Two weeks after Gov.Steve Sisolakannounced a strike forceto help resolve a backlog of unemployment claims, the head of the effort former Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley says several key initiatives are getting off the ground this week.

Buckley said shes prioritizing the claims of those who havent received payment at all above other issues such as catching current beneficiaries up on individual missed payments. It was the desperation of some of those unpaid Nevadans, many of whom called her in her current role as head of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, that prompted her to accept Sisolaks invitation to lead the strike force.

My assistant will come in and say, so the guy on the phone, hes been waiting for eight weeks and he needs his insulin and he has no other payment source. What can I tell him? Buckley said in an interview on Monday withThe Nevada Independent. I have been so concerned about the growing backlog, and about individuals who are frantic to be paid, and I had been obsessing over it.

She said the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is piloting a proposed solution this week that could speed up the process of verifying claimants identities. Tens of thousands of claims are held up over questions about authenticity and possible stolen identities.

Fraud has been a major concern, and Buckley experienced it firsthand someone recently filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name. She estimates that there are upwards of 200,000 phony claims in the system, but as with many statistics including the precise size of the backlog Buckley said its difficult to determine exact numbers right now. Her plan to create an online dashboard to show the agencys progress in processing the applications is still in the works.

To combat the fraud, the state also brought on a new chief of the fraud unit this week. And to ramp up staffing, DETR is enlisting and working to train some 300 welfare eligibility workers this week to assist colleagues in the unemployment division.

The strike force also includes experts from the private sector. The goal is to offer a fresh pair of eyes on a mammoth task that state workers have been trying to tackle for months.

I told some of the Employment Security people, Look, youve been inside the house fighting the fire for five months, youre exhausted. Reinforcements are here, Buckley said. So maybe we can just bring a different way of viewing it, and a private sector way of doing something.

Below are highlights from the interview, which have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you feel like you found any silver bullet to the big holdup?

A: I dont think theres a silver bullet. I think theres a series of things that we need to do to try to reduce the backlog.

We had a very low unemployment rate. I think I heard there were like 10 people working in the Southern Nevada unemployment claims office. And based on the number of new filings it got, it probably needed 500. The depths of it cant be [overestimated]. And the number of people filing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

What were trying to do is just bring in a fresh look. What can we do right now? What solutions can we find right now?

Were looking at a couple areas. The first is [whether] there are folks in a similar situation where we can come up with a solution to move on with their cases. Im going for bang for the buck. If there are 30,000 people stuck with this issue, can we come up with a solution and then move out those 30,000?

One area is trying to identify the true filers, Nevadans in need who do qualify, and to separate them from the fraud. Because there are hundreds of thousands of fraudulent applications clogging up the system. But we want to focus first on whos really eligible and how do we connect them with benefits.

So we have a couple IT solutions that were piloting this week. Im really fortunate to have one of the volunteers join me on the rapid response team. His whole background is IT. Hes the head of an IT company. He was the former head of it for the U.S. division of Siemens. And so were looking at data matching and how can we separate out the folks who are in need.

So thats one area were working at, right off the bat. The other is a private sector IT company that verifies identity. So I think were going to launch a pilot with that this week to see if that works. And then the other big area is staffing. How can we get innovative about getting more qualified staff on board?

So weve developed a staffing plan already. The first part is retired Employment Security [Division] workers, already trained and ready to go. You can plug them in tomorrow. So weve identified some of those workers to come back.

The second is one of the members of the strike force Steve Fisher. Hes the division chief of the welfare division of HHS. So his division is stable. Hes overworked but stable. So he volunteered to join this committee.

He did a poll of welfare eligibility workers who have similar training, to see if any of them would be willing to work overtime. Their response was overwhelming. Hes identified 300 people who are able to work on these cases right now.

So today and tomorrow, hes developing a training program for them, looking at what we already have, in terms of training materials, recording it, and then tasking them on certain types of cases so they can quickly move out a couple thousand cases a day or every other day.

Im sure DETR had its own process for verifying ID before this, but did the strike force find anything that wasnt being done or a tool the agency didnt have?

In the pre-COVID world, we didnt have the amount of applications and we didnt have the amount of fraudulent applications My theory is that it is a result of one of those big data breach cases where identities across the nation were stolen.

The team never had this level both of applications and fraud. And so these two new things that were piloting, were just hoping can separate it out.

And what I keep harping on is anyone who appears eligible, were moving forward with them. We dont want to resolve all of them ASAP. We want to resolve those who are eligible ASAP. So were trying to keep that priority in mind.

DETR had previously tried to ramp up staffing with former employees. Did you find that there were a good number who still hadnt been invited back or still werent being used?

I think what happened because of the press conference and everybody learning about it, we received more offers. And it wasnt that there hadnt been offers before. But I think that the notoriety of it we received more offers within 48 hours; I got offers from cabinet members, Hey, can I loan some of my IT staff? I got volunteers. Im a secretary out at UNLV, can I help?

We received offers from just tons of different people whose hearts go out to all the people who are waiting. So I think it just helped the effort, just kind of led to a slew more calls and awareness. And of course, then they knew who to call.

Weve heard that it does take a lot of time to get staff up to speed. Does it speed up the process to have welfare division workers, for example, because theyre already state employees?

Theyre already trained on similar work. And they already know the state systems; they already know how to log in remotely to the states VPN. So theres certain things we wont have to teach them.

The other thing that were talking about is putting them on strike teams. So for example, if we have a group that is stuck because the employer said they were fired and the employee said they were laid off. OK, this is how we do it: We call the employee; we ask for X, Y, and Z; and then we call the employer and ask for X, Y and Z; and then we reconcile it and just make a decision because everybody has the right to appeal and have a third party, independent person and look at it.

The worst thing is just to be hanging on. Make a decision one way or the other. So were looking at whether there are certain people with certain categories where we can train people to be really good at that issue.

I keep preaching: speed, speed, speed. Again, we dont want to give tens of millions of dollars to fraudsters. But these Nevadans have been waiting too long. Weve got to get a system in place to move cases along.

Have you gotten a handle on the fraud numbers? Thats a source of skepticism because people dont know if fraud is being used as an excuse or if it legitimately is half of the claims. When are you going to know?

So far, it appears that the amount of fraudulent claims is very high. But were going to quantify it. And then well be releasing the solid numbers to the public so everybody can see what they are.

Were already meeting weekly with law enforcement to make sure that theyre getting the data they need. We have a new chief for fraud starting today. He was the chief of the fraud unit for [the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services]. So he came back from retirement to help stand it up.

Its not so much an individual cheating issue as much as organized fraud, meaning someone who has filed a bunch of claims using the identities of someone else. And its not like a one-off, run-of-the-mill street criminal. Its somebody with a lot of it expertise as part of a data stealing ring. Its fairly substantial.

But the bottom line is, it cant be an excuse. Weve got to solve the problem regardless of that.

At this point, do you guys have a number of fraudulent claims or are you still working on determining what it is?

Conservatively, Ive been told its 200,000. It could be higher.

Aside from ID verification, are there other things CARES Act money might go toward?

Were also going to proceed with hiring permanent workers for the Employment Security Division. This crisis isnt going to stop. And we dont want to clean up the backlog and have it come again. So we need to make sure that we have adequate staff, permanent staff, ready to continue handling cases of people who are going on and off unemployment probably over at least the next year.

Whats your sense of how we got here? Is anyone to blame, such as the Legislature failing to maintain the system over time?

Im not looking in the rearview mirror. I was asked to look forward and fix the backlog. And to figure out what mistakes were made and who made them, youd have to interview both sides. Ask, Well, why didnt you do this? Well, why did you do that? Oh, well, we didnt have more staff because we had low unemployment. And we wanted to give the money to education. There might be lots of different reasons. I dont have time to dig into those.

Sometimes I feel like Im getting pulled into other areas, and Im saying, OK, how is what Im doing right this minute helping someone get paid? The single dad, who called this morning to say, I dont know if I can hang on one more day, how is this helping him get paid? So Im trying to resist any calls to do anything else but that.

The rental assistance program is pretty much exhausted in Clark County, and then the eviction moratorium is being lifted, and unemployment payment amounts have gone down. How are you directing people? What they can do now?

Were facing a catastrophic situation. We have hundreds of thousands of people at risk of eviction. We need more rental assistance funding from Congress. We need to turn back on the $600 a month, or whatever they compromise is, if its $500 a month.

But we cant usea new FEMA systemthat might be paid, and it might be legal under an executive order, it might not be. We need some certainty. And we need it today. And the clock is ticking.

So I am nervous. I am worried. I am upset about whats coming down the pike. And all I can do is raise my voice to say what I think would help the problem.

Where is Nevada on President Trumps plan to use FEMA money to increase unemployment payments by $400? Last we heard, DETR was analyzing the cost. Has the state rejected the idea at this point?

(Editors note: DETR said on Tuesday that it is still analyzing the cost and we will make announcement and inform claimants once more information becomes available.)

Thats a question for the governor. I think theyre looking into it and figuring out how much it would cost. But again, the complexity of it all leads to uncertainty getting FEMA involved, and then theres another agency, and then you have to figure out what their rules are. Why does this have to be so complex?

We were at least able to give most people stimulus checks. Maybe we should just give monthly stimulus checks. The first step shouldnt be to create another bureaucracy and another program. Lets get the money on the street.

The Legislature passed SB3, including a provision to backdate so that folks that maybe lost out on a payment would get that money. How far are we into getting those folks the money that theyre entitled to?

Right now were on the backlog. So the additional provisions, including encouraging the part-time folks to go back to work and have them not lose out on funding I think those two programs will be in the next phase. First, we need to get the money out on the streets to those who are legitimately waiting.

You are really focused on just those who have gotten nothing at this point?

Yes. That is what I say at the beginning of every conversation. Theres a team working on cases that need to kind of true up the right amount of benefits. Theres 25 people working on those. I said Those people at least are getting weekly checks. Maybe the true up work needs to be done, but could it be done last.

And sometimes youre choosing between bad decisions and worse decisions. But to me, the person who hasnt received a dime needs to be prioritized first.

Theres a lot of people who have applied who arent eligible. They kind of think everybodys getting money, right? They have no UI wages. Theyve never received a W-2. They havent worked in a year and a half. And some of those people are not a gig worker, either. So they just think, Because Im not working, can I get on unemployment? But there wasnt a COVID reason for their 1099 loss of work. Some of the requirements that the federal government puts on these programs I feel bad for them, too, because now for five months, theyve been thinking theyre getting money and they were never entitled to it in the first place.

So even then, they should get a timely decision so they can move on and figure out, Should I be applying for welfare? Or Im just not going to apply for anything. And I move in and double up with somebody or figure out what their next steps are.

The Alorica call center has been criticized on several fronts. Even the court-appointed special master had recommended getting rid of them if we hadnt been bound by a contract. Are you working on trying to improve the Alorica services?

Im not. [DETR Administrator] Elisa Cafferata and DETR will be making decisions about Alorica. Im just focusing on the processes what processes work? What dont work? And how can we get people paid quicker?

Certainly in my mind having two separate systems for UI and PUA I dont think works very well. And thats because its one person, but they may be in two systems. In our new economy, someone can bartend two days a week and drive for Lyft. Well, if they have enough wages for UI, they can only get UI and they cant get PUA another federal government rule.

But what if in one quarter, they dont have enough for UI but they qualified for PUA? We dont want to bounce people around. We want one person, well-trained, to give them a decision and to let them know what it is. So no matter what, I think we need a team of folks who know both systems, are state employees, are able to timely give good answers to people and get them the benefits they need. No matter what, that has to be an outcome of this.

When you guys expect to be releasing a dashboard?

Wed like it to be soon. But then then we run into things like, In the backlog, we dont count claimants, we count issues. Well, thats not really helpful. They dont want to know if one person has four issues.

Then were kind of pushing back: Well, can we count them? We have that data. Why cant we say it? What were focusing on right now is just drafting what we really want to see. And then well send it back to the IT folks.

How much of a backlog is there in PUA of legitimate but unpaid claims?

For me, its really a rough guesstimate. But the bottom line is, we shouldnt be guessing. We should be finding out whos eligible and then issuing them their favorable determinations. If theyre not deemed eligible, get that determination out so that if the system is wrong and human errors occur, get them the ability to appeal.

Is this different than you expected when you were on the outside looking in?

One thing I underestimated every potential system needs improvement. The computer system, the UI computer system, the PUA computer system, not having enough staff. Its not just one issue that the staff is dealing with. So thats one thing.

The other thing that has struck me as it did in all my times as a speaker [of the Assembly], is how hard the line staff are working. Some of these people have been working overtime for five months now. They bring the cases home with them; theyre worried about the clients, our state. We have some of the best state employees, you know, ever. And theyve really been shouldering a lot. And you know, when they get beat up in the press, they take it personally when it has nothing to do with them. It has to do with the system thats not working.

Any message to the claimants who are continually calling and saying its week 21 without pay?

Every time I hear one of them, it just encourages me to urge the team to hurry. People have waited long enough.The Nevada Independent is a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization. We are committed to transparency and disclose all our donors. The following people or entities mentioned in this article are financial supporters of our work:Barbara Buckley$1,260.00Elisa Cafferata$765.00Steve Sisolak$3,200.00

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Q-and-A: Barbara Buckley on progress of Nevada 'strike force' tackling backlogged jobless claims - Northern Nevada Business Weekly

Two weeks after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced a strike force to help resolve a backlog of unemployment claims, the head of the effort former Nevada Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley says several key initiatives are getting off the ground this week.

Buckley said shes prioritizing the claims of those who havent received payment at all above other issues such as catching current beneficiaries up on individual missed payments. It was the desperation of some of those unpaid Nevadans, many of whom called her in her current role as head of the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, that prompted her to accept Sisolaks invitation to lead the strike force.

My assistant will come in and say, so the guy on the phone, he's been waiting for eight weeks and he needs his insulin and he has no other payment source. What can I tell him? Buckley said in an interview on Monday with The Nevada Independent. I have been so concerned about the growing backlog, and about individuals who are frantic to be paid, and I had been obsessing over it.

She said the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is piloting a proposed solution this week that could speed up the process of verifying claimants identities. Tens of thousands of claims are held up over questions about authenticity and possible stolen identities.

Fraud has been a major concern, and Buckley experienced it firsthand someone recently filed a fraudulent unemployment claim in her name. She estimates that there are upwards of 200,000 phony claims in the system, but as with many statistics including the precise size of the backlog Buckley said its difficult to determine exact numbers right now. Her plan to create an online dashboard to show the agencys progress in processing the applications is still in the works.

To combat the fraud, the state also brought on a new chief of the fraud unit this week. And to ramp up staffing, DETR is enlisting and working to train some 300 welfare eligibility workers this week to assist colleagues in the unemployment division.

The strike force also includes experts from the private sector. The goal is to offer a fresh pair of eyes on a mammoth task that state workers have been trying to tackle for months.

I told some of the Employment Security people, Look, you've been inside the house fighting the fire for five months, you're exhausted. Reinforcements are here, Buckley said. So maybe we can just bring a different way of viewing it, and a private sector way of doing something.

Below are highlights from the interview, which have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: Do you feel like you found any silver bullet to the big holdup?

A: I don't think there's a silver bullet. I think there's a series of things that we need to do to try to reduce the backlog.

We had a very low unemployment rate. I think I heard there were like 10 people working in the Southern Nevada unemployment claims office. And based on the number of new filings it got, it probably needed 500. The depths of it can't be [overestimated]. And the number of people filing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

What we're trying to do is just bring in a fresh look. What can we do right now? What solutions can we find right now?

We're looking at a couple areas. The first is [whether] there are folks in a similar situation where we can come up with a solution to move on with their cases. I'm going for bang for the buck. If there are 30,000 people stuck with this issue, can we come up with a solution and then move out those 30,000?

One area is trying to identify the true filers, Nevadans in need who do qualify, and to separate them from the fraud. Because there are hundreds of thousands of fraudulent applications clogging up the system. But we want to focus first on who's really eligible and how do we connect them with benefits.

So we have a couple IT solutions that we're piloting this week. I'm really fortunate to have one of the volunteers join me on the rapid response team. His whole background is IT. He's the head of an IT company. He was the former head of it for the U.S. division of Siemens. And so we're looking at data matching and how can we separate out the folks who are in need.

So that's one area we're working at, right off the bat. The other is a private sector IT company that verifies identity. So I think we're going to launch a pilot with that this week to see if that works. And then the other big area is staffing. How can we get innovative about getting more qualified staff on board?

So we've developed a staffing plan already. The first part is retired Employment Security [Division] workers, already trained and ready to go. You can plug them in tomorrow. So we've identified some of those workers to come back.

The second is one of the members of the strike force Steve Fisher. He's the division chief of the welfare division of HHS. So his division is stable. He's overworked but stable. So he volunteered to join this committee.

He did a poll of welfare eligibility workers who have similar training, to see if any of them would be willing to work overtime. Their response was overwhelming. He's identified 300 people who are able to work on these cases right now.

So today and tomorrow, he's developing a training program for them, looking at what we already have, in terms of training materials, recording it, and then tasking them on certain types of cases so they can quickly move out a couple thousand cases a day or every other day.

Im sure DETR had its own process for verifying ID before this, but did the strike force find anything that wasnt being done or a tool the agency didnt have?

In the pre-COVID world, we didn't have the amount of applications and we didn't have the amount of fraudulent applications ... My theory is that it is a result of one of those big data breach cases where identities across the nation were stolen.

The team never had this level both of applications and fraud. And so these two new things that we're piloting, we're just hoping can separate it out.

And what I keep harping on is anyone who appears eligible, we're moving forward with them. We don't want to resolve all of them ASAP. We want to resolve those who are eligible ASAP. So we're trying to keep that priority in mind.

DETR had previously tried to ramp up staffing with former employees. Did you find that there were a good number who still hadn't been invited back or still weren't being used?

I think what happened because of the press conference and everybody learning about it, we received more offers. And it wasn't that there hadn't been offers before. But I think that the notoriety of it we received more offers within 48 hours; I got offers from cabinet members, Hey, can I loan some of my IT staff? I got volunteers. I'm a secretary out at UNLV, can I help?

We received offers from just tons of different people whose hearts go out to all the people who are waiting. So I think it just helped the effort, just kind of led to a slew more calls and awareness. And of course, then they knew who to call.

We've heard that it does take a lot of time to get staff up to speed. Does it speed up the process to have welfare division workers, for example, because they're already state employees?

They're already trained on similar work. And they already know the state systems; they already know how to log in remotely to the state's VPN. So theres certain things we won't have to teach them.

The other thing that we're talking about is putting them on strike teams. So for example, if we have a group that is stuck because the employer said they were fired and the employee said they were laid off. OK, this is how we do it: We call the employee; we ask for X, Y, and Z; and then we call the employer and ask for X, Y and Z; and then we reconcile it and just make a decision because everybody has the right to appeal and have a third party, independent person and look at it.

The worst thing is just to be hanging on. Make a decision one way or the other. So we're looking at whether there are certain people with certain categories where we can train people to be really good at that issue.

I keep preaching: speed, speed, speed. Again, we don't want to give tens of millions of dollars to fraudsters. But these Nevadans have been waiting too long. We've got to get a system in place to move cases along.

Have you gotten a handle on the fraud numbers? Thats a source of skepticism because people don't know if fraud is being used as an excuse or if it legitimately is half of the claims. When are you going to know?

So far, it appears that the amount of fraudulent claims is very high. But we're going to quantify it. And then we'll be releasing the solid numbers to the public so everybody can see what they are.

We're already meeting weekly with law enforcement to make sure that they're getting the data they need. We have a new chief for fraud starting today. He was the chief of the fraud unit for [the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services]. So he came back from retirement to help stand it up.

It's not so much an individual cheating issue as much as organized fraud, meaning someone who has filed a bunch of claims using the identities of someone else. And it's not like a one-off, run-of-the-mill street criminal. It's somebody with a lot of it expertise as part of a data stealing ring. It's fairly substantial.

But the bottom line is, it can't be an excuse. Weve got to solve the problem regardless of that.

At this point, do you guys have a number of fraudulent claims or are you still working on determining what it is?

Conservatively, I've been told it's 200,000. It could be higher.

Aside from ID verification, are there other things CARES Act money might go toward?

We're also going to proceed with hiring permanent workers for the Employment Security Division. This crisis isn't going to stop. And we don't want to clean up the backlog and have it come again. So we need to make sure that we have adequate staff, permanent staff, ready to continue handling cases of people who are going on and off unemployment probably over at least the next year.

What's your sense of how we got here? Is anyone to blame, such as the Legislature failing to maintain the system over time?

Im not looking in the rearview mirror. I was asked to look forward and fix the backlog. And to figure out what mistakes were made and who made them, you'd have to interview both sides. Ask, Well, why didn't you do this? Well, why did you do that? Oh, well, we didn't have more staff because we had low unemployment. And we wanted to give the money to education. There might be lots of different reasons. I don't have time to dig into those.

Sometimes I feel like I'm getting pulled into other areas, and I'm saying, OK, how is what I'm doing right this minute helping someone get paid? The single dad, who called this morning to say, I don't know if I can hang on one more day, how is this helping him get paid? So I'm trying to resist any calls to do anything else but that.

The rental assistance program is pretty much exhausted in Clark County, and then the eviction moratorium is being lifted, and unemployment payment amounts have gone down. How are you directing people? What they can do now?

We're facing a catastrophic situation. We have hundreds of thousands of people at risk of eviction. We need more rental assistance funding from Congress. We need to turn back on the $600 a month, or whatever they compromise is, if it's $500 a month.

But we can't use a new FEMA system that might be paid, and it might be legal under an executive order, it might not be. We need some certainty. And we need it today. And the clock is ticking.

So I am nervous. I am worried. I am upset about what's coming down the pike. And all I can do is raise my voice to say what I think would help the problem.

Where is Nevada on President Trumps plan to use FEMA money to increase unemployment payments by $400? Last we heard, DETR was analyzing the cost. Has the state rejected the idea at this point?

(Editors note: DETR said on Tuesday that it is still analyzing the cost and we will make announcement and inform claimants once more information becomes available.)

That's a question for the governor. I think they're looking into it and figuring out how much it would cost. But again, the complexity of it all leads to uncertainty getting FEMA involved, and then there's another agency, and then you have to figure out what their rules are. Why does this have to be so complex?

We were at least able to give most people stimulus checks. Maybe we should just give monthly stimulus checks. The first step shouldnt be to create another bureaucracy and another program. Let's get the money on the street.

The Legislature passed SB3, including a provision to backdate so that folks that maybe lost out on a payment would get that money. How far are we into getting those folks the money that they're entitled to?

Right now we're on the backlog. So the additional provisions, including encouraging the part-time folks to go back to work and have them not lose out on funding I think those two programs will be in the next phase. First, we need to get the money out on the streets to those who are legitimately waiting.

You are really focused on just those who have gotten nothing at this point?

Yes. That is what I say at the beginning of every conversation. There's a team working on cases that need to kind of true up the right amount of benefits. There's 25 people working on those. I said Those people at least are getting weekly checks. Maybe the true up work needs to be done, but could it be done last.

And sometimes you're choosing between bad decisions and worse decisions. But to me, the person who hasn't received a dime needs to be prioritized first.

There's a lot of people who have applied who aren't eligible. They kind of think everybody's getting money, right? They have no UI wages. They've never received a W-2. They haven't worked in a year and a half. And some of those people are not a gig worker, either. So they just think, Because I'm not working, can I get on unemployment? But there wasn't a COVID reason for their 1099 loss of work. Some of the requirements that the federal government puts on these programs I feel bad for them, too, because now for five months, they've been thinking they're getting money and they were never entitled to it in the first place.

So even then, they should get a timely decision so they can move on and figure out, Should I be applying for welfare? Or I'm just not going to apply for anything. And I move in and double up with somebody or figure out what their next steps are.

The Alorica call center has been criticized on several fronts. Even the court-appointed special master had recommended getting rid of them if we hadn't been bound by a contract. Are you working on trying to improve the Alorica services?

I'm not. [DETR Administrator] Elisa Cafferata and DETR will be making decisions about Alorica. I'm just focusing on the processes what processes work? What don't work? And how can we get people paid quicker?

Certainly in my mind having two separate systems for UI and PUA I don't think works very well. And that's because it's one person, but they may be in two systems. In our new economy, someone can bartend two days a week and drive for Lyft. Well, if they have enough wages for UI, they can only get UI and they can't get PUA another federal government rule.

But what if in one quarter, they don't have enough for UI but they qualified for PUA? We don't want to bounce people around. We want one person, well-trained, to give them a decision and to let them know what it is. So no matter what, I think we need a team of folks who know both systems, are state employees, are able to timely give good answers to people and get them the benefits they need. No matter what, that has to be an outcome of this.

When you guys expect to be releasing a dashboard?

We'd like it to be soon. But then then we run into things like, In the backlog, we don't count claimants, we count issues. Well, that's not really helpful. They don't want to know if one person has four issues.

Then we're kind of pushing back: Well, can we count them? We have that data. Why can't we say it? What we're focusing on right now is just drafting what we really want to see. And then we'll send it back to the IT folks.

How much of a backlog is there in PUA of legitimate but unpaid claims?

For me, it's really a rough guesstimate. But the bottom line is, we shouldn't be guessing. We should be finding out who's eligible and then issuing them their favorable determinations. If they're not deemed eligible, get that determination out so that if the system is wrong and human errors occur, get them the ability to appeal.

Is this different than you expected when you were on the outside looking in?

One thing I underestimated every potential system needs improvement. The computer system, the UI computer system, the PUA computer system, not having enough staff. It's not just one issue that the staff is dealing with. So that's one thing.

The other thing that has struck me as it did in all my times as a speaker [of the Assembly], is how hard the line staff are working. Some of these people have been working overtime for five months now. They bring the cases home with them; theyre worried about the clients, our state. We have some of the best state employees, you know, ever. And they've really been shouldering a lot. And you know, when they get beat up in the press, they take it personally when it has nothing to do with them. It has to do with the system that's not working.

Any message to the claimants who are continually calling and saying it's week 21 without pay?

Every time I hear one of them, it just encourages me to urge the team to hurry. People have waited long enough.

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Indy Q&A: Barbara Buckley on progress of new 'strike force' trying to tackle backlogged unemployment claims - The Nevada Independent

Here's the latest for Wednesday August 19th: Democratic Party formally nominates Joe Biden; Bill Clinton, John Kerry, Colin Powell hammer President Trump; Australia to produce possible coronavirus vaccine; Wildfires in California. AP Domestic

WASHINGTON Democrats formally nominated Joe Biden for president during the second night of a virtual convention Tuesday that started with scathing criticism of President Donald Trumps administration and ended with personal reflections on the former vice presidents decades of service.

More than three decades after he first ran for president, Biden clinched the nomination following a virtual roll call featuring party luminaries from all 50 states and lesser-known Democrats who described Biden as ready to lead the nation through the twin crises of a pandemic and economic uncertainty.

We have shown that the heart of this nation still beats with kindness and courage, said Dr. Jill Biden, who delivered the evenings marquee address. We just need leadership worthy of our nation worthy of you.

The second night of the convention began with several high-profile Democrats slamming President Donald Trump. Former President Bill Clinton recited statistics about the number of infections and deaths from the pandemic, which he and others asserted could have been lowered if the Trump administration had acted differently or more quickly

Its was a preview of a tough message Biden and other Democrats are certain to reprise between now and the Nov. 3 election.

Did it have to be this way? No, Clinton argued.

America, Donald Trump has quit on you, claimed Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

We deserve a person with integrity and judgement, former President Jimmy Carter said in a video.

Despite the heavy line of attacks, the final minutes of the second night became far lighter as the party conveyed Biden as a man who had endured tremendous hardship in his own life and brokered friendships with those like the late Sen. John McCain on the other side of the aisle.

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Minutes after he clinched the nomination, Biden appeared briefly in a video with his grandchildren and family, promising to say more later. The former vice president reappeared to embrace his wife after her remarks, which became personal and emotional as she recalled how Biden handled the death of their son, Beau Biden, who died in 2015.

I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again, Jill Biden said.

But, she said, four days after Beaus funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and walk out into a world empty of our son.

He went back to work. Thats just who he is, she said. He and Kamala (Harris) will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better.

Biden is set to formally accept the nomination Thursday.

John Fritze

Jill Biden spoke as a teacher, a mother and a wife when she addressed the Democratic National Convention on the night her husband was formally nominated to challenge President Donald Trump.

The former Second Lady described her husband as a man who has gone through the unimaginable while still managing to keep putting one front in front of the other.

He does it for you, she said of Joe Biden. His faith is in you, in us.

And she shared her own pain from the 2015 death of Beau Biden, the familys oldest child, drawing larger lessons to be applied to a broken nation.

How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole, she said. With love and understanding and with small acts of kindness. With bravery. With unwavering faith.

Biden spoke from Room 232 of the high school in Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught English when her husband served in the Senate.

A sign on the bulletin board read: Welcome back Dr. Jill Biden.

While she didn't mention Trump in her 10-minute speech,Biden used the backdrop of the school to address the pandemic, saying shes heartbroken by the magnitude of the nations loss of life and the failure to protect our communities. She said she feels the frustration of parents juggling work while supporting their childrens learning or fearful theyll get sick at school.

"Like so many of you," she said, "Im left asking: how do I keep my family safe?"

As shes done at past conventions, Biden on Tuesday told the story of Joe Biden losing his first wife and baby daughter in a 1972 car crash. His two sons, Beau and Hunter, were badly injured.

Dr. Jill Biden delivers a speech from a school in Wilmington, Delaware about COVID and closed schools for the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

I feel in love with a man and two littleboys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss, Biden said. We found that love holds a family together.

After Jill and Joe married in 1977, they had a daughter, Ashley.

Beau Biden, who introduced his father at the 2008 and 2012 conventions, died of brain cancer in 2015 at 46.

I wondered if I would ever smile or feel joy again, Jill Biden said Tuesday.

But, four days after Beaus funeral, she watched her husband put on a suit, take a deep breath and walk out into a world empty of our son.

He went back to work. Thats just who he is, she said. I know that if we entrust this nation to Joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours: bring us together and make us whole."

Maureen Groppe

Former GOP Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke in support of Joe Biden, saying he would bring the country together and not coddle dictators.

Today, we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way, Powell said without mentioning Trump by name. What a difference it will make to have a president who unites us, who restores our strength and our soul.

Powells decision to address the virtual convention on behalf of Biden makes him one of the most prominent Republicans to play a part in the process of nominating the former vice president.

Powell, who served in President George W. Bushs cabinet, said in 2016 he would vote for Hillary Clinton, partly because of Trumps leading role in the birther movement questioning the legitimacy of Barack Obamas citizenship.

Then in June, Powell, the first African-American secretary of state, said he planned to vote for Biden while chiding Trump for his behavior, notably the decision a few days before to clear Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. of mostly peaceful protestors so he could stage a photo op in front of St. Johns Episcopal Church with a bible.

On Tuesday, Powell said Biden will be a president we will all be proud to salute.

With Joe Biden in the White House, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversariesnever the other way around, he said. He will trust our diplomats and our intelligence community, not the flattery of dictators and despots. He will make it his job to know when anyone dares to threaten us. He will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience. They will know he means business.

Ledyard King

After video segments highlighting Bidens health care plan, progressive activist Ady Barkan delivered a speech on the importance of access to health care for all Americans, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic. Barkan was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease ALS in 2016 shortly after the birth of his son and has become a prominent voice for single-payer health care.

Biden has said he wants a Medicare-like option and to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.

We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right. Everyone living in America should get the health care they need regardless of their employment status or ability to pay, Barkan said.

Barkan made headlines in 2017 when he was filmed confronting former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake over a tax bill. Barkan initially supported Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president and then backed Sen. Bernie Sanders. Barkan and Biden disagree on Medicare for All, but Barkan has urged progressives not to sit out of the November election.

In July, Barkan announced his endorsement of Biden. The two discussed their differences in a video interview, and Barkan said he would take Biden up on an offer to help figure out whats enough on health care should Biden be elected.

Although he & I have different perspectives on the world, winning this election is essential, Barkan said at the time.

Barkan said Tuesday that with Biden as president, progressives can continue advocating for further action on health care.

We must elect Joe Biden. Each of us must be a hero for our communities, for our country, and then, with a compassionate and intelligent president, we must act together and put on his desk a bill that guarantees us all the health care we deserve, Barkan said.

Jeanine Santucci

Ady Barkan, who confronted Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake on the Trump tax cuts effect on health care, spoke at the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

John Kerry, the former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic nominee for president, slammed President Donald Trump for failing to confront Russia over interfering with the 2016 election or over bounties allegedly put on U.S. troops.

When this president goes overseas, it isnt a goodwill mission, its a blooper reel, Kerry said. Our troops cant get out of harms way by hiding in the White House bunker.

Republicans blasted Kerry for negotiating a deal aimed at hindering Irans nuclear program during the Obama administration and Trump withdrew from the deal. Trump has focused his foreign policy on securing the borders and renegotiating trade deals with Canada and Mexico, and with China.

Kerry served in the Senate from Massachusetts with the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Trump, Joe Biden of Delaware. Kerry said Biden, a former chairman of the Foreign Relations and Judiciary committees, for having the steely grit to deal with international crises such as genocide in the Balkans or apartheid in South Africa. Kerry also promoted the Obama administrations support of the Paris climate change agreement with 195 nations and stopped ebola before it became a pandemic.

Joes moral compass has always pointed in the right direction, Kerry said. Joe understands that none of the issues of this world not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of building back better after COVID, not terrorism and certainly not the climate crisis none can be resolved without bringing nations together.

Bart Jansen

Former Massachusetts senator and former Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, John Kerry addresses the Democratic National Convention. USA TODAY

Former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee to challenge President Donald Trump, winning one of the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it.

Though presidential nominating conventions havent been contested for decades and Biden demonstrated he had enough support for the nomination months ago, the formal roll call is nevertheless a symbolic milestone and an expression of the partys support for their candidate.

During the state primaries and caucuses, Biden collected 2,687 delegates -- more than twice the 1,073 earned by his closest rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Biden will formally accept the nomination Thursday.

The nomination completes the chief and least suspenseful - objective of the convention: Choosing the candidate that will be on the November presidential ballot. But its also done with fanfare and celebration, a moment where party rivals who vied for the nomination united behind the nominee.

Few moments have underscored the unusual nature of the Democrats' virtual convention as the roll call Tuesday that is expected to lead to Joe Biden's nomination.

All 57 states and territories are participating in the Roll Call Across America, which included video montages from each area when their turn came to announce their delegate allocations. The various party activists announcing those delegate pledges weren't just governors, senators and congressmen but also parents, teachers, and small business owners.

That meant local delegates could make their announcements with symbols of the states beauty or important landmarks, such as a fire station in Connecticut, the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama or the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C.

Marisol Garcia, a high school parent and a union organizer for the National Education Association, announced Arizonas votes with cacti in the background.

Arizona casts 29 votes for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next president Joe Biden, she said with cacti in the background.

The display marked a major departure from past years and underscored the challenges convention planners have endured because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In normal election years, delegates gather on the floor of the hall and formally announce -- state by state -- how their delegation will vote. Though the results are almost always preordained, the roll call gives a member of a state's party a chance to offer a short speech espousing the soon-to-be-nominee and promote their areas while building a sense of drama until the candidate formally crosses the threshold of delegates needed to seize the nomination.

John Fritze and Ledyard King

National conventions usually feature politicians and party stars but not always.

I could tell he really saw me, Jacquelyn Brittany, a security guard at the New York Times who operated the elevator during a Biden visit there last year, said during the convention.

Nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start, she said.

Jacquelyn has declined to publicize her last name. Brittanyis her middle name, according to the Washington Post.

Brittany was one of several people who seconded Bidens nomination before the formal roll call of delegates.

John Fritze

The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. USA TODAY

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most outspoken progressives in Congress, delivered a nomination speech for Sen. Bernie Sanders ahead of the official roll call that will nominate Joe Biden as the partys candidate.

Sanders, Bidens last standing opponent in the primary race, suspended his run for the Democratic nomination in April and has supported Biden. Ocasio-Cortezs roughly 90-second speech didnt mention Biden but established the ideals of the progressive wing of the party.

The progressive movement is striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia, Ocasio-Cortez said, adding that it realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of long term stability for the many.

When the length of her speech was first reported atone minute, some viewed it as a snub to progressives, noting that some Republicans were given more time to speak. Others saw her inclusion as a sign Democrats are hoping to unify progressives and centrists against Trump.

Ocasio-Cortez was a prominent backer and surrogate for Sanders campaign and has since said she will vote for Biden but hopes to influence his platform to the left.She co-chaired the climate task force to advise Biden on policy.

Sanders, who spoke on the first night of the Democratic Convention, has asked his supporters to back Biden despite their differences in ideology. He said during his speech Monday that the country cannot withstand another Trump term.

The future of our democracy is at stake, Sanders said. The price of failure is just too great to imagine.

Bob King, former president of the United Auto Workers, also delivered a symbolic nominating speech for Sanders on Tuesday.

-Jeanine Santucci

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez emphasized progressive causes as she seconded the presidential nomination of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night. The party formally nominated Joe Biden. (Aug. 19) AP Domestic

The buck never stops. Clinton hits Trump on COVID-19

Former President Bill Clinton sought to recapture some of his explainer in chief mojo during remarks Tuesday that were highly critical of President Donald Trumps response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Did it have to be this way? No, Clinton said of coronavirus infection rates and deaths, after relating several of those statistics. COVID hit us much harder than it had to.

Clinton blamed Trump for ignoring the advice of scientists and spending too much time on social media blaming others for the crisis: The buck never stops there, he said.

The 42nd president has ridden peaks of popularity between troughs of disfavor since leaving the White House in 2001. His 48-minute speech at the 2012 convention was viewed by some Democrats as a more cogent argument for President Barack Obamas second term than anything Obama had offered himself at that point in the campaign, and it earned Clinton the nickname explainer in chief.

But while Clinton has remained popular among the Democratic establishment, the controversies of his presidency and allegations of sexual assault and harassment have come into harsher light during a MeToo movement that has exposed similar, systemic problems in the workplace.

And so while Clinton played an extensive role on stage at the 2016 convention when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the nominee, his speaking time was limited to just a few minutes Tuesday and his slot fell in the 9 p.m. hour before major networks began carrying the convention in its entirety.

Clinton has addressed every Democratic convention since 1980.

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Joe Biden secures Democratic presidential nomination during night of attacks on Trump and messages of unity - USA TODAY

Cr Moore said the end-of-year celebrations would not be held if NSW Health and the police "cant be certain" that the event can be held safely.

"It would be incredibly sad if Sydney New Years Eve cannot go ahead, but that is a real possibility were facing," she said. "The communitys health and safety is paramount and it may not be responsible to encourage large crowds to our foreshore."

An estimated 1 million people flocked to Sydney Harbour last New Years Eve to watch the fireworks display, despite calls for the $6.5 million festivities to be cancelled because of the bushfire crisis.

NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres said last week Sydneys New Years Eve celebrations should go ahead after such a putrid 2020.

Perhaps they dont do two sets of fireworks at nine and at midnight, they maybe even do a scaled-down version of the fireworks, he told 2GB radio.

A spokesman for the Department of Premier and Cabinet said event organisers were required to follow any public health orders and health advice current at the time of the event. New Years Eve fireworks and events are a matter for individual councils, he said.

North Sydney Council does not hold events on New Years Eve, but manages crowds that gather on the Sydney Harbour foreshore for the fireworks on Sydney Harbour.

Cr Gibson said she understood the reluctance to cancel the fireworks given it was months away.

We are obviously concerned about how we would deliver the event without becoming the next cluster, she said. If we are to attempt it, we need a decision now.

Bayside Council mayor Joe Awada said last week there would be no New Year's Eve celebrations at Brighton Le Sands.

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"How can you possibly comply with health orders and restrictions with 1.5 metres with 70,000 people? It would be impossible to control," he said.

Marylouise McLaws, professor of epidemiology at the University of NSW, also told 9News the end-of-year celebrations should not go ahead.

Cr Moore said the council was working with the state government to assess the impact of COVID-19 on major events, including Christmas, Sydney New Years Eve and the Sydney Lunar Festival.

These events are subject to the NSW Governments public health orders, which are continuously amended to address the local impact of the pandemic, she said. Ultimately, if NSW Health and police cant be certain that the event can be held safely, it wont go ahead.

Cr Gibson said the fireworks could be staged in a secret location so there are no crowds and we can all stay home to celebrate.

Alternatively, the City could get out all that old footage and give us the best fireworks from the last 20 years, she said.

Andrew Taylor is a Senior Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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Clover Moore says it 'may not be responsible' to hold New Year's Eve fireworks - Sydney Morning Herald

Although many governments are still advising against nonessential internationaltravel, a host of populardestinationsare beginning to ease their COVID-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back.

On July 1, the European Union announced it would be reopening its external border to 15 countries outside of the bloc in a bid to boost its travel industry.

Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay areall included in the list,along with China, provided it agrees to lift restrictions on EU citizens.

However, the United States, which now has thehighest number of confirmed COVID-19 infectionsin the world, according to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, was not included.

Meanwhile Caribbean islands like Jamaica have already opened their doors to foreign visitors again, while destinations such as Mexico and Thailand are planning to reopen region by region in the coming weeks.

Travel bubbles are also becoming more popular, with the likes of Fiji, Australia and New Zealand considering following the lead of Baltic states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, who have lifted restrictions for each others citizens.

If youre one of many travelers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, heres a guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen, as well as some of those that are keeping their borders firmly closed for now.

Aruba will slowly reopen to tourists betweenJune 15 and July 10.

Visitors from nearby Caribbean islands Curacao and Bonaire will be permitted to enter first, followed by travelers from Canada and Europe on July 1.

Tourists from the United States will be allowed to visit from July 10.

While it was previously suggested travelers would not be required to to take a Covid-19 test on arrival or prior to traveling, it seemsthis is no longer the case.

Like many other destinations, Aruba is giving visitors the option to either provide a negative test result taken no more than 72 hours before their visit, or receive a test on arrival.

However, the cost of the test, which must be paid for in advance, is the responsibility of the traveler.

The island has also introduced mandatory insurance coverage, theAruba Visitors Insurance, which will cover any expenses if visitors test positive for the virus during their trip.

Nonessential businesses including shopping malls, cinemas, beauty salons and outdoor restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 25, while the island countrys 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was completely lifted earlier this month.

Restaurants with indoor seating have now been allowed to reopen, although diners must leave before 10 p.m., along with spas, and saunas.

In addition, the department of Public Health has introduced theAruba Health & Happiness Code,a mandatory cleaning and hygiene certification program for all businesses related to tourism in the country.

Bali has been relatively successful in containing its coronavirus outbreak, with less than1,500 confirmed casesand, at the time of writing, a total of 11 deaths.

The Indonesian island now hopes to welcome tourists back by October, provided its infection rates stay low.

Accordingto a statement from Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, Yogyakarta, situated on the island of Java, is likely to reopen first, along with the Riau islands province.

Balis economy is hugely dependent on tourism and visitor numbers have been rising in recent years, with around 6.3 million people visiting in 2019.

The coronavirus has collapsed the Balinese economy its been a steep drop since [mid-March] when social-distancing measures were put in place, Mangku Nyoman Kandia, a Bali tour guide, told ABC Newsin April. No tourist, no money.

All foreign nationals, except for diplomats, permanent residents and humanitarian workers, are currently banned from Indonesia, and anyone entering the island must undergo a swab test and provide a letter stating they are free of Covid-19.

Its unclear what the entry requirements will be if restrictions are lifted later this year, or whether Bali will accept travelers from regions badly affected by the pandemic.

However, tourism officials have been calling for atravel bubble to be implementedbetween Bali and Australia.

Barbados has announced it will be reopening its borders to international travelers from July 12.

However, visitors will have to adhere to a number of strict requirements.

All tourists from high risk countries will be strongly encouraged to take a Covid-19 test at least 72 hours before departing for Barbados, according to a recent press release from the Barbados Tourist Board.

Meanwhile, those from low risk destinations can be tested a week before visiting the Caribbean island.

Visitors also need to complete an online Embarkation/Disembarkation Card (ED card), which asks a series of health questions connected to Covid-19 symptoms.

Those who dont provide a negative test result from an accredited or recognized laboratory in advance will must take one on arrival, and will be placed in quarantine at their own expense until the results come through. This is likely to take up to 48 hours.

While visiting the island, travelers must comply with local protocols, including keeping a physical distance of one-meter away from others and wearing face masks in public.

Barbados nationwide curfew isdue to be lifted on July 1, while commercial air traffic will resume 11 days later.

UK flag carrier British Airways will restart services to Barbados on July 18, with US airline JetBlue following suit on July 25 and Virgin Atlantic on August 1.

Cyprus is so keen to get its tourism industry back on track, officials are offering to cover the costs of any travelers who test positive for Covid-19 while on vacation in the Mediterranean island nation.

According to a letter shared with CNN, the Cypriot government will pay for lodging, as well as food, drink and medication for tourists who are taken ill with coronavirus during their visit.

The detailed plan was set out in a five-page letter issued to governments, airlines and tour operators on May 26.

Officials have also earmarked a 100-bed hospital for foreign travelers who test positive, while a 500-room quarantine hotel will be available to patients family and close contacts.

The traveler will only need to bear the cost of their airport transfer and repatriation flight, in collaboration with their agent and/or airline, states the letter.

The countrys hotels began to reopen on June 1, while international air travel restarted on June 9.

Once the destination reopens, visitors from only chosen countries will be allowed to enter.

Officialshave issued a list of countriesto be granted access to Cyprus in two separate stages.

Incoming flights from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania will be authorized first.

From June 20, Cyprus will also permit incoming flights from Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

The UK and the US, bothlisted among the nations with the highest numberof confirmed Covid-19 deaths, are noticeably absent.

However, the list is to be expanded to include further countries in the coming months.

Travelers heading to Cyprus will need to provide a valid certificate proving theyve tested negative for Covid-19, while theyll be subject to temperature checks on arrival as well as testing at random during the course of their trip.

The destination has already put measures in place to protect travelers and residents, such as ensuring hotel staff wear masks and gloves, regularly disinfecting sunbeds and keeping tables at restaurants, bars, cafs,and pubs at least two meters (6.5 feet) apart.

Tourism accounts for at least 15% of Cypruss economy.

Tourism brings in around $1 billion in revenue for Egypt each month, so the impact of thetravel restrictionscaused by the pandemic has been significant.

The government suspended passenger flights back in March, while all hotels, restaurants and cafes were closed and a night curfew imposed.

These measures are currently being relaxed, with hotels that meet certain requirements, such as having a clinic with a resident doctor on site, being granted permission to reopen for domestic visitors at a reduced capacity.

But acurfew remains in placebetween 8p.m. and 5 a.m although this isdue to be lifted on June 27 andthe government has made wearing masks mandatoryin public places and public transport.

Although international flights are yet to begin operating again bar a select few routes the cabinet has indicatedscheduled international flights will be allowed to enter from July 1, while foreign tourists will be permitted at the resorts least affected by Covid-19.

We have to prepare, cabinet spokesman Nader Saad saidduring a televised interview last month.

A number of global carriers have expressed willingness to resume flights to Egypt in July, and as a result we are considering a gradual resumption of international flights beginning towards the end of this month and in the first half of July.

France was the most visited country in the world before the coronavirus pandemic.

While restrictions were previously in place on all nonessential travel from outside the Schengen Zone (a grouping of 26 countries which normally have open borders), the measures are due to be lifted for 15 countries outside of the EU, including Australia, Canada and Japan.

At present all travelers who enter France, with the exception of EU citizens, are subject to a compulsory 14-day quarantine.

UK citizens were previously exempt from this measure. However, this was recently amended in response to the UKs decision to apply its mandatory 14-day quarantine, which isset to be amended soon, to arrivals from France.

Although the government has been slowly lifting lockdown measures, withcar journeys of up to 100 kilometersnow allowed and beaches beginning to reopen, officials have previously made it clear the country is in no hurry to ease border restrictions for international travelers..

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe recently announced a$19.4 billion stimulus packageto boost Frances ailing tourism sector.

What is good for tourism is often good for France, what strikes tourism strikes France, he said during a news conference.

The countrys hotels, bars, restaurants and cafs were granted permission to reopen on June 2.

Meanwhile Paris was downgraded from a red zone to a green zone in mid-June andthe city has now reopened.

Frances most visited museum, the Louvre, will reopen on July 6.

Tourism is facing what is probably its worst challenge in modern history, added Philippe. Because this is one of the crown jewels of the French economy, rescuing it is a national priority.

He went on to state that residents can take holidays within France during July and August.

The countrys hotels will be reliant on domestic tourism once they do reopen, as all signs suggest international travelers will not be able to enter for the foreseeable future.

When the lockdown measures soften, French tourists are likely to want to stay close to home in the short term, a spokesperson for French hotel chain Accor told CNN Travel earlier this month.

It will be the moment for them to rediscover their own country and we will be there to welcome them.

Georgia was experiencing a tourism boom before the coronavirus pandemic, withfive million travelers visiting in 2019,a 7% increase on the previous year.

But the country was forced to close its winter resorts and place a ban on all foreign visitors back in March because of the crisis.

Eager to revive its tourism sector, the countrys government had previously said it planned to reopen to international travelers on July 1, but this has beenpushed back until July 31due to a rapid increase in the number of new coronavirus cases in the partner and neighboring countries.

Officials have brought in athree-stage anti-crisis plan, which includes a marketing campaign designed to promote Georgia as a safe destination.

The next stage will allow for domestic travel in special safe tourism zones, while the final stage involves reopening borders and resuming some flights.

We are transitioning to the third stage [of Covid-19 response], which means post-crisis management of the economy and devising plans [on] how to kickstart different sectors, Prime MinisterGiorgi Gakharia said at a council meeting focusedon fighting Covid-19.

[The] tourism sector will be first to which emergency relief measures will apply.

The land of poets and thinkers lifted travel restrictions for travelers from 31 different countries on June 15.

The approved destinations included the 26 EU member states, as well as the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The revitalization of tourism is important both for travelers and the German travel industry, as well as for the economic stability of the respective target countries, read a statement from a paper calledCriteria for the Enabling of intra-European Tourism,which was issued last month.

The Austria/Germany land border has also reopened travel between Austria and Germany is possible as of June 15 and restrictions around the country are being relaxed.

Visitors from destinations such as Australia and Canada will also be allowed to enter soon due to the EUs decision to lift restrictions on various countries outside of the bloc.

Bars, restaurants and museums have reopened, while some hotels have begun to resume business.

Chancellor Angela Merkel recently announcedsocial distancing rules would continueuntil at least October.

International direct flights to Greeces many holiday destinations restarted on July 1 for travelers from most of the EU and list of14 additional EU-approved countries, with travelers subject only to random checks.

Greece has also extended its travel ban on direct flights from the UK and Sweden until July 15. All information is expected to be updated by mid-July.

The US, Greeces third largest market, is not included on the EU list. Nearly 2 million Americans visited Greece in 2019. The country has been attracting a growing number of US travelers in recent years and was projected to grow further in 2020.

Russia also failed to make the EU list meaning that Greece will enter its peak season without the three countries that in 2019 accounted for about 20% of its tourism revenue.

Greece is also opening its international ports and some border crossings for the first time since the country imposed a strict lockdown over three months ago.

The country is being hailed as one of the safest destinations for holidaymakers in the Mediterranean this summer with under 200 deaths from Covid-19 and less than 3,500 cases in a population of 11 million.

As part of the measures to contain the spread of Covid-19, international travelers are required to fill in a detailed passenger form. The Passenger Locator Form (PLF) will have to be completed online at least 48 hours before entering the country and includes information such as duration of previous stays in other countries during the two weeks prior to travel, and the address of stay in Greece.

Travelers will receive QR codes based on an algorithm that will calculate those most at risk of spreading a coronavirus infection. Authorities will use the QR code to identify passengers who need to be tested upon arrival, Greeces Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said.

Those tested must quarantine overnight pending results. Those who test positive will be quarantined for up to 14 days.

Iceland reopened it borders to tourists on June 15 after recording just under 2,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The move came weeks after the Nordic country banned all foreign nationals, except for nationals of the EU and associated European countries.

Up until recently, everyone arriving from outside the country was required to go into quarantine for 14 days.

However, travelers now have the option to either submit to a Covid-19 test on arrival, provide proof of a recently taken test with a negative result, or agree to a two-week quarantine.

Although the tests are currently free,a $112 chargewill be implemented from July 1.

Visitors will also be encouraged to download the appRakning C-19,designed to help trace the origin of transmissions and available in seven languages Icelandic, English, Polish, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

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International destinations reopening to tourists this summer - WTTV CBS4Indy

Although most governments are still advising against nonessential international travel, a host of popular destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back.

Back in May, the European Union unveiled an action plan to reopen its internal borders in time for summer, while countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have formed travel bubbles, lifting restrictions for each others citizens.

Some Caribbean islands are already beginning to open their doors to foreign visitors again, while destinations such as Mexico and Thailand are planning to reopen region by region in the coming weeks.

If youre one of many travelers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, heres a guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen, as well as some of those that are keeping their borders firmly closed for now.

The Caribbean island of Aruba is planning to open its doors to travelers once again at some point between June 15 and July 1.

However, the visitors bureau for the Caribbean island, which has reported just over 100 confirmed coronavirus cases, says this tentative date may change if Aruba opts to consider additional precautionary measures as needed.

Although theres no mention of any Covid-19 testing requirements for arrivals, tourists will be required to undergo temperature checks on arrival.

While nonessential businesses including shopping malls, cinemas, beauty salons and outdoor restaurants were allowed to reopen on May 25, the island countrys 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew remains in place.

This means such establishments are required to close by 10 p.m. every day.

In addition, the department of Public Health has introduced the Aruba Health & Happiness Code, a mandatory cleaning and hygiene certification program for all businesses related to tourism in the country.

Bali has also been successful in containing its coronavirus outbreak, with less than 350 confirmed cases and, at the time of writing, a total of four deaths.

The Indonesian island now hopes to welcome tourists back by October, provided its infection rates stay low.

According to a statement from Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, Yogyakarta, situated on the island of Java, is likely to reopen first, along with the Riau islands province.

Balis economy is hugely dependent on tourism and visitor numbers have been rising in recent years, with around 6.3 million people visiting in 2019.

The coronavirus has collapsed the Balinese economy its been a steep drop since [mid-March] when social-distancing measures were put in place, Mangku Nyoman Kandia, a Bali tour guide, told ABC News in April. No tourist, no money.

All foreign nationals, except for diplomats, permanent residents and humanitarian workers, are currently banned from Indonesia, and anyone entering the island must undergo a swab test and provide a letter stating they are free of Covid-19.

Its unclear what the entry requirements will be if restrictions are lifted later this year, or whether Bali will accept travelers from regions badly affected by the pandemic.

However, tourism officials have been calling for a travel bubble to be implemented between Bali and Australia.

Cyprus is so keen to get its tourism industry back on track, officials are offering to cover the costs of any travelers who test positive for Covid-19 while on vacation in the Mediterranean island nation.

According to a letter shared with CNN, the Cypriot government will pay for lodging, as well as food, drink and medication for tourists who are taken ill with coronavirus during their visit.

The detailed plan was set out in a five-page letter issued to governments, airlines and tour operators on May 26.

Officials have also earmarked a 100-bed hospital for foreign travelers who test positive, while a 500-room quarantine hotel will be available to patients family and close contacts.

The traveler will only need to bear the cost of their airport transfer and repatriation flight, in collaboration with their agent and/or airline, states the letter.

The countrys hotels began to reopen on June 1, while international air travel restarted on June 9.

Once the destination reopens, visitors from only chosen countries will be allowed to enter.

Officials have issued a list of countries to be granted access to Cyprus in two separate stages.

Incoming flights from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania will be authorized first.

From June 20, Cyprus will also permit incoming flights from Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

The UK and the US, both listed among the nations with the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 deaths, are noticeably absent.

However, the list is to be expanded to include furthe23r countries in the coming months.

Travelers heading to Cyprus will need to provide a valid certificate proving theyve tested negative for Covid-19, while theyll be subject to temperature checks on arrival as well as testing at random during the course of their trip.

The destination has already put measures in place to protect travelers and residents, such as ensuring hotel staff wear masks and gloves, regularly disinfecting sunbeds and keeping tables at restaurants, bars, cafs,and pubs at least two meters (6.5 feet) apart.

Tourism accounts for at least 15% of Cypruss economy.

Tourism brings in around $1 billion in revenue for Egypt each month, so the impact of the travel restrictions caused by the pandemic has been significant.

The government suspended passenger flights back in March, while all hotels, restaurants and cafes were closed and a night curfew imposed.

These measures are currently being relaxed, with hotels that meet certain requirements, such as having a clinic with a resident doctor on site, being granted permission to reopen for domestic visitors at a reduced capacity.

But a curfew remains in place between 8p.m. and 5 a.m, and the government has made wearing masks mandatory in public places and public transport.

Although international flights are yet to begin operating again bar a select few routes the cabinet has indicated scheduled international flights will be allowed to enter from July 1, while foreign tourists will be permitted at the resorts least affected by Covid-19.

We have to prepare, cabinet spokesman Nader Saad said during a televised interview last month.

A number of global carriers have expressed willingness to resume flights to Egypt in July, and as a result we are considering a gradual resumption of international flights beginning towards the end of this month and in the first half of July.

France was the most visited country in the world before the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, like the rest of the EU, restrictions are currently in place on all nonessential travel from outside the Schengen Zone (a grouping of 26 countries which normally have open borders).

Travelers who do enter the country, with the exception of EU citizens or arrivals from the UK, will be subject to a compulsory 14-day quarantine until at least July 24.

Although the government is slowly lifting lockdown measures, with car journeys of up to 100 kilometers now allowed and beaches beginning to reopen, officials have made it clear the country is in no hurry to ease border restrictions for international travelers.

Since the start of the crisis, the closure of the borders is the rule, and the authorization to cross a border is the exception.

We have to keep this protection in place, this will not change soon, French Interior Minister Christophe Castane said during a televised news conference earlier this month.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe recently announced a $19.4 billion stimulus package to boost its ailing tourism sector.

What is good for tourism is often good for France, what strikes tourism strikes France, he said during a news conference.

The countrys hotels, bars, restaurants and cafs were granted permission to reopen on June 2.

Meanwhile Paris was downgraded from a red zone to a green zone in mid-June

It was announced on May 29 that the countrys most visited museum, the Louvre, will reopen July 6.

Tourism is facing what is probably its worst challenge in modern history, added Philippe. Because this is one of the crown jewels of the French economy, rescuing it is a national priority.

He went on to state that residents can take holidays within France during July and August.

The countrys hotels will be reliant on domestic tourism once they do reopen, as all signs suggest international travelers will not be able to enter for the foreseeable future.

When the lockdown measures soften, French tourists are likely to want to stay close to home in the short term, a spokesperson for French hotel chain Accor told CNN Travel earlier this month.

It will be the moment for them to rediscover their own country and we will be there to welcome them.

Georgia was experiencing a tourism boom before the coronavirus pandemic, with five million travelers visiting in 2019, a 7% increase on the previous year.

But the country was forced to close its winter resorts and place a ban on all foreign visitors back in March because of the crisis.

Eager to revive its tourism sector, the countrys government says it plans to reopen to international travelers on July 1.

Officials have brought in a three-stage anti-crisis plan, which includes a marketing campaign designed to promote Georgia as a safe destination.

The next stage will allow for domestic travel in special safe tourism zones, while the final stage involves reopening borders and resuming some flights.

We are transitioning to the third stage [of Covid-19 response], which means post-crisis management of the economy and devising plans [on] how to kickstart different sectors, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said at a recent council meeting focused on fighting Covid-19.

[The] tourism sector will be first to which emergency relief measures will apply.

Although nonessential travel to Germany is prohibited at present, the land of poets and thinkers lifted restrictions for EU countries on June 15.

Officials are also considering allowing entry to visitors from Turkey, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, although a final decision is yet to be made.

The proposal was listed in a paper called Criteria for the Enabling of intra-European Tourism, which suggested the current travel warnings would be replaced by individual travel advice relating to each country.

The revitalization of tourism is important both for travelers and the German travel industry, as well as for the economic stability of the respective target countries, it reads.

The Austria/Germany land border is also reopening travel between Austria and Germany is possible as of June 15 and restrictions around the country are being relaxed.

Bars, restaurants and museums have reopened, while some hotels have begun to resume business.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has opted to extend social distancing rules until June 29.

Tourism accounts for almost 20% of Greeces gross domestic product, as well as one in five jobs, so its perhaps no surprise the Mediterranean nation is angling to reopen to tourists as soon as it possibly can.

The European country, which managed to keep its coronavirus case numbers low by implementing a strict lockdown early on, has already begun to allow some travelers back in.

The tourism period begins on June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on May 20.

Let us make this summer the epilogue of the [Covid-19] crisis, he added.

Mitsotakis went on to state that direct international flights to Greek destinations will slowly resume from July 1, and tourists from 29 designated countries will no longer be expected to take a Covid-19 test or go into quarantine on arrival.

However, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis has indicated health officials will conduct spot tests when necessary.

The tourism experience this summer may be slightly different from what youve had in previous years, Mitsotakis told CNN earlier this month.

Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path.

The 29 countries are Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.

Greece resumed regular ferry services to its islands on May 25, while travel restrictions within the country were lifted on May 18, allowing movement from one prefecture to another, apart from the islands.

Bars and restaurants have also been allowed to take up business again, while city hotels were scheduled to reopen on June 1, followed by seasonal hotels in July.

All international passengers had previously been required to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival or go into quarantine for 14 days.

Mitsotakis had suggested tourists would be required to undergo testing before their visit as a further precaution in the future, but it seems this is only the case for travelers from countries that arent on the list, which is based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency of airports worldwide located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the Covid-19 infection.

Iceland reopened it borders to tourists on June 15 after recording just under 2,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

The move came weeks after the Nordic country banned all foreign nationals, except for nationals of the EU and associated European countries.

Up until recently, everyone arriving from outside the country was required to go into quarantine for 14 days.

However, travelers now have the option to either submit to a Covid-19 test on arrival, provide proof of a recently taken test with a negative result, or agree to a two-week quarantine.

Although the tests are currently free, a $112 charge will be implemented from July 1.

Visitors will also be encouraged to download the app Rakning C-19, designed to help trace the origin of transmissions and available in seven languages Icelandic, English, Polish, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

When travelers return to Iceland we want to have all mechanisms in place to safeguard them and the progress made in controlling the pandemic, Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Innovation said in an official statement last month.

Icelands strategy of large-scale testing, tracing and isolating have proven effective so far.

We want to build on that experience of creating a safe place for those who want a change of scenery after what has been a tough spring for all of us.

Italy has been one of the destinations worst hit by the pandemic, but the hugely popular European country is keen to get its tourism industry up and running now that infection rates have slowed down.

Travelers from the EU, along with the UK and the microstates and principalities of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican, were allowed to enter without having to go into quarantine starting June 3, in a move the government has described as a calculated risk.

Were facing a calculated risk in the knowledge that the contagion curve may rise again, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a televised address to the nation earlier this month.

We have to accept it; otherwise, we will never be able to start up again.

Visitors were previously required to undergo a two-week quarantine before being allowed entry.

All museums, including Romes Vatican Museums, have been slowly reopening throughout May with strict social-distancing rules. Bars and restaurants were permitted to reopen with reduced numbers of diners as well as plastic shields to divide customers, on May 18.

St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican also opened its doors again on May 18 after being closed for over two months, the Leaning Tower of Pisa has also reopened, while the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is scheduled to return to railways on July 8.

The Maldives closed its national borders and canceled all flights shortly after recording its first two coronavirus cases in March.

See the article here:
Which international destinations are reopening to tourists? - KEYT

The Covid-19 radio ad was playing in the background when the six-year-old gave a deep sigh. Coronavirus doesnt just kill people, she said. It makes them sad too.

She went off and painted a picture of her pet cat attacking Covid-19, a black streak with sharp claws pouncing on a green spiky ball against a bright-blue sky.

The kids are not all right. Children like my daughter too old to be oblivious, too young to contextualise the threat or to understand why she cant see her teacher and her schoolfriends are not all right. Children with special needs whose wellbeing relies on the routine of school are certainly not all right. Vulnerable children, for whom school was a respite from difficult home situations, are not all right.

Parents struggling to work remotely while overseeing their childrens homework are not all right. Single parents who are trying to do it all by themselves are not all right. Parents who are splitting the day into four-hour shifts, starting at 6am, so they can take turns to look after the children are not all right. Parents coming to terms with the reality that they will have to give up work in June or September are not all right.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh should bear this in mind when he makes pronouncements like the one he made on Friday afternoon. He said at a press conference that children might only be able to get back to school one day a week in September.

With 2m social distancing, children at some primary schools could attend only once a week, he said. Secondary students could go to school twice a week. The Cabinet had approved a report that said if the distance were reduced to 1m, primary pupils could go in 2 days a week. Some postprimary students could attend almost full time. The rest of the time, blended learning would take place. It was his preference to have a full reopening, he said.

It would be beyond repugnant if childrens education and wellbeing were being used as a tool to exert pressure on NPHET, the National Public Health Emergency Team, to reduce social distancing from 2m to 1m, so lets assume thats not whats happening here. Lets accept that this is a straightforward reflection of the Governments view of the best- and worst-case scenarios for what will happen in September and beyond, until a vaccine for Covid-19 is found.

If this is the spectre were facing, we need to call it what it is. Part-time schooling is not blended learning. Parents supervising children while they work their way through a list of homework assigned by the teacher, frequently while they also try to work themselves, is not blended learning. Blended learning is civil-servant newspeak with no bearing on the reality of what has been happening since March.

Despite the heroic efforts of some primary-school teachers trying to keep 30 infants attentive for a weekly half-hour video meeting, Zoom is no substitute for a classroom. Neither is Padlet, Twinkl, Google Classroom or Seesaw. At primary level particularly, school is not just about working your way through a set of assigned tasks or watching videos; its about learning to socialise, to play, to negotiate and to be independent. None of this can be done remotely, no matter how dedicated or brilliant the teacher.

Remote learning might be a more realistic concept for secondary students, but it relies entirely on them having access to technology and broadband. If remote learning becomes an ongoing part of the national education framework, educational inequality will be exacerbated. The children who will fall behind are those without access to technology; those without a full-time stay-at-home parent; those whose schools dont have access to technology; those who struggle to self-motivate in the absence of a stable routine.

The Constitution says children are entitled to a certain minimum education, moral, intellectual and social. The Education Act 1998 requires the Government to guarantee everyone in the State a level and quality of education appropriate to meeting the needs and abilities of that person. A day a week in school is not an appropriate education.

The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown everything up in the air. But were beginning to figure out what is needed to piece society back together. As the country unlocks, detailed guidance is being issued on various sectors. We know, for example, that publicans wont be able to put a tap into a pint glass. We know what spa treatments will look like at luxury hotels. But we have no clear idea yet what is going to happen in schools or creches. All weve been told, so far, is what is probably not going to happen. This is despite the Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, acknowledging on Morning Ireland on Friday that the impact on children of Covid-19 is much lower. There is also no clear consensus on whether children transmit coronavirus asymptomatically.

Inevitably, schooling that fills only 20 or 50 per cent of the normal hours will force parents frequently mothers to choose between their childs education and their jobs. This weekend, impossible, unthinkable choices will be weighed up. Will I continue to let my children fester at home on screens, being educated by Joe Wicks and RTs Home School Hub, or will I give up work and make sure they are properly educated myself? If I keep working, who will look after them on the 2 or 4 days a week theyre not at school?

The State has failed Irish children repeatedly throughout its history. We were sharply reminded of that this week, with the future of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs as a standalone department up for grabs right at the moment when children most need a voice at Cabinet.

By abdicating its responsibility to educate children on the basis of an unknown risk, the State is in danger of failing them again.

Excerpt from:
School just one day a week after the summer? Joe McHugh has got to be kidding - The Irish Times

So youve added a splash of color to the walls in your kitchen and upgraded the appliances, but its not quite enough. Those cabinets still seem drab, bringing down that fresh look you were going for. Or perhaps youre looking to sell your house, but the kitchen is not a selling point because of worn-out cabinetry. Your cabinets need a pick-me-up, and professionals usually opt for one of three ways to give your kitchen a facelift: replacing, refacing or refinishing.

Replacing

Replacing your cabinets gives you a chance to go with something completely new. A company comes in, guts your kitchen and gives you brand new cabinet doors, drawers and boxes. You can go from a very traditional look to a modern, European style, change the wood, add doors with glass panes, or even restructure the kitchen layout. This is great for old, rundown cabinetry thats been chipped, cracked and worn.

Keep in mind that this generally leads to a bigger project as homeowners will often replace countertops and sinks and maybe even the flooring to give the kitchen a fresh, new look.

Refacing

For a little less drastic and more economical kitchen renovation, refacing is an option. You pick out new doors and drawer fronts to replace the ones you have, and the existing cabinet boxes are covered with a veneer to match your new doors/drawers. There is a wide variety of colors and finishes to choose from.

Refacing cabinets gives you lots of options and half the mess!

For those who want to update their kitchen look without changing the layout, this is a great option. And since the doors and drawer faces are being replaced, they dont have to be in mint condition.

Refinishing

But what if your cabinets are in great shape and you like the style, but the finish needs to be updated, thats where refinishing comes in. Refinishing is the most affordable and usually the quickest way to bring life back into dreary cabinets.

It's vital that the cabinets are in good condition since refinishing includes paint stripping, sanding, and staining or painting. The most economical choice here is to match the existing finish.

Refinishing cabinets requires the right tools!

Creating a unique faux finishing or going from one color or stain to another is more expensive. You can go from whitewashed to a deep cherry wood color. It is, however, hard to go from a very dark to very light.

Painting is another option, with unlimited color choices. You can match your cabinet color to that perfect shade of blue on the dishes as professional paint stores can easily perform a match on any item you bring in. Generally, this is a project for a professional painter. They have the tools and expertise to make cabinets look like new.

Pricing

Refinishing costs: It is most economical to match the finish of the existing cabinetry. The cost of changing the color or creating a faux finish increases the price to as much as it would cost to install nice, lower end cabinets.

Refacing costs are as much as a faux finish, but the advantage to both is that there is less of a mess. Cabinets, flooring and countertop can stay in place and dont need to be replaced.

Cabinet costs: A good quality new cabinet starts at about $550 per cabinet box professionally installed. A typical nice, whole kitchen cabinet package is hard to buy installed for less than $5,000 in a small kitchen. And going to this level probably involves new counters, plumbing fixtures and flooring.

Of course, you can do some mixing and matching. Stain the cabinets to that beautiful oak color, but have a door or two replaced with glass panes to show off the fine china and crystal.

Revamp the kitchen and reface the cabinets in the bathroom. Giving your cabinets a total-body makeover or just a facelift can make the whole house seem to come back to life.

For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodeling industry expert for 35 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio program, heard locally from 8 to 11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and from 7 to 10 a.m. on KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.

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Rosie on the House: Check out choices for outdated cabinets - Green Valley News

This time of year is normally filled with joy and celebration, as millions of graduates across the country take their first steps into the "real world".

Some of you reading this are families of graduates. Some are graduates yourselves. Either way, you may be thinking of all the 2020 graduates who didn't get a ceremony, celebrated with loved ones over Zoom, and are entering into the most uncertain jobs market since the Great Depression.

I am, too.

So here's my message to the Class of 2020:

I'm not going to beat around the bush. These are hard times. You're graduating into the worst economy in 80 years, and we don't have any idea when or how the economy will recover. Much depends on the course of this tragic pandemic.

On the other hand, I don't want you to despair. You have your entire lives in front of you. And you have your education, and, hopefully, resilience and fortitude.

The multiple crises we're facing are also opportunities to remake this nation and the world, hopefully into more just societies.

In this spirit, I wanted to share with you a final class I taught a few years back, when I and my students were still all together in a classroom. In watching it, it seemed to me that the lessons still hold, especially in this pandemic and economic crisis the importance of personal resilience, the inevitability of failure, the challenge of designing your own hoops to jump through, the new careers and forms of work you'll encounter, the central importance of gaining wisdom about yourself.

I hope these ideas give you the courage to face the future with realism and resourcefulness, and the confidence to dedicate at least some of your life to fortifying the common good.

Robert B. Reich is Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley and Senior Fellow at the Blum Center for Developing Economies. He served as Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, for which Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the twentieth century. He has written 15 books, including the best sellers "Aftershock", "The Work of Nations," and"Beyond Outrage," and, his most recent, "The Common Good." He is also a founding editor of the American Prospect magazine, chairman of Common Cause, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and co-creator of the award-winning documentary, "Inequality For All." He's also co-creator of the Netflix original documentary "Saving Capitalism."

Link:
Robert Reich's advice to the Class of 2020 - Salon

(CNN) Although most governments are still advising against "nonessential" international travel, a host of popular destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back.

Earlier this month, the European Union unveiled an action plan to reopen its internal borders in time for summer, while countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have formed "travel bubbles," lifting restrictions for each other's citizens.

A number of Caribbean islands are preparing to open their doors to foreign visitors in June, while destinations such as Mexico and Thailand are planning to open up again region by region in the coming weeks.

If you're one of many travelers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, here's a guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen, as well as some of those that are keeping their borders firmly closed for now.

Cyprus

Cyprus has pledged to cover holiday costs for Covid-19-positive tourists and their families.

Courtesy Cyprus Tourism Organisation

Cyprus is so keen to get its tourism industry back on track, officials are offering to cover the costs of any travelers who test positive for Covid-19 while on vacation in the Mediterranean island nation.

According to a letter shared with CNN, the Cypriot government will pay for lodging, as well as food, drink and medication for tourists who are taken ill with coronavirus during their visit.

The detailed plan was set out in a five-page letter issued to governments, airlines and tour operators on May 26.

Officials have also earmarked a 100-bed hospital for foreign travelers who test positive, while a 500-room "quarantine hotel" will be available to patients' family and "close contacts."

"The traveler will only need to bear the cost of their airport transfer and repatriation flight, in collaboration with their agent and/or airline," states the letter.

The news came shortly after Cyprus Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos announced hotels in the country will reopen on June 1, while international air travel will restart on June 9.

Once the destination reopens, visitors from only chosen countries will be allowed to enter.

Incoming flights from Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania will be authorized first.

From June 20, Cyprus will also permit incoming flights from Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia and the Czech Republic.

However, the list is to be expanded to include furthe23r countries in the coming months.

Travelers heading to Cyprus will need to provide a valid certificate proving they've tested negative for Covid-19, while they'll be subject to temperature checks on arrival as well as testing at random during the course of their trip.

The destination has already put measures in place to protect travelers and residents, such as ensuring hotel staff wear masks and gloves, regularly disinfecting sunbeds and keeping tables at restaurants, bars, cafs,and pubs at least two meters (6.5 feet) apart.

Bali

At least 6.3 million people visited Bali in 2019.

SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images

Bali has also been successful in containing its coronavirus outbreak, with less than 350 confirmed cases and, at the time of writing, a total of four deaths.

The Indonesian island now hopes to welcome tourists back by October, provided its infection rates stay low.

Bali's economy is hugely dependent on tourism and visitor numbers have been rising in recent years, with around 6.3 million people visiting in 2019.

All foreign nationals, except for diplomats, permanent residents and humanitarian workers, are currently banned from Indonesia, and anyone entering the island must undergo a swab test and provide a letter stating they are free of Covid-19.

It's unclear what the entry requirements will be if restrictions are lifted later this year, or whether Bali will accept travelers from regions badly affected by the pandemic.

Thailand

Thailand plans to reopen different regions stage by stage towards the end of 2020.

JACK TAYLOR/AFP via Getty Images

Thailand has long been among the top destinations for travelers, receiving close to 40 million foreign tourists last year.

However, visitors have been banned from entering the Southeast Asian country since March because of the pandemic.

While the number of cases here has been relatively low in comparison to other destinations -- Thailand has reported more than 3,000 confirmed cases and over 50 deaths -- officials aren't taking any chances when it comes to reopening the country.

The governor went on to stress there will be limitations on who can visit the country and what regions they can go to once restrictions are relaxed.

"We are not going to open all at once," he added. "We are still on high alert, we just can't let our guards down yet.

"We have to look at the country of origin [of the travelers] to see if their situation has truly improved."

This effectively means Thailand is unlikely to open its borders to travelers from destinations that don't appear to have the coronavirus situation under control.

Those that are given permission to enter may be offered "long-stay packages" in isolated areas "where health monitoring can be easily controlled," such as the remote islands of Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui.

However, Thailand's borders are firmly shut for the time being.

Like many other global destinations, Thailand is currently focusing on domestic tourism.

In fact, some resorts and hotels have already been given the go ahead to reopen -- Hua Hin, located about 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Bangkok, being one of them.

Shopping malls, museums, markets and some tourist attractions have also been reopening their doors, with Bangkok's Grand Palace due to reopen on June 4.

France

Residents of France will be allowed to take holidays within the country during July and August.

DAMIEN MEYER/AFP via Getty Images

France was the most visited country in the world before the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, like the rest of the EU, restrictions are currently in place on all nonessential travel from outside the Schengen Zone (a grouping of 26 countries which normally have open borders).

Travelers who do enter the country, with the exception of EU citizens or arrivals from the UK, will be subject to a compulsory 14-day coronavirus quarantine until at least July 24.

"Since the start of the crisis, the closure of the borders is the rule, and the authorization to cross a border is the exception.

"What is good for tourism is often good for France, what strikes tourism strikes France," he said during a news conference.

Although some businesses have been given permission to reopen, the country's hotels, bars, restaurants and cafs are to remain closed at least until June 2.

Even then, it's unlikely establishments in Paris, which has been marked as a coronavirus "red zone" by officials, will be allowed to open any time soon.

It was announced on May 29 that the country's most visited museum, the Louvre, will reopen July 6.

"Tourism is facing what is probably its worst challenge in modern history," added Philippe. "Because this is one of the crown jewels of the French economy, rescuing it is a national priority."

He went on to state that residents can take holidays within France during July and August.

The country's hotels will be reliant on domestic tourism once they do reopen, as all signs suggest international travelers will not be able to enter for the foreseeable future.

"When the lockdown measures soften, French tourists are likely to want to stay close to home in the short term," a spokesperson for French hotel chain Accor told CNN Travel earlier this month.

"It will be the moment for them to rediscover their own country and we will be there to welcome them."

Greece

Officials in Greece are hoping to reopen the country on June 15.

cunfek/Getty Images

Tourism accounts for almost 20% of Greece's gross domestic product, as well as one in five jobs, so it's perhaps no surprise the Mediterranean nation is angling to reopen to tourists as soon as it possibly can.

The European country, which managed to keep its coronavirus case numbers low by implementing a strict lockdown early on, plans to allow travelers back in on June 15.

"The tourism period begins on June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on May 20.

"Let us make this summer the epilogue of the [Covid-19] crisis," he added.

However, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis has indicated health officials will conduct spot tests when necessary.

"Maybe no bars may be open, or no tight crowds, but you can still get a fantastic experience in Greece -- provided that the global epidemic is on a downward path."

The 29 countries are Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland.

Bars and restaurants have also been allowed to take up business again, while city hotels are scheduled to reopen on June 1, followed by seasonal hotels in July.

All international passengers had previously been required to take a Covid-19 test upon arrival or go into quarantine for 14 days.

Mitsotakis had suggested tourists would be required to undergo testing before their visit as a further precaution in the future, but it seems this is only the case for travelers from countries that aren't on the list, whichn based on a document from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency of airports worldwide "located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the Covid-19 infection."

Germany

Restrictions in Germany are being gently relaxed as the country prepares to revive its tourism industry.

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Officials are also considering allowing entry to visitors from Turkey, the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, although a final decision is yet to be made.

"The revitalization of tourism is important both for travelers and the German travel industry, as well as for the economic stability of the respective target countries," it reads.

The Austria/Germany land border is also reopening -- travel between Austria and Germany will be possible from June 15 -- and restrictions around the country are being relaxed.

Mexico

Over the coming weeks, Mexico will begin to open up region by region.

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Mexico is aiming to welcome visitors back within weeks.

While the nation remains in lockdown, with hotels and restaurants yet to recommence business, officials are planning to reopen the country bit by bit in order to get things back on track.

"The target is domestic travelers first, followed by travelers from the US and Canada and then the rest of the world.

The border between the US and Mexico border is closed to "nonessential" travel until at least June 22 and most international flights in and out of Mexico's key airports are currently suspended or significantly reduced.

However, Delta Air Lines will be increasing and/or resuming various services from the US to Cancun, Mexico City Los Cabos and Puerta Vallarta in the coming weeks.

Quintana Roo, a state on the Caribbean side of Mexico that's home to the likes of Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, hopes to reopen in mid-June, according to Marisol Vanegas, the state's tourism secretary.

"We want to revive tourism and expect to start opening sights and hotels sometime between June 10 and 15 but don't know which ones yet," she says.

"It depends on what the federal government allows us to do."

Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, says he hopes to be able to accept both international and domestic travelers by August and September.

However, beach destination Riviera Nayarit, situated north of Puerta Vallarta, currently has no immediate plans to bring back tourists, according to Richard Zarkin, the public relations manager for the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Turkey

Turkey is aiming to receive international visitors from mid-June.

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Turkey made over $34.5 billion from tourism in 2019, and the transcontinental country is eager to get back in business.

According to Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the destination plans to restart domestic tourism by the close of May and hopes to receive international visitors from mid-June.

The country has set out new guidelines for its hotels and resort facilities, such as temperature checks at entrances and at least 12 hours of room ventilation after checkout. Guests will be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing.

Meanwhile, restrictions on intercity travel have been lifted, while restaurants, cafes, parks and sports facilities are permitted to reopen from June 1, along with beaches and museums.

Italy

Italy is dropping its compulsory quarantine for arrivals in a "calculated risk" to entice tourists back.

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Which international destinations are reopening to tourists? - CNN