Raphael Stevens

The all-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo.Source: Porsche AGLuxury German automaker Porsche expects to significantly increase sales of all-electric vehicles in the coming years, but don’t expect an EV version of its iconic 911 sports car anytime soon, if ever.Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said the 911 will be the “last Porsche which is going for full electrification,” if it ever fully becomes an EV. That’s despite the company announcing a new plan for at least 80% of its vehicles sold to be electrified by 2030.”The 911 is our icon. We will continue to build the 911 with a combustion engine,” he told reporters during a media call ahead of its annual meeting Friday morning. “The concept of the 911 doesn’t allow a fully electric car because we have the engine in the rear. To put the weight of the battery in the rear, you wouldn’t be able to drive the car.”Porsche reports 17% of its vehicles sold globally last year were electrified, including a third of its sales in Europe.’Very sporty’ 911 hybrid”Electrified” can mean an all-electric vehicle such as the Porsche Taycan or hybrid and plug-in hybrids that combine electrification with internal combustion engines, which Porsche also currently offers. A “major part” of Porsche’s vehicle sales are expected to be all-electric by 2030, according to Blume.The “majority” of the 20% of its sales that won’t be electrified by 2030 will be the 911, he said. That doesn’t mean there aren’t changes in store for the car. He said the company is working on a “very sporty hybridization” of the car, citing lessons learned from a Porsche hybrid race car.The company also is investing $24 million in “e-fuels,” which should assist in another new goal for Porsche to be carbon neutral by 2030. Porsche officials have said e-fuels are carbon neutral. They said they can act like gasoline, allowing owners of current and classic vehicles a more environmentally friendly way to drive.Twenty/20″Porsche aims to have a carbon neutral balance throughout the entire value chain by 2030,” Blume said. “We are the first major car manufacturer and we want to be an automotive role model to commit to this goal.”For perspective, General Motors recently said it plans to exclusively offer EVs by 2035 on the way to being carbon-neutral by 2040, while smaller automakers such as Volvo have plans to be climate-neutral by 2040, including only offering EVs by the end of this decade.Profitable EVsPorsche CFO Lutz Meschke during a separate media call said the automaker’s transition to electric vehicles will be profitable. That’s a change from EVs in recent years from other automakers, which have largely been sold at a loss to meet regulations.Meschke said the Taycan is currently profitable and on a “very good path” to achieve double-digit margins. Porsche has a goal of improving its operating profit cumulatively by 10 billion euros ($11.9 billion) by 2025, and by 3 billion euros ($3.6 billion) per year after that.”We have to earn the same level of money with the EV products as we do … with our combustion engine models. That is a must,” Meschke said. “Otherwise, we cannot achieve the same profitability level as in the past. That is our goal.”Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Porsche set a new revenue record last year of 28.7 billion euros ($34 billion), surpassing the previous year’s figure by more than 100 million euros ($119 million). Its operating profit was 4.2 billion euros ($5 billion), slightly lower than the previous year.Porsche’s EV goals are in-line and part of those of its parent company, Volkswagen. The German automaker earlier this week announced efforts to significantly increase mass adoption of electric vehicles, including building six battery cell factories in Europe by 2030. It plans for the company, which also includes brands like Audi and Volkswagen, to be carbon-neutral by 2050. More

Americans should continue wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus transmission at this point in the pandemic, Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday.In the coming months, he said, that should guidance should hopefully change.”We need to be careful this month. I don’t think that this is the time to start lifting … the simpler mitigations like wearing masks, things like that,” the former Food and Drug Administration commissioner said on “Squawk Box.”Gottlieb’s comments came in response to a heated exchanged Thursday between White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. In a Senate committee hearing, Paul, an ophthalmologist before going into politics, suggested to Fauci that advising people to wear masks even after they have been vaccinated against Covid was “theater.””You want to get rid of vaccine hesitancy? Tell them they can quit wearing their mask after they get the vaccine,” Paul said, asserting there was “virtually 0% chance” someone who has been vaccinated could get Covid-19. The senator had Covid a year ago.Fauci forcefully push back against Paul, saying that “I totally disagree with you.” The nation’s top infectious disease expert stressed that the presence of new virus variants render it important to wear face masks in public, even for those who have been vaccinated.Gottlieb, who led the FDA from 2017 to 2019 in the Trump administration, said March is a “difficult” month in the pandemic fight. New infections have fallen dramatically since their January peak, but Gottlieb said the downward trajectory has started to plateau even as more Americans receive Covid shots.”In April and May, things may look much more clear and it may be obvious that we can take our masks off,” said Gottlieb, who serves on the board of Pfizer, which makes one of the two-shot Covid vaccines cleared in the U.S. for emergency use. “Right now, it’s not quite as obvious.”At the same time, Gottlieb was sympathetic toward Paul’s view on needing to give Americans something to look forward to once they’ve been vaccinated. Paul said to Fauci, “Give them a reward instead of telling them that the nanny state is going to be there for three more years and you’ve got to wear a mask forever.”Gottlieb said he’s not sure any public-health experts, including Fauci, are suggesting people will have to wear masks for eternity. But, Gottlieb stressed, “There needs to be light at the end of the tunnel.””I think we need to recognize that as the population gets vaccinated and the overall vulnerability of the population decreases, we’re going to be able to take more risk and that includes going out without masks and doing things in congregate settings,” the ex-FDA chief said.Nearly 23% of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A little over 12% of the population has been fully vaccinated. Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines require two doses for full protection, while Johnson & Johnson’s recently approved vaccine is a single dose.A number of states have recently been lifting or easing pandemic-era restrictions on businesses in recent weeks. Some governors, such as Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, also have ditched their state’s respective mask mandates.While Gottlieb has previously said mask requirements should be the last Covid mitigation measure to go, the physician said he sees a scenario in the not-so-distant future where Americans will not need them in public.”If infection levels get low this summer, which I believe they will, and we fully vaccinated 50% or 60%of the adult population, we’re not going to be wearing masks on the beach on July 4th. We’re not going to be wearing masks, probably, in indoor settings unless we want to,” Gottlieb said.As fall and winter rolls around, bringing colder weather, coronavirus cases may increase, Gottlieb said, adding that “we may re-implement some of the mitigation.” However, he said, “I think a lot of people will still be wearing masks, though, probably including me if I travel this winter.”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

People view yachts during the Miami International Boat Show in Miami, Florida, United States on February 14, 2020.Marco Bello | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesBoat sales skyrocketed last year during the coronavirus pandemic as more Americans turned to the lifestyle amid more flexible work environments that allowed people to spend extra time enjoying the outdoors.Sales of boats, marine products and services across the country leaped to a 13-year high in 2020 to $47 billion, increasing 9% from the prior year, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association.The trend, which shows few signs of slowing in 2021, shocked industry players who were certain they were in for rough times as the pandemic shut down the economy. Now, dealerships are struggling to maintain inventory and manufacturers are expanding production capacity to meet demand. Wait times for buyers have jumped from a few weeks to several months. What’s more, first-time buyers are entering the market in larger numbers, a sign that the growth has staying power.Eric Wold, an analyst at B. Riley, notes that uncertainty remains with new Covid variants popping up even as vaccine rollouts accelerate, concerns that could keep consumers’ interest in boating strong in 2021.”There’s still not a lot of certainty in terms of when the economy’s going to reopen with the vaccine rollout, so the demand that we saw last year will at least continue into this year, and that’s going to continue to drive production for the manufacturer for at least a couple of years,” he said.Owning a boat can be a pricey endeavor. With personal watercraft prices averaging $13,000, boating is usually seen as a hobby reserved for the wealthy. But according to marine association President Frank Hugelmeyer, 61% of boaters have an annual household income of $75,000 or less.First-time buyersSteve Arnold, a 57-year-old owner of two Maine marinas and a boat club franchisee, experienced a massive jump in sales last year. He said sales across the board skyrocketed, with average sales of new boats up 40%, used boat sales up 45%, rental boats up 65% and Freedom Boat Club memberships up 28%. He said he has never seen those kinds of numbers during his 18 years in the business.And while he expects sales to dip 5% to 10% this year, that will still be well ahead of expectations.He said the effects of the pandemic have left a positive impact on the boating industry that will last for years to come. “I think Covid changed society for the better in terms of looking towards your family and your relationships in your discretionary time,” he said.As new boaters enter the market, a domino effect is taking place, with their friends and families getting into the activity as well.Last year, the number of first-time boat buyers rose for the first time in over 10 years, up 10% from 2019. Among these new boat buyers, the average age has also decreased for the first time in 20 years, according to the marine association. The entrance of these new young buyers is bright sign for the future of the industry, said Hugelmeyer.”You never have a lack of friends who want to go out on a boat. You become very popular and then, family and friend groups begin to expand to become boating families,” Hugelmeyer said.In addition, Americans are finding that their work-from-home schedule allows for more flexibility to do activities when they want to.”We have these longer-term outcomes of Covid including flexible working arrangements that I think will allow people to engage in boating more flexibly during that week,” Brunswick CEO David Foulkes said. Brunswick is the parent company of popular boat manufacturing brands like Boston Whaler and Sea Ray.Boston Whaler 240 VantageSource: BrunswickThe ‘best year’ for boatingRick Davis, sales and finance manager at Palmetto Boat Sales, a dealership in South Carolina, experienced firsthand the extent of how high the consumer demand for boats has grown during the pandemic.”We thought we were done for [last] year, as far as business goes and 30 days later, it’s actually the complete opposite. It was the best year in my 24-25 years, for sure,” Davis said.Sales of new powerboats in the U.S. increased by about 12% last year to more than 310,000 compared with 2019, the marine association said. Among the categories of boats consumers bought, freshwater fishing boats and pontoons boats were extremely popular, accounting for half of last year’s powerboat sales. Sales of new wake boats, used for wakeboarding and wake surfing, were up 20% to 13,000 units in 2020, the association reported.Membership-based Freedom Boat Club, which appeals to those who don’t want to fully commit to purchasing a boat, has also seen a surge of consumer interest. The division of Brunswick Corp. saw a 61% increase in membership since May 2019 across 31 states, Canada and Europe.Brunswick’s most profitable categories during the pandemic were largely its parts and accessories businesses, most notably from the Mercury Marine brand.”As more and more people come into the boating lifestyle and use boats, overall boat usage drives the need for more parts and accessories,” Baird senior analyst Craig Kennison said.Boston Whaler 420 OutrageSource: BrunswickKeeping up with the demandMany boat retailers are still fulfilling their backlog of orders going into this year. Social distancing measures are expected to stay in place for the near future in many areas throughout the country, so people are still purchasing boats as a way to safely enjoy the outdoors, especially in the more temperate months.Arnold said that prior to the pandemic, the average wait time to get a boat was four to six weeks. Now, he says it can take up to eight months for customers to receive their boat.Brunswick announced last year that it expanded its boat production capacity in three of its manufacturing facilities to meet the increased consumer demand. Still, Foulkes said it will be at least two or three years until it can fully restock its boat dealers.”Dealers are looking for boats from us and we’re ramping up production as fast as we can, not just to satisfy retail demand, but all sorts of demand to fill the pipeline, which became very depleted of field inventory,” Foulkes said.Sea Ray SLX 400Source: Brunswick More

fstop123 | E+ | Getty ImagesDespite concern over rising bond yields, many investors see today as the best of times.The economy is growing and should get stronger as stimulus checks and child-care tax credits help millions of American families. More people are getting vaccinated daily, raising the prospect of a more open economy.  And, at least for now, inflation and interest rates remain low.Given this scenario, how should investors play the rest of the year?I believe that investors cannot actually time the market, no matter the economy’s strength or the valuation of the stock market. Instead, through thick and thin, you stick to the same, solid diversified financial plan initially created to build financial independence.More from FA Playbook:Here’s a look at other stories impacting the financial advisor business.Op-ed: The movie ‘I Care A Lot’ can teach us how to prevent elder financial abuse’Investor alpha’ is the most important financial strategy for 2021Here are 5 lessons the pandemic taught this financial advisorUnfortunately, many investors are making some dangerous moves. Some, within a couple of years of retirement, are trading more individual stocks in their accounts, chasing returns as they approach the finish line. This is one of the most dangerous things an investor can do. With every pullback, they see a buying opportunity. And nearly all of them are buying the most popular technology related stocks, which have soared in value over the past year.A smart investor understands that there are money moves to make, and traps to avoid.  Here are some to consider taking now.Review your portfolio allocation: It’s always wise to review your asset allocation to make certain it’s in line with your risk tolerance, particularly for baby boomers close to retirement.The recent bull market has led to the perception that risks are low right now, but typically when investors are most comfortable, risks are actually elevated. Making sure you are truly diversified in multiple asset classes — including value and international stocks, which have done poorly over the past couple of years — is extremely important right now.Many investors have become less and less diversified at this point and are overly exposed to the stocks and sectors that have been the best performers of late.Review your savings priorities: The pandemic taught us that the best way to be prepared for the unexpected is to have a hefty financial cushion. Before plopping down $25,000 to buy more Facebook or Apple stock, make sure key investment accounts are fully funded.These include health savings accounts, which allow individuals to contribute $3,600 and families to contribute $7,200 in 2021; 401(k) plan and other qualified retirement plans, traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts; and, finally, after-tax savings accounts.And while you may have quite a nest egg built, keep enough cash in the bank to fund three months to six months of living expenses. At some point, there will be a recession or a market downturn. Instead of tapping into assets that have lost value, you can pay for any needs with an emergency fund.Rates are still low, so consider refinancing: Even if you missed out on last year’s historic low rates, interest rates are still at generational lows. For people with a mortgage, personal or credit card debt, investigating your options now would be prudent.The one caveat here is federal student loan debt. Payment requirements have been paused and interest payments have been suspended. And there is the possibility that some amount of these loans could be forgiven.Until there is more clarity about future payments, consider holding off on refinancing any federal student loans you may have outstanding. However, if you have privately held student loans and can get a lower interest rate, refinancing makes sense.Estate planning is important: Many young individuals and couples neglect setting up a will and estate plan in their early years. But after the scare we experienced from the pandemic, all of us should make certain our loved ones have financial security and that assets are distributed based on your desires if the unexpected happens.The review checklist includes updating life insurance policies and health-care directives, as well as beneficiaries for all insurance, brokerage and retirement accounts. With online platforms now more robust than ever, cost-effective solutions are available at the click of a button.Let’s be honest, none of these recommendations are exciting. And that’s just the point. While others may be chasing the latest hot stock, now is the time to make certain your financial foundation is intact.— By Jeff Harrell, director of portfolio management at Brightworth More

Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives an update on the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic during a virtual press conference inside 10 Downing Street on March 18, 2021 in London, England.Tolga Akmen – WPA Pool | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday is expected to receive the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, seeking to reassure the public that the vaccine is both safe and effective.Johnson, 56, has urged other people to get inoculated against Covid-19, citing data from the U.K.’s independent drug regulator that shows the benefits far outweigh the risks.A flurry of countries around the world had suspended the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as a precautionary measure following reports of blood clots in some vaccinated people. Health experts sharply criticized the move, citing a lack of data, while analysts expressed concern about the impact on vaccine uptake as the virus continues to spread.U.K. and EU regulators have said there was no evidence the Covid vaccine had caused blood clots. The World Health Organization also said the benefits of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks and had recommended that vaccinations continue.Speaking at a Downing Street conference on Thursday, Johnson said the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was safe, but “the thing that isn’t safe is catching Covid, which is why it is so important that we all get our jabs as soon as our turn comes.”The U.K. leader was himself treated in hospital for Covid-19 in April last year and spent days in an intensive care unit.French Prime Minister Jean Castex is also expected to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Friday.Vaccine suppliesGermany, France, Italy and Spain are among some of those in Europe that say they will resume using the vaccine after Europe’s drug regulator declared it safe and effective. Indonesia, which had previously delayed administering the shot, said on Friday it had approved the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.Norway, Sweden and Denmark, however, have said they will continue to halt their use of the vaccine while they conduct their own independent reviews.The U.K., which did not pause its rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shot, said delays to its vaccine supply next month would not impact England’s roadmap out of lockdown.A health worker holds a box of the AstraZeneneca vaccine at the Bamrasnaradura Infectious Diseases Institute in Nonthaburi province on the outskirts of Bangkok.Chaiwat Subprasom | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty ImagesThe National Health Service had warned about a “significant reduction” in the weekly supply of Covid vaccines in England next month, after fewer doses than initially expected had arrived from India.Johnson said there was “no change” to the government’s plan to ease restrictive public health measures, insisting the roadmap was “on track” despite an unexpected drop in vaccine supply.To date, more than 4.2 million people have contracted Covid in the U.K., with 126,163 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More

Some habits are hard to break — but that doesn’t seem to be the case when it comes to travel.  Travelers’ habits are changing — quickly and en masse. People are bypassing big cities in favor of smaller destinations that attract fewer tourists, and outside activities such as hiking and biking are attracting more interest than before.To avoid crowds while spending time in the great outdoors, here are seven spots worth considering once it’s safe to travel again.Normandy, FranceFrance has been the most visited country in the world for years, with travelers congregating in Paris in the interior, the French Riviera in the south and the country’s world-famous wine regions dispersed throughout the lower two-thirds of the country.But what of the north? Regions situated along the English Channel, such as Normandy, receive a small fraction of France’s tourists, which makes them ideal for travelers wishing to experience the country while avoiding large groups.Though Normandy is relatively quiet, crowds are common at Mont Saint-Michel, a Gothic-style Benedictine abbey located less than a mile from the French mainland.MathieuRivrin | Moment | Getty ImagesNormandy is popular with World War II history buffs who come to see the famous D-Day beach invasion sites, as well as accompanying cemeteries and memorials. Others are enticed by the seaside beach towns of Deauville and Trouville, the cobblestone alleyways of Honfleur and the majestic tidal island of Mont Saint-Michel.Like much of France, food is another draw. Normandy is famous for Camembert cheese, Calvados liqueur and tarte aux pommes (apple tarts).  The ‘other’ islands of GreeceIn the mid-1990s, Greece received about 10 million tourists a year, according to the World Bank. By 2019, that number had more than tripled.Five regions accounted for 88% of all overnight stays in 2017, namely the South Aegean, Crete, Ionian Islands, Central Macedonia and Attica, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Nearly half of all hotel rooms are located on Crete and the South Aegean islands, the latter including the popular destinations of Santorini, Mykonos and Rhodes.Travelers can escape the crowds by choosing a Greek island, such as Lipsi, that receives far fewer tourists than Santorini or Mykonos.Fabio Sabatini | Moment Open | Getty ImagesWith tourists tightly concentrated in the most popular Greek islands, that leaves many others with far fewer tourists, including Iraklia in the Cyclades island group and Lipsi in the Dodecanese, said Makis Bitzios, general manager of Greek tourism consultancy Remake.         “Both islands are very beautiful, without crowds, very authentic and not as known as many other Greek destinations,” he said.Central VietnamMany international tourists to Vietnam head north to Hanoi and Halong Bay or south to Ho Chi Minh City.Those who do venture to the center typically go to the old town of Hoi An, the glitzy hotels outside of Da Nang or to the historic sites of Hue and My Son.Anantara Quy Nhon Villas is an all-villa resort built in the South Central Coast region of Vietnam.Courtesy of Anantara Quy Nhon VillasSeveral years ago, a small number of resorts bet that travelers would be attracted to the sleepier parts of Vietnam.Anantara, a luxury brand from Minor Hotels group, was one of them. It opened Anantara Quy Nhon Villas in 2018 as the first five-star international hotel, in a part of Vietnam that received few international visitors.The resort has 26 sea-facing villas, each with ocean views and private pools.The brand opened another location, Anantara Mui Ne, four hours east of Ho Chi Minh City.Read moreStep inside one of the largest — and most beautiful — caves in the world”Both Anantara Quy Nhon Villas and Anantara Mui Ne are located in more off the beaten track destinations and in their own enclosed locations affording peaceful experiences, but within easy reach of local sites,” Pieter van der Hoeven, the brand’s regional general manager, told CNBC Global Traveler by email.Another attraction to the country’s interior is the colossal Son Doong cave. First explored in 2009, only 1,000 travelers are permitted to explore it every year, a limit put in place to protect the cave, which is believed to be one of the largest and most magnificent in the world.Kagawa, JapanNot to be confused with Kanagawa, the popular coastal prefecture just south of Tokyo, Kagawa is Japan’s smallest prefecture by geographic size. At about 724 square miles, it’s about two-and-a-half times larger than New York City, yet home to fewer than 1 million people.Located on the island of Shikoku, Kagawa receives a small share of Japan’s tourists. In 2019, fewer than 550,000 of the nearly 32 million international tourists to Japan went to Kagawa, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization.Travelers who arrive to see feudal castles, temples and gardens and to eat udon — the famous dish is closely tied to the prefecture, which produces the noodles from locally-farmed wheat — can look into Urashima Village.Urashima Village is a remote inn with three private buildings (one of which is called “Silence”) that overlook the uninhabited island of Maruyama.Courtesy of Urashima VillageThe small luxury inn opened in January as a place for guests to work in silence, kayak in the sea and explore the land by bicycle.Staffed by a concierge team and private chef, the inn overlooks the uninhabited island of Maruyama, which guests can enter twice daily when an “undersea road” emerges at low tides, according to the hotel’s website.Dandenongs, AustraliaWhile Melbourne gets the lion’s share of the accolades (and tourists) to the Australian state of Victoria, there are numerous destinations outside of the city that deserve recognition.One such place is the Dandenongs, a quiet mountain range dotted with bucolic bed-and-breakfasts, forest gardens and family-owned restaurants.Less than an hour from Melbourne, the Dandenongs Ranges is a mountainous area with superb food and small-town friendliness.Nigel Killeen | Moment | Getty ImagesUpscale homes can be rented from Valley Ranges Getaways, which is located in Sassafras, one of the area’s most popular villages. Another visitor favorite, Olinda, sits just two miles down the road. Both are lined with artisan shops, antique stores and restaurants stocked with local wine. Travelers can make the drive to Healesville Sanctuary for close encounters with wombats and kangaroos, or prebook tickets to ride on Puffing Billy, a preserved open-carriage steam railway.New MexicoTravelers to and within the United States may want to skip the coasts this year in favor of the American southwest.  Averaging 17 people per square mile, New Mexico is the seventh least densely populated state in the U.S., according to the data company Statista. Nicknamed the “Land of Enchantment,” the state has national parks and Aztec ruins, wonderous caves and rugged red and white desert biomes.Some of New Mexico’s most luxurious hotels, such as The Inn of the Five Graces and Hotel St. Francis, are in the capital of Sante Fe, which has a population of 85,000.Ghost Ranch near Abiquiú, New Mexico is an area with an eclectic mix of former inhabitants, including dinosaurs, Spanish settlers and the artist Georgia O’Keeffe.Dean Fikar | Moment | Getty ImagesThe Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Sante Fe, however, is set on 57 acres outside the city. Guests stay in suites and detached casitas, which means “little houses” in Spanish, that are outfitted with southwestern décor and wood-burning, pueblo-inspired kiva fireplaces.Overlooking the Rio Grande River Valley and the nearby Jemez Mountains, the resort sports a year-round pool, outdoor firepits, and an adventure center which organizes hot air balloon rides, horseback riding and whitewater rafting, as well as cultural tours to Ghost Ranch or Bonanza Creek Ranch where movies such as “Cowboys & Aliens” and “Wild Hogs” were filmed.Saba and Saint EustatiusWith the Caribbean islands normally averaging over 30 million international travelers a year — a figure which does not include cruiser ship passengers — the number of international visitors that go to the small Caribbean islands of Saba and Saint Eustatius could be but a rounding error.    Both islands are special municipalities of the Netherlands, and each receives fewer than 10,000 tourists by air a year, according to Dutch governmental agency Statistics Netherlands.Saba and Saint Eustatius (shown here) are part of the Dutch Antilles and provide a remote escape to hike, dive and delve into ecotourism.Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty ImagesA third of visitors are from other islands — namely, Aruba, Curaçao and Saint Martin — with at least another third comprising travelers from the U.S. and the Netherlands.On Saba, the mountain-top Queen’s Gardens Resort & Spa received a Travelers’ Choice Award from TripAdvisor in 2020, while Saint Eustatius (also called Statia) has house rentals ranging from humble bed-and-breakfasts to trilevel villas on Airbnb. More

India will likely take at least three to four months to complete Covid-19 inoculation efforts for frontline workers and people above 60, or with underlying health conditions, the executive director of Serum Institute of India said Thursday.In January, the South Asian country rolled out the world’s largest vaccination campaign for some 300 million people out of its massive 1.3 billion population. As of Wednesday evening, more than 36 million people have been inoculated per data from the Indian health ministry.”The number of doses which are required in India are huge,” Suresh Jadhav told CNBC’s “Capital Connection,” adding that the vaccination program is a gigantic task that is impossible to rush to completion in a short period of time.”At a speed of about 50 (million) to 60 million doses per month, this program will continue and they will cover this population of 300 million in another about three to four months time,” he said.Jadhav participated this week in the Asian Development Bank’s Southeast Asia Development Symposium 2021.The Pune, India-based Serum Institute has emerged as a crucial player in Covid vaccination efforts both in India and globally. It’s the world’s largest vaccine maker by volume and is manufacturing the Covid-19 vaccine developed by British-Swedish pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University, which is known locally as Covishield.It has supplied millions of doses to the Indian government as well as to Covax, a global vaccination initiative led by the World Health Organization and others to ensure equitable distribution of shots in less wealthy countries.An outside view of Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. that is making Covid-19 vaccine at Hadapsar, on Nov. 23, 2020 in Pune, India.Pratham Gokhale | Hindustan Times | Getty ImagesResponding to the growing demand for its Covid vaccine, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla last month asked foreign governments to be patient and said, without explaining further, the company had been told to meet domestic demand first.Jadhav explained that Serum Institute is capable of fulfilling current orders that have been placed by the Indian government and said it has already supplied about 59 million doses to Covax. He added that Serum Institute is planning to expand its capacity by end April or early May, when it aims to increase production by another 40 million to 50 million doses.At present, Serum Institute can reportedly produce more than 70 million doses a month.Last week, the United States, Japan and Australia pledged to help Indian companies expand their Covid vaccine production capacities and provide more doses to the global supply pool.India is also using a locally developed vaccine from Bharat Biotech that was created in collaboration with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research. More