Here we go again

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning against travel to France, Iceland, Israel, Thailand and several other countries over new COVID-19 concerns. The CDC updated its list of countries experiencing "Level 4: Very High" COVID cases on Monday to include several new countries, such as Aruba and French Polynesia. Greece, Iran and Ireland were among the countries previously classified as Level 4. The CDC says unvaccinated travelers should avoid nonessential travel. The agency warns, however, that "even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants." The State Department issued its own warning against travel to France and Iceland on Monday, too.

New York Daily News

Cruise line can require vax

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Florida law that prevents cruise lines from requiring passengers to prove they're vaccinated against COVID-19. Now Norwegian Cruise Lines' Norwegian Gem is set to depart from Miami on Sunday — the company's first voyage from Florida since the pandemic halted its operations. The "vaccine passport" ban signed into law in May by Gov. Ron DeSantis fails to protect medical privacy or prevent discrimination against unvaccinated people, but it does appear to violate the First Amendment rights of Norwegian, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams wrote. More than 1,200 passengers have booked tickets on the Norwegian Gem, promising to prove they've been vaccinated before boarding, the judge noted.

Associated Press

Lavender labyrinth

In western Michigan there's a cherry farm where you can choose between Zen, or a strudel. "We wanted to have it be something more than just a place to stop and pick up a quart of cherries," said Barbara Bull, owner of the Cherry Point Farm and Market in Shelby. "That's why it worked out for us to have a lavender labyrinth." Bull teamed up with local architect and artist Conrad Heiderer, who helped design the labyrinth on a 300-square-foot piece of land on the farm. The pattern inside the herb garden is called a 12-point vesica, which creates the effect of a star with interlocking beds of flowers and herbs. As long as the market is open the labyrinth is open — and there is no charge to walk through it. It typically takes about an hour and a half from beginning to end.

Detroit News