The latest Investing Matters Podcast with Jean Roche, Co-Manager of Schroder UK Mid Cap Investment Trust has just been released. Listen here.
As usual the media went way overboard - I'd expect markets to strongly rebound next week when the penny drops. And that enabled the scaremongers to go into overdrive yesterday maliciously posting thousands of panic posts across all bulletin boards.
Those shorters will need to rapidly cover their positions when a common sense re-evaluation lands next week.
Https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59418127
Covid: New Omicron variant not a disaster, says Sage scientist
By Hamish Mackay
BBC News Published1 hour ago
The Omicron Covid variant is "not a disaster" and some people may be "hugely overstating the situation", a scientist advising the government says.
Omicron has been labelled "of concern" by the World Health Organization, and is causing alarm among some scientists.
But microbiologist Prof Calum Semple says vaccines are "still likely to protect you from severe disease".
Prof Semple does, however, support the new UK travel restrictions, saying they will allow more people to get jabbed.
Asked whether people should be fearful of the new variant, Prof Semple - who sits on the UK government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies - told BBC Breakfast: "This is not a disaster, and the headlines from some of my colleagues saying 'this is horrendous' I think are hugely overstating the situation.
"Immunity from the vaccination is still likely to protect you from severe disease. You might get a snuffle or a headache or a filthy cold but your chance of coming into hospital or intensive care or sadly dying are greatly diminished by the vaccine and still will be going into the future."
So far, more than 50 million people in the UK have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. More than 42 million have had two doses while almost 17 million have had a third or booster jab.
The new Omicron variant was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on 24 November and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.
Countries around the world are currently racing to introduce travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain Omicron's spread.
The UK has placed South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho and Eswatini on its travel red list, meaning, from Sunday at 04:00 GMT, all arrivals will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.
Prof Semple said that while it may not be possible to stop the variant coming to the UK, it is still important to delay its arrival.
"If you can slow the virus coming into your country it gives you more time for your booster campaign to get ahead of it," he said.
"It also gives the scientists longer to understand more about the virus in case there is anything we really should be worrying about."
Asked what other measures he thought were advisable in the face of a new variant and the 50,091 new UK cases reported on Friday, Prof Semple said he was in favour of mask wearing in shops and on public transport, and hand washing.
Banbury,
Agreed - it's not perfect, but it showed one of the "missing" cruises, which made me think it may be suitable. But sadly not.
I'll have a look tomorrow to see what I can find.
But here is the one final cruise missing from your specified date range:
Rhythm of the Caribbean from Southampton, 21 January 2022 (30 nights)
Https://www.iglucruise.com/spirit-of-discovery/21st-january-2022_c264658
Just checked and I think that will work for you.
Saga site:
May 16, 2022 An Irish Interlude 5 nights
June 22, 2022 An Exhibition of the Baltic 16 nights
Cruisemapper:
2022 May 16 5 days, round-trip An Irish Interlude
2022 May 21 32 days, round-trip Ancient Wonders of the Black Sea
2022 Jun 22 16 days, round-trip An Exhibition of the Baltic
Banbury,
Try this:
Https://www.cruisemapper.com/ships/Spirit-of-Adventure-2140?tab=itinerary
With the risk of hospitalisation or death cut by 89% and ZERO deaths in the experimental group versus the control group, this will redefine Covid's place in the wider scheme of things. Society will soon be able to push on with full normalisation in the knowledge that hospitals will no longer risk being flooded by Covid cases and can return to treating other conditions.
A truly great day to celebrate.
Https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-59178291
Covid: Pfizer says antiviral pill 89% effective in high risk cases
An experimental pill to treat Covid developed by the US company Pfizer cuts the risk of hospitalisation or death by 89% in vulnerable adults, clinical trial results suggest.
The drug - called Paxlovid - is aimed at the elderly and others at high risk of severe disease.
It comes a day after the UK medicines regulator approved a similar treatment from Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD).
Pfizer says it stopped trials early as the initial results were so positive.
The UK has already ordered 250,000 courses of the new Pfizer treatment along with another 480,000 courses of the MSD pill.
The Pfizer drug, known as a protease inhibitor, is designed to block an enzyme the virus needs in order to multiply. It works slightly differently to the Merck pill which introduces errors into the genetic code of the virus.
Pfizer said it plans to submit interim trial results for its pill to the US medicines regulator, the FDA, as part of the emergency use application it started last month.
Saga relaunches brand to celebrate ageing
Https://www.insurancewire.co.uk/news/business/global-insurance-pricing-up-15-in-q3/
CEO Euan Sutherland believes the campaign will broaden Saga’s appeal and more accurately reflect its positively-minded customer base and is part of a wider brand revitalisation tied to Saga’s transformation strategy
Lewis Catchpole - 22 hours ago
Saga, the UK’s specialist in products and services for people over 50, has announced a rebrand focused on changing the way people think about age and showing the “more positive side of getting older”.
The firm said the campaign is part of Saga’s wider data, digital and brand strategy, which champions what Saga is calling “Generation Experience” – celebrating over-50s who represent over a third of the UK population.
The integrated campaign, based on “deep customer insight”, will see the launch of new TV advertising and will lean into Saga’s digital channels.
Saga said that the over 50s are the fastest growing demographic in the UK, and one that holds the most spending power comparatively. 27.9 million people will be over the age of 50 by 2030 in the UK, and 63p of every £1 will be spent by people over 65 in 2040.
But despite the “significance of this group” – and rising awareness of the need for greater cultural representation of gender, race and disability – Saga said age is “often left out of the conversation and either invisible or marginalised in cultural content”. Only 29% of TV adverts feature characters over the age of 50, with just 12% in lead roles.
According to Saga data, on average its customers feel 14 years younger than they are, and 91% want to experience new things and enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle. Saga spoke to more than 2,000 over 50s in the last week and two thirds (67%) also said they were more likely to spend with a brand that embraced a positive view about life over 50, focused on experience rather than age.
Euan Sutherland, CEO of Saga Group said: “People are living longer than ever before; they are working longer; they are helping their families; they are contributing to society. We know our customers do not feel old – they feel as if they are experienced. They have lived full lives, have so much to give and fully intend to make the most of each and every day.
“Our new brand strategy champions what we are calling Generation Experience”– the discerning, sharp and savvy over-50s who represent over a third of the UK population. It’s time for businesses and organisations of all sizes to have a conversation about age. As a purpose-led business with over 70 years’ experience, it’s one that we think Saga is ideally placed to lead.”
Re: "I fear more pain as the spectre of Covid is starting to appear over some travel again."
Agreed - for companies that offer travel for youngsters.
Croatia and Austria previously set expiry dates for vaccines of 210 and 270 days.
Other countries are likely to follow this model.
What travel company in the UK has the demographic that already has almost its entire clientele receiving booster jabs meaning that they are not affected by this measure?
You've got it - Saga.
Laughton,
When I worked at Saga, the cruise price model was very carefully architected such that the highest discounts - per cabin grade in the case of ocean cruising - were always offered earliest. As each discount percentage slice, per cabin grade, was sold the next lowest becomes the headline price per cabin grade and so on. Potentially until no further discounts are available at all - depending on how the product is set-up.
Therefore late offers of 20% or 25% off should never impact the earlier bookings. Simple, but elegant.
So the Price Promise rarely comes into effect as time moves on as the discounted offers taper off as availability decreases.
You can see this - at cabin type level - by comparing the prices in the printed brochures to the latest prices shown on the website. The former will never be higher than the latter for the reason described above. (Unless exceptional re-pricing is required for some extreme reason.)
And the price model operates at a finer grained level than cabin type - specifically at cabin grade level. For instance Standard Twin cabins may be sub-divided into cabin types F, G, H, I, J, K and L.
This enables a relatively sophisticated yield management model to be maintained.
I assume that this is how things still operate but cannot confirm that.
I hope that explains sufficiently for you.
Https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58833088
UK travel red list cut to just seven countries
By George Bowden
BBC News
Published 1 hour ago
The number of countries on the UK Covid travel red list will be cut from 54 to seven, the government says.
South Africa, Brazil and Mexico come off the red list, which requires travellers to quarantine in an approved hotel at their cost for 10 full days.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes begin on Monday and "mark the next step" in opening travel.
This latest move will be seen as a boost to the airline industry and families separated during the pandemic.
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti and the Dominican Republic remain on the red list.
Pandemic travel rules in the UK have recently been simplified, with the amber list cut, and advice against holidays changed for 32 countries.
Https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/saga-spirit-rhine-begins-inaugural-sailing-future-voyages-outlined
Saga Spirit of the Rhine begins inaugural sailing, future voyages outlined
Spirit of the Rhine, Saga Holidays' newest river ship, has begun its inaugural 13-night voyage from Trier, Germany.
Holly Payne
It will sail the Moselle Valley, taking in several Roman wine towns along the way, including Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach and Piesport, with wine expert Oz Clarke joining a vineyard tour that offers passengers the chance to flavour the local grape during its harvest.
‘Everything about the ship has been designed with our customers in mind giving them the option to do as much or as little as they like while on-board thanks to the wide range of facilities,’ commented Saga Holiday CEO Chris Simmonds.
‘And when they step ashore, we’ve carefully curated our itineraries to show them the best of the region with a range of unique experiences,’ he added.
Forthcoming itineraries
On selected dates between October 2021 and October 2022, Spirit of the Rhine will sail a seven-night ‘Castles and Vineyards of the Rhine’ itinerary from Switzerland into Germany, including Breisac. Prices start at £1,099pp.
Its seven-night ‘Beautiful Rhine and Main’ cruise departs November 8, 2021 and sails from Frankfurt to Aschaffenburg, Mainz, Strasbourg, Ru¨desheim, Boppard and Andernach, concluding in Amsterdam. Prices start from £1,049pp.
All Saga cruises come with a free VIP door-to-door travel service, travel insurance, meals and drinks, complimentary Wi-Fi and a range of excursions.
Design
The vessel, which accommodates 190 passengers and 40 officers and crew, contains 95 cabins over four decks. Designed with the culture and nature found along the Rhine in mind, it holds a panoramic lounge and bar, library, fitness area, a sun deck with a hot tub and alfresco barbecue, and two restaurants.
According to the cruise line, the vessel will be one of the ‘quietest and most environmentally friendly ships operating on the Rhine.’
Elements of its design will be mirrored in sister ship Spirit of the Danube, which is inspired by the sights of the Danube River.
Https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/09/12/pcr-tests-double-vaccinated-travellers-dropped/
PCR tests for double-vaccinated travellers 'to be dropped'
Reports costly PCR tests will be scrapped for holidaymakers and they will be asked to take lateral flow test instead
By Jack Hardy
12 September 2021 • 6:00am
Ministers are preparing to lift the requirement for double-jabbed travellers to take PCR tests when they return to the UK, according to reports.
The tests will be scrapped for holidaymakers returning from green and amber list countries in what will prove to be a boost for the beleaguered travel industry.
Instead of expensive PCR tests on the second day after arrival, they will be asked to take a lateral flow test, which are currently offered for free by the NHS, according to the Mail on Sunday.
It could help cut the cost of holidays by hundreds of pounds for families, a financial barrier that has deterred millions from overseas trips this year.