Two MSP arrivals under self-quarantine; Fla. beach named best in U.S.

Two MSP arrivals under self-quarantine

Two people who arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Tuesday have been instructed to self-quarantine themselves for 14 days due to their "close contact" with someone in Europe who has been infected with the novel coronavirus that is spreading globally. The Minnesota Department of Health announced the action on Wednesday so that the two travelers can learn if they are infected before they interact with any more people. "The measures taken to isolate and monitor potentially exposed passengers are designed to keep the risk of spread to others as low as possible," the department said in a news release. A medical professional from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evaluated the plane's passengers and determined they did not have COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, China, earlier this winter. Other travelers on the plane will be notified if the two at-risk passengers are diagnosed with COVID-19.

Jeremy Olson

Tourism to Cuba declines

The number of tourists and Cuban-Americans visiting Cuba fell almost 20% in January compared with the same period last year, according to official figures published recently by the National Bureau of Statistics and Information. The most drastic drop in the figures was in the case of American visitors, which fell almost 70%. During the first month of the year, the island received 95,856 fewer visitors than in that month in 2019, a decline of 19.6%. Visitors from the United States fell by 68.8%. Cuban-Americans traveled 12% less than the previous year. U.S. sanctions over the island's support of the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela, including the ban on cruise ships to the island and the cancellation of charter and direct flights to most Cuban airports, are aimed at hitting one of the main sources of income to the government of Havana.

Miami Herald

Fla. beach named best in U.S.

In the latest TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards, Siesta Beach near Sarasota, Fla., reclaimed the No. 1 spot from last year's top beach Clearwater Beach. The barrier island on the Gulf Coast is often near the top of best beach lists, including garnering titles in the annual Dr. Beach list in 2011 and again in 2017. The beach, a massive stretch that is part of a county park with ample parking and facilities, is known for its sugar-white, nearly pure quartz crystal sand that doesn't really get hot on your feet.

Sun Sentinel

Pets overcome zombies at Universal Studios

The "Walking Dead" attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood is being killed off as the park gets ready for an attraction with a livelier outlook. The area where the apocalyptic-themed attraction is located has been overhauled to become an animal-themed area known as "Pets Place" that will feature a new ride based on the 2016 animated blockbuster "The Secret Life of Pets." The new ride, "The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash," will use live actors, animatronic characters and projection mapping to replicate a New York City scene. Facial recognition and "enhanced gesture tracking" will allow cameras and projectors to create a unique image of each rider, resembling a dog on a screen. For each seat on the ride, the technology will depict the occupant as a different dog.

Los Angeles Times