Raphael Stevens

In this articleCDCHouston Astros fans reach to catch a home run baseball hit by Texas Rangers left fielder Willie Calhoun (5) in the top of the first inning during the baseball game between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros on May 13, 2021 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.Leslie Plaza | Icon Sportswire | Getty ImagesMask mandates are slowly subsiding after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidelines on Thursday. That could be good news for sports leagues, so CNBC talked to a couple of experts about what this means for fans who are antsy to get back to attending games in person.The CDC said fully vaccinated individuals can, in most cases, drop protective face wear and no longer need to stay six feet apart. Unvaccinated people still need to follow stricter guidelines, as they remain at risk.”If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told reporters. “We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy.”The CDC has been cheered and criticized for its decision.Professional sports leagues, including Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association, have been operating under city and state capacity restrictions due to the pandemic. The leagues have advised clubs to take their mask mandate cues from local officials. Masks at games are still required, and that rule could remain in place.The new rules are good for business as pro sports leagues lure back more fans, helping the leagues recover from billions in losses. That should further support the already rich National Football League, as clubs such as the Dallas Cowboys want 100% capacity for the 2021 season.’Not a Get Out of Jail Free card’The CDC still advises people honor business guidelines when it comes to mask mandates. Indoor arenas are riskier than outdoor arenas if you’re not vaccinated. So, the NBA and National Hockey League may need to keep their guidelines in place as they get ready for their postseasons.Gil Fried, a professor of sports management at the University of New Haven, advised pro teams to remain cautious.”When you’re at an arena, you don’t know what other people have and if they are vaccinated or not,” Fried said. “I still wouldn’t go to a venue without wearing a mask.”Asked when leagues should drop mask mandates, Fried said: “When the numbers across the globe decrease.” He then pointed to the nationwide lockdown in Turkey as cases spiked to over 60,000 per day.”Turkey was doing very well and considered a model of success. And now they have gone backward in a short period of time,” Fried said.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest coverage of the Covid pandemic:CDC cheered and criticized for new mask guidance; retail workers don’t want to be vaccine ‘police’Brazil braces for renewed Covid surge as Bolsonaro faces parliamentary inquiry over pandemic response Plane, train and bus travelers still need to wear masks, even if they’re vaccinatedCDC says fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear face masks indoors or outdoors in most settingsAlso, consider the recent Covid-19 outbreak within the New York Yankees that occurred even though team members were vaccinated. On Thursday, a positive test sidelined Yankees player Gleyber Torres for at least 10 days per MLB rules. And the league reported 10 new positive cases on Friday.Fried said leagues shouldn’t move too quickly on dropping mask requirements.”I think it’s great news for things like in-person training, but it’s not a Get Out of Jail Free card that is going to make everything better,” Fried said of the CDC news.”If you move too quickly, that can be scary for people,” he added. “They have been shut down for months. Yes, they’re anxious to get out there and do things, but there are still a lot of scared people. That’s part of the psychological side.”Fans stand for the national anthem of the game between the San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings on May 7, 2021 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California.Rocky Widner | National Basketball Association | Getty ImagesArenas are safer than you thinkAt this point, it’s a greater risk for leagues to change protocols, since there are still liability concerns. And city and state officials still hold the keys to fans fully returning.On May 19, New York will allow 33% capacity for unvaccinated sections at Yankees and Mets games and will offer free vaccinations at games. The Knicks are operating at 25% capacity. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia 76ers are planning to allow 50% capacity as the team enters the playoffs.At the league level, MLB plans to keep its Covid-19 advisory to teams in place. The NBA didn’t respond to CNBC’s request for comment on its plans following the CDC update.But Stephen Kissler, who studies the spread of infectious diseases at Harvard University, said indoor arenas are safer now than pre-Covid. During the pandemic, teams invested in disinfecting facilities, germ-killing technology and improved ventilation systems.”All of these things together don’t reduce the risk to zero, but they do reduce it to something a lot closer to the risks we take every day,” Kissler said.NFL clubs have allowed more people to gather at games after the league started the 2020 season with limited capacity. More than 20,000 people attended the Super Bowl in February. But that was outdoors. Asked about Covid-19 risk with fully vaccinated people at a sporting event indoors — and wearing masks — Kissler said chances are low.”One of the things I would have wished for with the CDC guidelines — and maybe arenas can think about too — is that for these mask recommendations, they should be tied to the prevalence in the community around it,” Kissler said. “If you’re vaccinated and wearing a mask, and somebody next to you is not, and the prevalence in the community is low, then I think odds of the person next to you being infectious and spreading it to you while you have on a mask and are vaccinated are extremely low.”Kissler said allowing 75% capacity at indoor sporting events would be acceptable as cases decline.”That side of caution makes a lot of sense — doing these things slowly,” Kissler said. “But we’re entering a time when a Covid infection is no longer that scary of a thing anymore, which is great,” he added. “That’s what we’ve been pushing for this whole time.””I don’t think Covid is likely to go away. But with enough people vaccinated and with some level of immunity to Covid — where previously a Covid infection would have shut things down, I think we can raise the threshold a little bit,” he said. More

In this articleHASTGTTrading card notice at a Target store in Edgewater, NJ.Sarah Whitten | CNBCRetail giant Target said Friday it is temporarily taking trading cards off shelves after one of its Wisconsin stores was locked down due to a violent dispute over cards.The items being removed include MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon trading cards. Shoppers can still purchase the cards online on Target’s website.Retailers have been seeing a surge in demand for trading cards during the pandemic, with the resale value of these cards being multiples of what consumers originally paid.The dispute in Brookfield, Wisconsin, involved four men who allegedly assaulted a fifth in the parking lot as he left the store earlier this month. The victim, who has a concealed carry permit, drew his gun during the incident, prompting his attackers to run off. No shots were fired, and all four were arrested, according to a report by WISN.Target’s decision is a precautionary measure, the company said.”The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14,” a spokesperson for Target said in a statement.The Pokémon Company International, which manages the brand and merchandise, said in a statement that demand and shipping constraints are affecting the availability of Pokémon card products.”We trust our retail partners to make the best decisions for their stores and employees. We are working closely with them to ensure customers and fans will be able to have access to an increased supply in the near future,” The Pokémon Company said.Other brands of trading cards such as Hasbro’s “Magic: The Gathering” are still on shelves.Despite seeing a rise in demand, rival Walmart said it did not plan on taking similar steps at this time.”We have not suspended the sale of any trading cards. Like other retailers, we have seen increased customer demand, and we are determining what, if any, changes are needed to meet customer demand while ensuring a safe and enjoyable shopping experience,” a spokeswoman for Walmart said in a statement. More

Andy SlavittTom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty ImagesAndy Slavitt, a senior advisor on President Joe Biden’s coronavirus response team, confirmed Friday that he will be leaving his role in early June.Slavitt, whose temporary position on Biden’s Covid panel was known to be expiring next month, said that while the administration had achieved many of its goals for the pandemic, more work remains to be done.”Look, there’s never a perfect time to leave,” Slavitt said in a Bloomberg interview. But he said he believes that when he does step away from the role, “things are in really great hands with the people here, that many difficult things have been accomplished.””There’s much more work to do, but the people here, I couldn’t think of a better set of people to do it than the people that will be here when I’m gone,” he said.Asked what else needs to be done, Slavitt mentioned the “big job” of persuading the remaining bloc of unvaccinated Americans to get their shots, as well as helping other struggling nations’ vaccination efforts.”There will always be things to do, there will always be challenges,” Slavitt said. “Hopefully they will not be as intense for the country’s sake as they’ve been so far.”Slavitt said he will be leaving sometime in “the beginning of June.” The White House did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment for more details on Slavitt’s exit. Slavitt was a so-called special government employee, a status that limits his service to 130 days, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.Slavitt discussed his forthcoming departure a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear face masks in most situations.The shift in guidance marked a significant relaxation of social distancing recommendations that had been in effect in one form or another throughout most of the pandemic. Biden and other administration officials celebrated the update, which coincided with the U.S. hitting 250 million vaccinations, as a turning point in the United States’ fight against the virus. More

In this articleHDGPSULTASBUXKRTGTA shopper and cashier both wear masks, gloves and the cashier also has on a plastic visor at the checkout station Pat’s Farms grocery store on March 31, 2020 in Merrick, New York.Al Bello | Getty ImagesShoppers and diners will likely see few — if any — immediate changes to businesses’ policies about social distancing and mask-wearing when they head to the grocery store or out to eat, despite new public health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”On balance, what will probably happen is nothing,” said Joel Bines, global co-leader of the retail practice at consulting firm AlixPartners. “Most retailers are going to opt to continue to do what they’ve been doing.”The CDC issued updated guidance Thursday, saying that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart in most settings. It marked an inflection point in the Covid pandemic, clearing the way for some degree of normalcy at outdoor and indoor gatherings. The decision comes as nearly 59% of all U.S. adults have had at least one dose of a vaccine, as of Thursday.Yet for major retailers, the calculus is different. Many, including Target, Home Depot, Gap and Ulta Beauty, said they would maintain their pandemic precautions and continue to monitor developments in the weeks and months ahead. Some said in company statements that they were still reviewing the guidance. Others stressed the importance of safety, especially as some customers and employees have not gotten a Covid vaccination and children under age 12 are not eligible for one.”We are aware of the updated CDC guidance released today and are actively assessing the implications of this updated guidance for our guests and associates, keeping health & safety as our top priority,” Ulta said in a company statement.Trader Joe’s broke from the trend. In a statement on its website, the grocer said it encourages customers to follow health officials’ guidelines — including CDC guidance that says customers who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks while shopping. The company did not say how it will check customers’ vaccination status, however, and said it will keep up other measures like extra cleaning and wellness checks for staff.Starbucks and Kroger did not immediately have a response to the updated CDC guidance, but still had notices on stores and on their websites about mask requirements.In statements, leaders of the National Retail Federation and the Retail Industry Leaders Association both said the safety of customers and employees will remain a priority.Lisa LaBruno, RILA’s senior executive vice president of retail operations and innovation, encouraged people to continue to follow private businesses’ rules.”We urge all retail customers and guests to follow a store’s safety protocols including wearing a mask and social distancing,” she said. “Frontline workers deserve this respect. Retailers encourage customers that do not want to wear a mask to shop online or via curbside pickup offerings.” Larry Lynch, senior vice president of science and industry at the National Restaurant Association, said that operators will need to work with state and local regulators to ensure that they follow other mandates in place. Lynch said the trade group won’t immediately update its Covid-19 operating guidance, but it is encouraged by the CDC’s recommendation as the industry looks to bounce back from the crisis.Bines of AlixPartners said retailers and restaurants have a major operational challenge: Not having “visible proof” of who is or is not vaccinated when a person walks through the door. He said most do not want to check customers’ vaccine status because it may come across as political or intrusive.Plus, he added, they must juggle other factors, such as mask mandates that vary in different states and localities and health concerns of customers and their own workforce.”It’s unlikely that you’re going to see a rapid unwinding of the Covid protocols — the [social distancing] stickers, the plexiglass and so forth — regardless of what the CDC came out and said today because most retailers will take the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach to dealing with this,” he said.He said there is one change that consumers may see: retailers potentially moving to softer language on the signs posted on their store doors or in the aisles. Instead of saying that masks are required, he said companies may tweak the wording to have more nuance — such as asking to please wear masks out of respect for other customers or out of kindness for employees.That shift could also lessen tension with customers who opposed mandates and perhaps are more open to masks as a courtesy, he said.”It’s a little easier for them now because it’s not quite as polarized,” he said. “It’s not as black and white. It’s now ‘We would like to encourage mask-wearing for the benefit of our employees, for the benefit of each other, while we’re in this uncertain time.'”Some businesses — mostly those oriented around outdoor venues — did drop mask requirements or say they may do that soon. Hersheypark said in a tweet Thursday that face coverings and social distancing will not be required for fully vaccinated guests. The Pennsylvania amusement park followed up with a message Friday morning, saying it will be up to customers to enforce the policy for themselves.”At this time we will rely on our guests to accurately follow the guidelines based on their vaccination status,” it said.Yet not all cheered the decision. One of the country’s major grocery unions, the United Food and Commercial Workers, said once again, front-line retail workers will be put in a tough spot as they interact with numerous strangers and are expected to help enforce the rules.”Millions of Americans are doing the right thing and getting vaccinated, but essential workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local COVID safety measures,” Marc Perrone, the union’s international president, said in a statement. “Are they now supposed to become the vaccination police?”— CNBC’s Amelia Lucas, Sarah Whitten and Nadine El-Bawab contributed to this story. More

Justin Merriman | Bloomberg Creative Photos | Getty ImagesThis year’s COP26 climate change conference must consign coal to the past, according to the U.K. lawmaker who will lead formal negotiations at the summit.In a wide-ranging speech Friday, COP26 President-designate Alok Sharma sought to emphasize the importance of ending international coal financing, an ambition he described as “a personal priority.””We are urging countries to abandon coal power, seeking the G-7 to lead the way,” he said. “At the same time, we are working with developing countries to support their transition to clean energy.””The days of coal providing the cheapest form of power are in the past, and in the past they must remain,” he added. Sharma said the science was clear that “coal must go” in order to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.The target was laid out in the Paris Agreement on climate change during the 2015 COP21 summit in the French capital.Described by the United Nations as a legally binding international treaty on climate change, the accord aims to “limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.”The COP26 summit is set to be hosted by the U.K. and held in the Scottish city of Glasgow between Nov. 1 and 12. It was originally due to take place a year earlier but was rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic.The U.K.’s official website for COP26 says it will “bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”In his remarks on Friday, Sharma went on to say: “The reality is, renewables are cheaper than coal across the majority of countries. The coal business is, as the U.N. secretary-general has said, going up in smoke. It’s old technology.””So let’s make COP26 the moment we leave it in the past where it belongs, whilst of course supporting workers and communities to make the transition, by creating good green jobs to fill the gap.”While some will view Sharma’s ambition as laudable, coal still supplies more than one-third of the planet’s electricity generation, according to the International Energy Agency.According to analysis from the IEA, worldwide coal consumption dropped by 4% in 2020, but this fall “was concentrated mostly in the early months of the year.””By the end of 2020, demand had surged above pre-Covid levels, driven by Asia where economies were fast rebounding and December was particularly cold,” the IEA adds.In the U.S., coal still plays a significant role in electricity production. Preliminary figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that natural gas and coal’s shares of utility-scale electricity generation in 2020 were 40.3% and 19.3% respectively.Sharma’s comments come at a time when plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria, a county in the northwest of England, have proved to be extremely controversial, not least because the U.K. will host COP26. The project’s fate is to be determined.  More

In this articleMGMWYNNWynn Las Vegas remains closed as a result of the statewide shutdown due to the continuing spread of the coronavirus on April 27, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Ethan Miller | Getty ImagesIn a swift pivot, Wynn Las Vegas changed its rules regarding masks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday that people who have received the coronavirus vaccine do not need to wear masks outdoors or indoors.In a press release Friday, the company said it will communicate the CDC guidelines to its Encore and Wynn guests that they are required to wear a mask if they are not vaccinated.Importantly, the casino will not verify vaccination status.”The resort trusts guests to take the appropriate precautions based on their personal vaccination status,” Wynn Las Vegas said in a statement.The company will require vaccination proof from its employees, though, before they’re allowed to set aside their masks. The company said 91% of its employees had already received their shots.”Yesterday evening, we saw a spike in the remaining unvaccinated employees seeking options for vaccination,” said Michael Weaver, a Wynn Resorts spokesman.The change was made possible because the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which sets the rules for casinos, reacted quickly to update its rules. It will neither require nor prohibit casinos from asking for proof of vaccination. It also said casinos can set rules on masks that are more restrictive than the CDC’s guidelines.CNBC Health & Science Read CNBC’s latest coverage of the Covid pandemic:CDC cheered and criticized for new mask guidance; retail workers don’t want to be vaccine ‘police’Brazil braces for renewed Covid surge as Bolsonaro faces parliamentary inquiry over pandemic response Plane, train and bus travelers still need to wear masks, even if they’re vaccinatedCDC says fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear face masks indoors or outdoors in most settingsMGM Resorts is also changing its policy, permitting fully-vaccinated customers at its properties in Las Vegas to go mask-free. However, it will require its workers to wear masks. The new policy will go into effect at 3 p.m. ET. Wynn CEO Matt Maddox was an early adopter of Covid safety precautions, and publicly issued a detailed plan for dealing with spread. Under the guidance of an infectious diseases expert, the company set up testing and vaccination sites for its employees. In April, Maddox gave employees a choice: get your shots or undergo weekly Covid testing. Workers’ vaccination rates climbed as a result.Now Wynn and Encore join other Las Vegas casinos in running at 100% occupancy, as now permitted, and it has removed all plexiglass dividers from the table games and slot machines.According to the CDC, about 58.9% of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 45.6% of those over 18 years old are fully vaccinated. More

The CDC’s updated face mask guidance is likely to prompt vaccine-hesitant Americans to get a Covid shot, Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday.”This is going to provide a pretty strong incentive for a lot people who might’ve been on the fence about getting vaccinated to go out and get vaccinated,” the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner said on “Squawk Box.”In most indoor and outdoor settings now, fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a face covering or keep 6 feet of social distance from other individuals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Masks still need to be worn at businesses that require them, the CDC said, as well as on airplanes and public transportation.Nevertheless, the public health agency’s relaxed stance is a major development in America’s efforts to fight the coronavirus. It comes as 36% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated against Covid, per CDC data. About 47% of Americans have received at least one Covid vaccine dose.The pace of new vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, prompting government officials to look for ways to encourage more Americans to sign up for a Covid shot. That includes efforts to build trust in the vaccine, expand availability into harder-to-reach communities and create incentives. In Ohio, for example, Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a plan to give $1 million to five of the state’s residents via a lottery; the recipient must be vaccinated in order to be eligible for the prize.The eased guidance from the CDC might be enough on its own to spur an uptick in vaccinations, according to Gottlieb, who led the FDA from 2017 to 2019 in the Trump administration. He now serves on the board of vaccine maker Pfizer.”I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a bump up in the number of people going out to get vaccinated because now, being vaccinated provides more value. You can go around in a mask in an honest fashion,” he said.Gottlieb acknowledged the concerns shared by some public health experts who believe unvaccinated people will use the new CDC guidance as cover to forgo a mask in businesses. However, he said, “I think people who will do that, would’ve done it anyway.”In general, Gottlieb said the CDC’s mask decision is the right one now that the country has seen sustained declines in new coronavirus infections and a significant share of the population has been vaccinated, offering protection against severe disease and death.He pointed specifically to the high vaccination rates among older Americans, who have an elevated risk of dying from Covid. Nearly 72% of Americas aged 65 and up have been fully vaccinated.”I think the worst thing you could say about the action that the CDC took is, ‘Well, maybe they could’ve waited another week,'” Gottlieb said. “At some point, we’re going to have to move past coronavirus and start living normally again,” he added. “We’re at that point right now. We’re right at the cusp of being able to take masks off and start reengaging in normal activities.”Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, told CNBC on Thursday that the new mask guidance is “really terrific news” for fully vaccinated people. However, Jha said he believes states should keep their indoor mask mandates in place for one more month. That would allow people who got their first Covid shot on April 19 — the day all U.S. residents aged 18 and up became eligible — to become fully vaccinated, he said.Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ and Royal Caribbean’s “Healthy Sail Panel.” More