Raphael Stevens

In this articleDREHWINHometown Deli, Paulsboro, N.J.Mike Calia | CNBCThe investment funds of two U.S. universities, Duke and Vanderbilt, own significant chunks of stock in the mysterious company valued at $100 million by the stock market despite owning only a tiny New Jersey deli.Duke’s and Vanderbilt’s shares in Hometown International were acquired by their Hong Kong-based arms under the direction of Maso Capital Partners, itself a Hong Kong entity that is an investor in the deli-owning company, financial filings reveal.The shares of Duke and Vanderbilt, among the biggest stakes in Hometown International, were acquired in the past year as part of what financial filings indicate is an effort to use Hometown International — as well as a shell company called E-Waste — as vehicles for private companies to become publicly traded on U.S. stock markets through either reverse mergers or similar maneuvers.It is not clear whether Duke and Vanderbilt are among the would-be buyers of shares in E-Waste, which last week announced it was offering to sell stock for $2.5 million. E-Waste, which is tied to people connected to Hometown, and which has borrowed money from the deli owner, has no ongoing business, but despite that has a market capitalization of more than $100 million.Manoj Jain, co-chief investment officer of Maso Capital, has sole voting and investment power for Hometown International shares held by the two universities, according to financial filings. Jain previously worked as a managing director at asset manager firm Och-Ziff, now known as Sculptor Capital Management.The role of Duke and Vanderbilt as Hometown International shareholders was first reported by The Financial Times.Financial records show that the same Duke and Vanderbilt investment vehicles that are shareholders in the deli owner previously had been listed as substantial shareholders along with Maso Capital in Paladin Energy, an Australian company that had uranium mining operations in Africa.They also show that the Duke and Vanderbilt entities hold shares in a so-called special purpose acquisition company, Duddell Street Acquisition Corp., which Maso Capital created last year and which began trading on NASDAQ.A third American university, Rutgers, pays $1,100 per month rent for office space on Mantua Avenue next to the Paulsboro, New Jersey, deli, CNBC has learned.Paul Morina, CEO of the deli-owning company, is one of the partners in the landlord entity, Mantua Creek Group LLC.The involvement of the three universities with Hometown International and the deli’s landlord raises more questions to the mystery surrounding Hometown, whose market capitalization of $100 million reflects — in no way at all — the underlying value of the deli it owns. That deli has had sales of just $35,000 in the 2019 and 2020 combined.Rutgers’ rentRutgers’ space is being used for a study of Paulsboro’s drinking water by the university’s School of Public Health, which is being conducted with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.Rutgers, a public university based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is paying Mantua Creek Group rent under a 24-month lease that began last September. The Rutgers study’s office is at 541 B Mantua Ave., while the Hometown Deli is at 541 A Mantua Ave.Hometown International itself is paying Mantua Creek Group $500 per month for the deli space.The Paulsboro Wrestling Club and the Monster Factory professional wrestling school are located at 541 C Mantua Ave., in a separate building.Morina, the Hometown International CEO, is also the principal of Paulsboro High School and head coach of its renowned wrestling team.A Rutgers spokeswoman said she had no information about how the university chose the location for its office in Paulsboro.Office space rented by Rutgers next door to Your Hometown Deli in Paulsboro, NJMike Calia | CNBCThe lease agreements with Rutgers and Hometown were signed by a man named James Patten, who works as an analyst for Tryon Capital, a North Carolina company controlled by Peter Coker Sr., the father of the chairman of the deli company, Peter Coker Jr.Patten, who wrestled in high school with Morina, was barred from acting as a stock broker after a series of disciplinary actions, according to FINRA, the entity that regulates broker-dealers.Duke and Vanderbilt sharesHometown International’s most recent annual report, filed last month, shows that Duke’s entity, Blackwell Partners LLC — Series A, holds 1.38 million common stock shares in Hometown International. Duke holds warrants to purchase another 27.6 million shares.Vanderbilt’s entity, Star V Partners LLC, holds 663,750 common shares in the company, with warrants to buy another 13.275 million shares.The universities’ stakes, which include common shares and warrants, were acquired for about $2 million in total.On paper, those common shares alone now are worth more than $26 million, given Hometown International’s recent closing price of $13 per share.But Hometown’s stock is thinly traded, at best. For that reason, and because of the lack of any valuable asset other than its existence as a publicly traded company, it is likely impossible for anyone, including Duke and Vanderbilt, to sell their shares in large blocks for anywhere near the current trading price.It is not clear whether Vanderbilt and Duke are among the recent buyers.A spokeswoman for Duke, located in Durham, North Carolina, declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Maso Capital.Vanderbilt, located in Nashville, Tennessee, had no immediate comment when contacted by CNBC.Anders Hall, vice chancellor for investments and chief financial officer at Vanderbilt, previously handled investments at Duke.People connected to Hometown have for weeks refused to return calls and emails seeking comment from CNBC.The strange case of Hometown InternationalCNBC in the past two weeks has detailed criminal cases, civil lawsuits and regulatory sanctions against people connected to Hometown International, whose listing on an over-the-counter market was removed last week because of irregularities in its financial filings.Those filings show that the largest shareholders of Hometown International stock include a group of opaque entities in Macao, China, which are located on the same floor in the same office building there.Earlier this week, as a result of CNBC’s articles, Hometown International and E-Waste terminated consulting agreements that were paying Peter Coker Sr.’s Tryon Capital $15,000 per month in the case of the deli owner, and $2,500 per month in the case of E-Waste.Another company connected to Coker Sr., TM Medical Properties LLC on its website says it leases space to multiple health-care related entities, including Vanderbilt Medical Center Clinics.Coker Sr.’s Hong Kong-based son, Peter Coker Jr., among other positions has a board seat at Duddell Street Acquisition Corp., the Maso Capital-linked SPAC firm whose shares last fall began trading on the Nasdaq.Duddell Street Acquisition, whose name reflects the Hong Kong office address of Maso Capital, on its website says it is “a newly incorporated blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination.” More

In this articleQSR-CAA pedestrian walks past a Tim Hortons restaurant.Ben Nelms | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesCanada’s worsening wave of Covid-19 cases is putting pressure on Tim Hortons, the country’s iconic coffee chain, and that could be hiding some of the progress its turnaround is making.Parent company Restaurant Brands International is a popular stock among Wall Street analysts. Barclays Capital, for example, selected it as one of its top picks for medium- or long-term investors. Burger King and Popeyes are recovering quickly in the U.S., and a successful turnaround of Tim Hortons would fix the laggard of the portfolio.So far this year, Restaurant Brand shares have risen 12%, giving the company a market value of $31.8 billion. The stock was up 1% in morning trading after its first-quarter earnings and revenue topped estimates.Tim Hortons was the only chain in Restaurant Brands’ portfolio to report shrinking same-store sales, even as it faced a comparison with double-digit declines from a year earlier. Worldwide, its same-store sales fell 2.3%, and Canadian same-store sales dropped 3.3%. Tim Hortons’ declining systemwide sales dragged down Restaurant Brands’ organic revenue, which was negative compared with a year earlier. Typically, Tim Hortons contributes about 60% of Restaurant Brands’ total revenue.Restaurant Brands CEO Jose Cil said that there was “no doubt” that the biggest factor affecting the coffee chain’s performance was the restrictions on mobility in Canada.”Americans are experiencing a very different path out of Covid than Canadians,” Cil said.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsBoth Burger King and Popeyes reported positive same-store sales growth in the United States.This month, Canada’s rate of new Covid-19 infections overtook that of the U.S. for the first time since the pandemic began. Ontario, which is home to nearly 40% of the country’s population and almost half of Tim Hortons’ locations, is under a stay-at-home order until May 20. Cil told analysts on Friday that there is a “real possibility” that the mandate is extended.Canada’s vaccine rollout has also been slower than that of the U.S., which has fully vaccinated 30% of the population, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ontario just opened up first-dose availability to people who are at least 40 years old, and it plans to accelerate eligibility to all adults by the end of May.Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsBut there are some bright spots for Tim Hortons. In areas where Canadians can have more normal routines, consumers are returning to cafes. Suburban restaurants sales are flat to slightly up compared with the year-ago period, executives said. It also has about 1,000 more drive-thru locations in Canada than its competition, giving it the leg up on attracting consumers who are looking for convenient ways to pick up their coffee.The chain was in turnaround mode even before the pandemic, and its continued investments in the business are starting to pay off. Its new dark roast coffee, coupled with upgraded coffee brewing equipment and water filtration, resulted in the highest increase in the percentage of transactions that included coffee in three years. Its fresh cracked egg breakfast sandwiches helped drive same-store sales growth for the breakfast category in February.In March, Tim Hortons announced an investment of 80 million Canadian dollars ($65 million) to spend on advertising, new menu items and its loyalty program. Franchisees are also chipping in an additional 0.5% of sales into advertising contributions. More

In this article22UA-DEPFEThomas Gregory, 16, is inoculated by nurse Cindy Lamica with the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at the UMass Memorial Health Care COVID-19 Vaccination Center in the Mercantile Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on April 22, 2021.Joseph Prezioso | AFP | Getty ImagesData on how well the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11 could be available as early as the end of this summer, the scientist who helped develop the shot told CNBC.If clinical trials go well and the Food and Drug Administration approves it, young children could get vaccinated by the end of the year, BioNTech o-founder and chief medical officer Dr. Ozlem Tureci said late Thursday. “We expect the data at the end of the summer or autumn of this year. We will then file it with the regulators and, depending on how fast they react, by the end of the year we might get approval to also immunize younger children,” she said.In late March, Pfizer and BioNTech began a clinical trial testing their vaccine on healthy 6-month to 11-year-old children, a crucial step in obtaining federal regulatory clearance to start vaccinating young kids and controlling the pandemic.For the first phase of the trial, the companies will identify the preferred dosing level for three age groups – between 6 months and 2 years old, 2 and 5, and from ages 5 through 11. The doses will be evaluated in children ages 5 through 11 first before researchers move on to the other age groups, they said.Because the companies are evaluating the older age group first, it’s possible data on kids under age 5 could come “a bit later,” Tureci told CNBC.The two-dose vaccine is already authorized for use in people 16 and older. Earlier this month, Pfizer and BioNTech asked the FDA to allow their Covid-19 vaccine to be given to kids ages 12 to 15 on an emergency use basis.The companies said in late March that the vaccine was found to be 100% effective in a trial of more than 2,000 adolescents. They also said the vaccine elicited a “robust” antibody response in the children, exceeding those in an earlier trial of older teens and young adults. Side effects were generally consistent with those seen in adults, they added.Vaccinating children is seen as crucial to ending the pandemic. The nation is unlikely to achieve herd immunity — when enough people in a given community have antibodies against a specific disease — until children can get vaccinated, health officials and experts say.Children make up around 20% of the total U.S. population, according to government data. Between 70% and 85% of the U.S. population needs to be vaccinated against Covid to achieve herd immunity, experts say, and some adults may refuse to get the shots.In addition to testing the vaccine in young children, Pfizer and BioNTech are testing whether a third dose of the vaccine would provide a better immune response against new variants of the virus.BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told CNBC on Thursday he is “confident” the vaccine is effective against B.1.617, a highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in India.Still, he said, people will likely need a third shot of its two-dose vaccine as immunity against the virus wanes. Researchers are seeing a decline in antibody responses against the virus after eight months, he added.”If we provide a boost we could really amplify the antibody response even above the levels that we had at the beginning and that could give us real comfort for protection for at least 12 months, maybe 18 months,” Sahin said. “And this is really important in a time where all the variants are coming in.”Sahin also said he expects demand for the shot to continue to increase, adding the company is boosting the manufacturing capacity of the vaccine to 3 billion doses by the end of 2021. In December, Sahin expects the company’s manufacturing goal will go up to 400 million doses a month. More

President Joe Biden speaks during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on April 28, 2021.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSome business owners may have breathed a sigh of relief when the White House released details of President Joe Biden’s tax plan.That’s because he indicated family owned businesses and farms would be protected against any projected capital gains tax hikes.The celebration may be premature, as it’s still unclear how this would work.On Wednesday, Biden unveiled his new $1.8 trillion American Families Plan in a speech to Congress. The package, which follows Biden’s jobs and infrastructure plans, further supports American workers, children and the economy with $1 trillion in spending and $800 billion in tax credits over a decade.  More from Invest in You:As home prices rise, here’s what buyers can do to land a dealFeeling financial stress? Here’s how your employer may helpYou can still tap free money for college — here’s howThe proposal funds the programs by hiking taxes on the wealthiest Americans and closing certain loopholes. The plan raises the capital gains tax rate to 39.6% for households that make more than $1 million and closes the so-called “step up in basis” for gains of more than $1 million, or $2.5 million per married couple, minus certain real estate exemptions.The White House said that the plan will include protections for owners of businesses and farms to shield them from what could be a significant tax hit if they want to pass the asset on to an heir, such as a child or sibling, upon their death.”The reform will be designed with protections so that family owned businesses and farms will not have to pay taxes when given to heirs who continue to run the business,” according to an administration fact sheet on the tax bill.So far, experts are concerned about what protections will be given to family owned businesses and worry that, in some cases, owners or heirs could still be hit with a significant capital gains or estate tax.”There’s so many questions that I have,” said Ali Hutchinson, managing director at Brown Brothers Harriman, referring to the single sentence addressing protections for family owned businesses and farms.For one, it’s not clear what the protections will be, she said. It’s also not apparent such protections would only be given to heirs who are already running the business, or if it would also apply to those who would step in after an owner’s death.”I think there’s cautious optimism for family farms and businesses,” said Hutchinson.What additional taxes would mean for businessesExperts question how businesses would be shielded from the proposed elimination of the step-up in basis.Taking away the tax break would raise $113 billion over a decade, according to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.But it would also be disastrous for family owned businesses, especially if they are not protected from the repeal of the tax break in the event of an owner’s death, or if heirs are hit with a tax later if they want to sell an inherited business.I think the best thing any small-business owner can do is talk to a CPA or tax attorney and see where they are with their assets.Courtney Titus Brookssenior manager of federal relations at the National Federation of Independent Business”We are highly concerned that this will prohibit small-business owners from being in a position to invest more in their employees, invest more in their business operations,” said Courtney Titus Brooks, senior manager of federal relations at the National Federation of Independent Business.  “Instead, it’ll go to estate planning.”A recent study by Ernst & Young with the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition , a part of the National Federation of Independent Business, showed that repealing the step-up in basis could also hit worker wages and eliminate jobs. The study found that taking away the break would be equivalent to losing 80,000 jobs in the first decade and 100,000 jobs each year thereafter.Small businesses added 1.8 million net new jobs in the U.S. in the last year studied, according to a 2019 report from the Small Business Administration.It would also hit U.S. gross domestic product by $100 billion in the first decade and each $100 of revenue raised by the tax would lower worker wages by $32, according to the study.What to watch going forwardOf course, even if there aren’t adequate protections, the taxes proposed will likely only apply to businesses valued at $1 million or more, so few of the smallest firms would be subject to an increased tax hit, according to John C. Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of Small Business Majority, an advocacy group.”A vast majority of small businesses who really need the help being offered by the American Jobs Plan and the American Family Plan will not be at all adversely affected by the tax provisions,” he said.Still, business owners should be watching for developments on what protections may look like, how their assets would be valued by any rules going forward and when new laws might go into effect.If the start date is retroactive, businesses won’t have time to plan. But, if the plan is passed with a start date in the future, there may be opportunities for tax planning now, according to Hutchinson. “Any business owner should be considering their assets,” said Titus Brooks. “It’s not necessarily money you have in the bank, it’s money you have tied up into your business.”As negotiations begin, the details of the tax protections are something that business owners should follow very closely, she said.”I think the best thing any small-business owner can do is talk to a CPA or tax attorney and see where they are with their assets and also communicate in real time what that would mean to their representatives,” said Titus Brooks.SIGN UP: Money 101 is an 8-week learning course to financial freedom, delivered weekly to your inbox.CHECK OUT: How to make money with creative side hustles, from people who earn thousands on sites like Etsy and Twitch via Grow with Acorns+CNBC.Disclosure: NBCUniversal and Comcast Ventures are investors in Acorns. More

The list of places that’s welcoming vaccinated people is growing by the week.Proof of vaccines is easing travel restrictions to some places, and is the only way travelers can gain entrance to others.Yet from health forms to testing protocols, travel remains complicated even for the immunized. Rules differ from one country to the next. Some places reject certain types of vaccines, while others still require a quarantine period — often shortened.Travelers almost always have to be fully vaccinated — which is commonly defined as two weeks following the last required dose. However, several places allow travel the same day as a second shot.  So travelers should read the fine print before booking a trip abroad, which includes understanding Covid-19 protocols that may be stricter than what’s required at home.  The U.S. CDC may have eased mask rules for fully vaccinated Americans who are outside, but other places, such as Greece, have not.Stefan Cristian Cioata | Moment | Getty ImagesA study by the rental search engine HomeToGo showed 54% of U.S. travelers plan on taking a trip within the first two months of getting vaccinated. Yet, the rise of Covid variants is complicating matters.     The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against traveling to all but 31 destinations in the world. The 31 places are under the CDC’s Level 1 travel advisory, which indicates the risk for Covid is low there.Only four of those places are on the list below, so a sizable chasm remains between where vaccinated travelers can go and where they’re recommended to go.U.S. CDC Travel Recommendations by DestinationLevel 1: Low — Travelers should wear masks, avoid crowds, etc. Level 2: Moderate — Avoid all nonessential travel. Level 3: High — Avoid all nonessential travel. Level 4: Very high — Avoid all travel.To be clear, vaccinated travelers can still contract Covid-19 (and possibly transmit it), so researching infection and vaccination rates at intended destinations is also advisable.CNBC Global Traveler will update this list as new information is made public.The CaribbeanAnguilla (temporarily closed)Just 10 days after Anguilla halved its stay-in-place requirements for vaccinated travelers from 14 to seven days, the island closed its borders for two weeks due to a coronavirus outbreak. The British Overseas Territory, which had just 18 total Covid cases as of early March 2021, confirmed 62 new cases in the past two weeks, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.Vaccinated travelers pay $300 to enter Anguilla, while unvaccinated visitors pay $600.Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty ImagesAnguilla had previously announced that from May 1, incoming groups of 10 or more will be required to be vaccinated, and spa and gym services are only allowed if both guests and staff are fully vaccinated.  Starting July 1, everyone who is eligible to take a vaccine must be inoculated to enter.Travel Level: 1BarbadosStarting May 8, Barbados is reducing quarantine requirements for vaccinated travelers to zero to two days. Children under 18 years old traveling with vaccinated parents are also allowed to enter. Vaccinated travelers traveling with unvaccinated companions must quarantine for a week or more if they choose to stay together.  Travel Level: 4BelizeTravelers can enter Belize if they test negative before or after arriving; vaccinated visitors needn’t test though.Travel Level: 2British Virgin IslandsStarting May 15, travelers can avoid quarantine in the British Virgin Islands for four days if they test negative before and after arriving (results are estimated to take 24 hours), according to a press release. They must also provide evidence of an “approved” vaccine — such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson, it said.Travel Level: 1The British Virgin Islands are one of few CDC Level 1 Covid destinations that are welcoming vaccinated travelers.Karl Weatherly | DigitalVision | Getty ImagesGrenadaFrom May 1, vaccinated travelers will still need to test negative before and after arriving in Grenada and its dependent territories of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Quarantine periods will be reduced from a week to no more than 48 hours, if they are vaccinated.Travel Level: 1North AmericaHawaiiStarting May 11, Hawaii residents can travel between islands without Covid-19 tests or quarantines if they have been vaccinated in Hawaii. The state is expected to loosen entrance requirements for vaccinated travelers from the mainland United States later this summer.  Travel Level: N/AFrench PolynesiaTahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea and other “Islands of Tahiti”Visitors need a “compelling reason” to visit French Polynesia (colloquially referred to as “The Islands of Tahiti”) during the pandemic. From May 1, this reason can be for the purposes of tourism if travelers have been in the United States for 30 days before arriving, according to new guidelines that cite the “low circulation of Covid-19” in the U.S.  “We are expecting this requirement to evolve as the Covid-19 situation improves in other countries,” Kristin Carlson, managing director of the country’s tourism marketing organization said.American residents eligible to travel to French Polynesia are charged less for on-island Covid tests if they are vaccinated ($50 versus $120).Dana Neibert | The Image Bank | Getty ImagesVaccinated travelers can avoid French Polynesia’s 10-day quarantine, but families with kids may be subject to it.”Children 6 years old and older who are not vaccinated, nor immune or who test positive to the antigenic test will be quarantined, as well as the entire family with whom they are traveling,” said Carlson.  Travel Level: 3EuropeThe European Union blocSome vaccinated travelers are expected to be welcome into the European Union this summer.“All 27 member states will accept, unconditionally, all those who are vaccinated with vaccines that are approved by EMA,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told The New York Times this week, referencing the drug-regulating European Medicines AgencyThe agency has approved vaccines made by Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca.Nothing official has been announced yet. If the EU allows vaccinated travelers into the bloc, member states are free to impose additional testing and quarantine requirements.Some countries in Europe have separately announced or indicated plans to welcome vaccinated travelers, including:  CroatiaOptions abound here. Fully vaccinated travelers can enter without quarantine, as can those with negative Covid tests or proof of a past Covid infection. Everyone else can test upon arrival or self-isolate for 10 days. Tourists coming from outside of Europe’s Schengen zone must also show proof of payment for their hotel or accommodation to get into Croatia.  Travel Level: 4CyprusFrom May 10, travelers from most of Europe, the United States, Canada, Russia and other countries can bypass Covid testing protocols if they are vaccinated with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine or vaccines approved by the EMA. Vaccinated travelers aren’t subject to quarantines even if they are close contacts with a positive Covid case, and vaccine protocols kick in the same day a vaccine is fully administered. Vaccine certificates, which must be uploaded before departure, are to be verified by border control services in the country of departure.Travel Level: 4EstoniaEstonia allows travelers to avoid testing and 10-day quarantines if they’ve had Covid-19 or been vaccinated against the coronavirus in the past six months. Proof of vaccination can be shown by an immunization passport or certificate, and vaccines approved in a traveler’s country of residence or departure are accepted.Travel Level: 4FranceFrench President Emmanuel Macron told “Face the Nation” on CBS News this month that the country will begin easing travel restrictions in May and is “working hard to propose a very concrete solution, especially for U.S. citizens who are vaccinated” by this summer.   Travel Level: 4GeorgiaAll fully vaccinated travelers can enter Georgia if two requirements are met: they must enter by air and have not been in India in the past 14 days. India is experiencing a deadly second wave, which started in February.Travel Level: 4GreeceGreece is now welcoming travelers who present a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test or vaccination certificate upon arrival. Vaccines made in “third countries” such as Russia and China — which have not been approved by the EMA — are accepted. However, only residents of Europe, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Serbia, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, Singapore and Russia can enter without isolating.Though the Acropolis has reopened, Greece is currently under lockdown-type restrictions with a nighttime curfew and store and restaurant closures.Matteo Colombo | Moment | Getty ImagesRussian travelers are also required to test negative to enter, even if they are vaccinated. Further announcements are expected before Greece’s broader reopening on May 14.Travel Level: 4IcelandVaccinated travelers and Covid recoverees can avoid quarantines if they pass a Covid test upon arrival. Proof can be in paper or electronic format. Those inoculated with vaccines made in China and Russia will not be accepted. From June 1, less stringent measures are to apply to residents of low-risk countries.Travel Level: 3IsraelPlans to welcome a limited number of vaccinated tourist groups in May — and to vaccinated individual travelers by July — could be in flux due to a recommendation to delay reopening plans by Israel’s Health Ministry this week. The proposal, which was prompted by dangerous Covid variants emerging around the globe, will be debated in an upcoming cabinet meeting, according to The Times of Israel.Travel Level: 3MadeiraWhile Portugal’s mainland isn’t open to inoculated travelers yet, vaccinated travelers and Covid recoverees can enter Madeira, one of two autonomous regions of the country, without having to undergo Covid testing. The other region, the Azores, has no such provision. Plans for Portugal to welcome vaccinated travelers from the U.K. as early as May 17 have yet to be confirmed.Travel Level: 4MaltaWhile the small Mediterranean nation of Malta has indicated it may accept vaccinated travelers this summer, it hasn’t formally announced this yet. “In due course, it is expected that evidence of full vaccination … can be used instead of a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate,” according to a statement from a governmental website.Travel Level: 4MontenegroTourists can enter if they show proof of being vaccinated, recovery from past infection or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours from entering. Unlike most countries, Montenegro allows vaccinated people to enter seven days after the full dose is taken. Regional residents and Russians do not need a test to enter.Travel Level: 4PolandVaccinated travelers can bypass Poland’s 10-day quarantine if they hail from EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Georgia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea, Tunisia, Israel and Australia. Hotels are to remain closed until May 3, and only vaccines authorized in the EU are accepted.Travel Level: 4SloveniaTravelers from Slovenia’s “red list” of countries (155 in total) can avoid a 10-day quarantine by presenting proof of vaccination, including those made in Russia and China. Time periods from the last dose vary from seven to 21 days depending on which vaccine was taken.    Travel Level: 4Middle EastLebanonFor Lebanon, where travelers are vaccinated matters more than which vaccine they received. Travelers can avoid a pre-flight Covid test if they have been vaccinated 15 days before departing and received their second dose in Lebanon, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, parts of northern Africa, plus most of Europe and Asia. They must still take a Covid test upon arrival.Travel Level: 4AsiaMaldivesPre-flight Covid testing and quarantines aren’t necessary for vaccinated travelers anymore — but their uninoculated kids will need a test. Unvaccinated travelers can also avoid quarantines if they stay on an island where 60% of the population is vaccinated. The country’s Health Protection Agency will regularly publish a list of these islands, according to a statement from the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism.Vaccinated people are not subject to quarantines in the Maldives.FilippoBacci | E+ | Getty ImagesThe announcement on April 16 stated only vaccines recognized by the World Health Organization — i.e. AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson — were accepted. However, five days later, the Maldives’ Ministry of Tourism revised the statement to include vaccines “approved by [WHO] … or any other competent authority of the respective countries.”  Travel Level: 4NepalThough it advises getting one, Nepal no longer requires vaccinated travelers to get a pre-flight PCR test. They must, however, take a post-arrival test.Travel Level: 3Phuket, ThailandThailand’s plan to reopen the island of Phuket in July — and waive quarantines for vaccinated travelers there — is being threatened by a wave of Covid outbreaks tied to Bangkok nightclubs and island beach parties earlier this month. The country’s total case count has more than doubled in the past month — from nearly 29,000 on April 1 to more than 63,000 as of April 29, according to data from Worldometer.Travel Level: 2Sri LankaThe “teardrop island” created a handy flowchart outlining travel protocols for vaccinated travelers. For them (and their kids aged 12 and younger), testing requirements are reduced, and they are free to leave Sri Lanka’s “bio-bubble” — which is designed to prevent tourists from mingling with locals. That’s provided they test negative about 24-48 hours after arriving.Travel Level: 2TaiwanA pilot program to reduce quarantines for vaccinated travelers from 14 to seven days is expected to launch in May, according to the Taiwan News. Participation is limited, and applicants will have to be vaccinated one month prior and likely need three Covid-related tests before and after arriving.Travel Level: 1AfricaSeychellesSeychelles in January became the first nation to welcome vaccinated travelers from all over the world. By March it had opened to all visitors — regardless of vaccination status.This month, due to the rise of contagious Covid variants, Seychelles is closing its doors to some. Visitors from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan must be vaccinated to enter. Brazilians are not permitted to enter nor is anyone who visited South Africa two weeks before arrival. Visitors are also “strongly encouraged” to be vaccinated before traveling, according to a government travel advisory.Travel Level: 4Central and South AmericaEcuadorTravelers can show proof of vaccination in lieu of a negative Covid test to enter. Unvaccinated travelers (who must test negative prior to arriving) and those with proof of a prior recovery can also visit, and no one is subject to quarantines.Travel Level: 4Ecuador has registered more than 27,000 cases of Covid in the past two weeks.Eduardo Fonseca Arraes | Moment | Getty ImagesGuatemalaVaccinated travelers can enter as can those with a negative PCR test (taken 72 hours prior to airport check-in) or proof of recovery in the past three months. Everyone aged 10 and above must show one of these and complete a health pass before arriving.Note: the health pass doesn’t refer to the vaccination option yet.Travel Level: 4Editor’s note: This list includes countries that are easing travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers. It does not include countries which are open to all travelers, vaccinated or not.  More