency housing,” the company explains, adding: “If hosts are not able to host for free, Airbnb will still waive all fees on the stay.”This move came in light of the fact that many travelers were trying to get home or otherwise change their plans as coronavirus spread throughout the world and many countries and municipalities introduced travel bans or quarantines. Other hospitality companies are also trying to do their part to support people affected by coronavirus.Many medical workers have opted to isolate from their own families and loved ones due to their heightened risk of exposure to the coronavirus. Others have sought places to stay that are closer to their workplaces, eliminating the need to commute.

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Cherry blossoms bloom in Wuhan, creating stunning scenes of beauty and renewal

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — Though mainly associated with Japan, cherry blossom season is a widely anticipated event in cities around the world, a sign that spring has arrived, an opportunity for people to get out and enjoy nature’s unrivaled beauty. Right now, no city is more deserving of that message of hope and renewal than Wuhan, which has been under lockdown since January 24 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan’s cherry blossom trees are in full bloom right now. One of the best places to enjoy them is Wuhan University, which is normally filled with cherry blossom admirers. This season, however, has been anything but normal. It’s nearly empty due to the ongoing lockdown, creating scenes of ethereal beauty. Li Hao, a teacher living on the campus during the lockdown, captured stunning drone footage of the light pink blossoms, which can be viewed in the above video. “I believe that any disaster or challenge will eventually come to an end,” Li tells CNN. A staff member takes photos of cherry blossoms at Wuhan University on March 17, 2020.STR/AFP/AFP via Getty Images”Just like these cherry flowers, sooner or later, they will always blossom. That’s what I believe, as long as we don’t give up our pursuit of a beautiful life, as long as we continue our effort to make it happen.” According to Chinese state media, over 1,000 cherry trees are scattered across the university campus. Some of the oldest were gifted to the city by Japan in the 1970s, when China and Japan established diplomatic relations.Lockdown due to lift April 8Wuhan, with a population of some 11 million people, was the first Chinese city to be sealed off from the world as the virus began to spread. All flights, trains and buses were canceled and highway entrances blocked. Two months later, the worst of the pandemic appears to have passed in mainland China and officials have announced they will lift the lockdown on April 8. In the meantime, locals can take in the blossoms online. The university has set up numerous cameras around the campus, offering various views of the cherry blossoms in bloom on several Chinese apps including Taobao and WeChat.

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Hundreds of trekkers stranded on Nepal’s mountain trails after coronavirus lockdown

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — Hundreds of trekkers are stranded on high-altitude trekking trails across Nepal due to a nationwide lockdown designed to contain the coronavirus spread.There are about 500 foreign trekkers on at least four trekking routes unable to return due to the lockdown, which started Tuesday and will last for a week, according to Shradha Shrestha, a spokeswoman for the Nepal Tourism Board.”We are working with multiple government agencies to rescue the trekkers and bring them to Kathmandu, so that we can coordinate with the embassies to fly them back home,” Shrestha told CNN.”Several embassies such as the German and French are already planning to send chartered flights to some of these areas to rescue the trekkers,” Shrestha added.The tourism board has launched a website to make it easier for the stranded trekkers to reach out to authorities, said Shrestha.The British embassy in Kathmandu asked its citizens in Nepal who are looking to return to the UK to send their details to staff. “We’re working closely with carriers and authorities to try to find a solution, and will contact you ASAP,” tweeted the embassy.Nepal’s government announced earlier this month the spring climbing season for all the Himalayan peaks in the country, including the world’s highest Mount Everest, would be canceled due to coronavirus.Climbing permits for Mount Everest are canceled until the end of April, said Nepal’s Tourism Secretary Kedar Bahadur Adhikari.The decision came at the start of this year’s closely watched climbing season, which was already getting underway amid concerns around overcrowding on the Earth’s highest peak. Permits to climb Everest cost around $11,000.Breathing is hampered by the extreme altitudes on the mountain, so an outbreak of coronavirus — which often causes respiratory problems — could have been particularly devastating at an Everest camp.Nepal has three cases of coronavirus confirmed so far, according to the Nepal Health Ministry data.

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I caught the last flight to propose to my girlfriend on the other side of the world

March 27, 2020 by grcreativebox Leave a Comment

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(CNN) — Stay in Cairo with family or catch the last flight to Canada to be with my love. I needed to decide quickly but feared that traveling during this pandemic was the equivalent of suicide, or worse, murder. As Covid-19 began to spread across the globe, I believed nowhere was safe and self-isolation was the best course of action. Still, love will make you do stupid things.I’m a Canadian-Egyptian in love with an Italian-American, Francesca Brundisini, who is working on a postdoc in Quebec City. She’s new to the city and feared that her isolation with no friends or family would lead to a communication breakdown if she contracted the virus.As news of the pandemic broke out worldwide, we both realized that this crisis would last more than a few weeks. It was the distance, the uncertainty, and an alarmed Italian mother — panicking in Italy — that pushed me to make a move.There was no guarantee I would be able to find a flight and leaving behind my family left me feeling tormented.Both my parents are in their 60s and are at high-risk as they suffer from various health complications, including diabetes and heart issues. Leaving them could have meant never seeing them again.They encouraged me to try to find a flight, partly because they cared and worried about my partner being alone in Canada, but also because we all thought finding a ticket would’ve been impossible.Scrambling for a seatEihab Boraie hugs his mom farewell at Cairo’s international airport.Eihab BoraieOnce Egypt announced its airports would close on March 19, the only tickets left skyrocketed from $700 to over $3,000, most of them requiring stops in virus-ravaged countries.I decided to take a chance and put my name on EgyptAir’s waiting list for a direct flight to Toronto hoping for a miracle. I assumed the only way I would be traveling home was if the Canadian government sent a plane to retrieve stranded Canadians.Incredibly, hours before the airport’s closure, I received a call confirming that I had a seat on the last flight to Canada.I rushed to EgyptAir’s office in Cairo’s Korba district and got the ticket. As I ran out the door, a jewelry store nearby caught my eye. It was ridiculous that this non-essential store stayed open, but it was as if the universe knew I needed one at that moment.On the drive back home, I saw Egypt’s military dispersing across the city preparing to deploy, a move that often indicates that a curfew may be coming. Memories of mandatory curfew during Egypt’s uprisings started rushing back, but in these strange times, these draconian measures were oddly comforting as they would help limit infections.Emotional farewellEihab Boraie wearing a face mask en route to Canada.Eihab BoraieI arrived at the airport and gave a big hug to both my parents, hoping it wouldn’t be the last.Overwhelmed with emotions, I entered the terminal expecting to encounter scenes of chaos. Instead, the building was shockingly empty.Before the pandemic, Cairo Airport had been bustling as tourism had begun bouncing back following recent political and social upheaval in the wake of Egypt’s uprisings.During those times, I had seen Cairo’s airport empty, but never like this.There was no line at the first security check. Throughout the airport, it appeared that most workers were wearing masks and sometimes gloves, but not everyone. I noticed a few workers handling the luggage carts weren’t wearing either.As I arrived at the check-in counters, I was told that this was the last flight going to Canada. There were no other flights checking in at the time. The lack of departures was a relief as it allowed the passengers to socially distance from one another.Cairo Airport was mostly empty. Eihab BoraieOnce I checked in, there were no lines at security to enter the terminal and there was barely anyone inside except a few employees and passengers.Navigating the massive walkways — at times with absolutely no one in sight — felt like being in a post-apocalyptic movie waiting for a swarm of contagious zombies to turn the corner.At no point was my temperature checked, nor was there anyone asking about any symptoms.I later learned from a relative who took the same plane back to Egypt that they were doing temperature checks on arrival at Cairo Airport.The line getting onto the plane was uncomfortably crowded. Most passengers were equipped with masks and covered up, only revealing the nervousness in their eyes. Those who remained mask-less were often old or young and equally indifferent to the crisis at hand. The longest flight of my lifeCheck-in for the flight was crowded. Most passengers wore masks.Eihab BoraieBoarding MS995 was completed in record time. Yet the departure was annoyingly delayed.Two passengers refused to take their seats as they were seated beside the toilets. After a failed attempt to switch places, they finally decided to forfeit their tickets on the last flight out.Every decision made on this trip seemed magnified into a matter of life and death, and sitting by the bathroom on a fully booked flight could have arguably increased the chances of being infected.The only worse scenario would be sitting beside someone exhibiting symptoms, which is where I found myself.Sandwiched between a 72-year-old mother and her 38-year-old daughter, I immediately offered them both hand sanitizer.The mother was wearing a mask but appeared to have a runny nose and cough. While the daughter sitting in the aisle seat was wearing no protective measures and didn’t seem too concerned about the risk of traveling.There wasn’t a passenger aboard that could have predicted the series of decisions made that week, and it seemed everyone had to scramble for a ticket.”I was expecting that the borders would be closed in Canada, not in Egypt, but it happened in Egypt before Canada,” explained the mother.Departure was delayed by passengers anxious at being seated near the toilet.Eihab BoraieAs she continued to explain her frustrating ordeal to find tickets, the mother mentioned their efforts to receive help from the consulate were to no avail. Her daughter believed that visiting the EgyptAir office in person was the reason they found seats.”I found out a lot of people on the previous flight out had been turned away because they weren’t Canadians. So, there were empty seats on that flight, and I decided we should try to go to the office and get on the waiting list … When we got the tickets, I was excited, it felt like we had won the lottery,” explained the daughter.Throughout the flight, I was on edge as every cough was a reminder that I was potentially traveling with the invisible enemy sitting next to me. I asked the mother if she was feeling well, but she continued to assure me she was okay.”I just got a cold a few days ago and looked at the symptoms, but they say it doesn’t start with a runny nose, it starts with a dry cough. But don’t tell anybody, I don’t want them to send me back,” she pleaded.I wondered if she was risking the flight because she would feel safer in Canada, but then she explained: “I don’t think Ottawa is safer than Cairo, I just want to be home and be with my daughters and grandchildren.”The whole reason for my travel was to be with the one I love, but I wouldn’t have taken the trip if I was showing symptoms.Landing in TorontoThe airport in Toronto was also quiet.Eihab BoraieI arrived in Toronto and expected the airport to be filled with Canadians returning from all over the world, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had recently urged citizens overseas to head home.To my amazement, the airport was as barren as Cairo’s. When we got off the plane, there was some security personnel handing out pamphlets reminding people to self-isolate for two weeks.At customs, they casually asked me if I had any symptoms, but again I didn’t have my temperature checked or anything else. Maybe they had a hidden thermal imaging camera somewhere, but as a Canadian, I was concerned that these screening measures weren’t enough.The only line I had to wait at in the airport wasn’t at customs, security or health checks but at a coffee shop. Once I reached the cashier, I again felt disheartened as none of the employees were wearing masks.I had seven hours before my next flight. I decided to explore the airport and discovered a medical clinic.I asked the receptionist if they offered a Covid-19 test. Their eyes widened at the question and they told me that they didn’t, but gave me a number to call if I started exhibiting symptoms.As I continued wandering around, I assumed traffic would pick up. But by midday, there was only a handful of travelers scattered across the airport.”I was working here during SARS, but even then, the airport was never this empty,” one airport security guard told me.Proposing quarantineThere was plenty of room on the flight to Quebec City.Eihab BoraieThe flight to Quebec City was half empty, allowing most passengers to take a row of seats for themselves.Upon arrival, there was once again no screening process. I had traveled from Cairo to Quebec City during a global pandemic without even a basic check.In the time it took me to get there, more than a thousand people had died of Covid-19, and the death toll had surpassed 10,000 globally.When my girlfriend Francesca arrived, I snuck up behind her, got down on one knee, and proposed.She was completely caught off guard as less than 48 hours before she didn’t know when and if she would ever see me again, let alone predict that I would ask her to marry me.She accepted my proposal, we removed our masks and made it official with a long kiss.She said yes!Eihab BoraieI was relieved she said yes as it reaffirmed that although the journey was risky it was worth it. I couldn’t have imagined what I would have done if she refused as there was no going back to Egypt.My fiancée loved the ring and placed it on her finger, but we both knew that the kiss sealed the deal as it meant she accepted possibly contracting the virus that I hoped I wasn’t carrying.When they heard about the engagement, her family and friends in Italy showered us with congratulations. For many of them this was the first bit of good news they had heard in over a month.The couple is looking forward to getting married in Italy after the crisis. Eihab BoraieIf I learned anything from this crisis it’s that time is unpredictably short, and if I was willing to risk her health, I should also be prepared to commit to spending the rest of our lives together.Our hope is that we will get to enjoy each other beyond the next two weeks, but we both know that there’s no telling if the risk of traveling was worth it until our quarantine is over.When the world is healed, our plan is to get married in Italy on the island of Giglio, but it’s hard to imagine when that will be. Until that day the only couple goals we set in stone is to stay isolated and survive the quarantine.

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