- Priscilla Presley recalls final moments with daughter Lisa Marie: ‘She looked very frail’ USA TODAY
- Priscilla Presley says she was ‘concerned’ about her daughter’s marriage to Michael Jackson because of how much the pop star loved Elvis Presley Yahoo Entertainment
- Priscilla Presley Cries Over Lisa Marie Presley In TV Intv Access Hollywood
- Priscilla Presley cries as she recalls death of daughter Lisa Marie Presley: ‘It was unbearable’ Fox News
- Tearful Priscilla Presley reveals anguish of losing Elvis, Lisa Marie, mom and grandson, and what she really thinks about Michael Jackson New York Post
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: frail
Oil facility fire jeopardizes Cuba’s frail electric system
HAVANA (AP) — A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread on Monday, threatening to plunge the island into a deeper energy crisis as it forced officials to shut down a key thermoelectric plant.
Flames around dawn enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze in the western province of Matanza that began just days after the government announced scheduled blackouts for the capital of Havana.
“I am very worried about the children, the elderly, the economy of Matanzas and the country,” said Dailyn de la Caridad, a 28-year-old resident. “We don’t know how this is going to end.”
At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facility’s eight tanks on Friday night. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba’s electric system.
“The risk we had announced happened, and the blaze of the second tank compromised the third one,” said Matanzas Gov. Mario Sabines.
By late Monday, four tanks were compromised, Lt. Col. Chief Alexander Ávalos of Cuba’s fire department told Televisión Cubana.
“The fire has taken on a greater magnitude,” he said.
Firefighters had sprayed water on the remaining tanks over the weekend to cool them but failed to stop the fire from spreading. On Monday afternoon, the government’s power company announced that the fire had forced the shut down a thermoelectric plant that provides power to the island’s western region after it ran out of water, according to the official Cubadebate website. No further details were immediately available.
The governments of Mexico and Venezuela have sent special teams to help extinguish the fire, with water cannons, planes and helicopters fighting the fire from several directions as military constructions specialists erected barriers to contain oil spills.
Local officials warned residents to use face masks or stay indoors given the billowing smoke enveloping the region that can be seen from the capital of Havana, located more than 65 miles (100 kilometers) away. Officials have warned that the cloud contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances.
The majority of those injured were treated for burns and smoke inhalation, and five of them remain in critical condition. A total of 24 remain hospitalized. Over the weekend, authorities found the body of one firefighter as relatives of those still missing gathered at a hotel to await news about their loved ones.
Sabines and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said it was impossible to search for the missing firefighters given the roiling temperatures.
The blaze at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city prompted officials to evacuate more than 4,900 people, most of them from the nearby Dubrocq neighborhood. The facility’s eight huge tanks hold oil used to generate electricity, although it wasn’t clear how much fuel has been lost as a result of the flames. The first tank that caught fire was at 50% capacity and contained nearly 883,000 cubic feet (25,000 cubic meters) of fuel. The second tank was full.
Jorge Piñon, director of the Latin America and Caribbean Energy Program at the University of Texas, said officials should inspect the walls of tanks that aren’t on fire to ensure they weren’t affected. He also warned that the government must be careful before bringing the system back online once the fire is extinguished.
“If not, there’ll be another catastrophe,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is going to take time.”
Piñon noted that the facility receives Cuban crude oil — operating an oil pipeline that crosses the center of the country — to be transferred via small tankers to the thermoelectric plants that produce electricity. It is also the unloading and transshipment center for imported crude oil, fuel oil and diesel, with Cuba producing only half of the fuel required to keep its economy afloat.
The blaze comes as Cuba struggles through a deep economic crisis and faces frequent power outages amid a sweltering summer, issues that helped unleashed unprecedented antigovernment protests last year. Officials have not provided a preliminary estimate of damages.
___
Associated Press videographer Osvaldo Angulo in Matanzas, Cuba, contributed.
___
Andrea Rodríguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
Bladder cancer patients who are too frail for chemo offered hope as health chiefs approve drug
Thousands of NHS patients with deadly bladder cancer are set to benefit from a drug that offers fresh hope of a cure.
In a milestone ruling, UK health chiefs have approved nivolumab for sufferers who are too frail to withstand treatments such as chemotherapy.
Doctors usually give a course of chemotherapy after removing bladder tumours to kill off any remaining cancer cells.
But there are no alternatives for patients who can’t have chemo because of the crippling side effects, so their cancer usually returns within a year.
However, trials have shown that nivolumab, which helps the body’s immune system to seek and destroy cancer cells, keeps the disease at bay for twice this time.
Some patients have no signs of cancer at least three years after they have stopped taking the drug.
Professor Tobias Arkenau, consultant oncologist at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in London, said: ‘Many of my bladder cancer patients can’t tolerate chemotherapy. After we’ve removed what we can with surgery, they just have to keep their fingers crossed and hope it doesn’t return.
It is thought the new drug could offer hope to patients who cannot undergo chemotherapy (stock image)
‘But this drug works phenomenally well and the side effects are far less gruesome.’
More than 10,000 Britons are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year. If it’s spotted early, patients are usually offered a minimally invasive operation where the tumour is cut away using instruments that are passed up to the bladder via the urethra – the passage through which urine leaves the body. A short course of chemotherapy is given to clear any remaining cancer cells.
But about a quarter of bladder cancer cases are diagnosed later, at stage two to three, when the tumour has started to grow into the muscle wall lining the bladder. These patients are offered either radiotherapy to shrink the cancer or invasive surgery to remove the organ as well as surrounding tissues.
Artist Tracey Emin has spoken candidly about the major procedure in 2020 to treat her bladder cancer, which involved the removal of multiple pelvic organs, including her bladder, which left her using a urostomy bag for urine.
In one in five bladder surgery patients, cancer cells remain. Chemotherapy can be given to destroy them, but a third of patients are elderly or in poor health and unable to withstand the gruelling side effects.
Instead, they are closely monitored and treated only when the cancer comes back. This happens within two years for roughly half of patients, at which point it is more difficult to treat.
Dr Robert Huddart, Professor of Oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, said: ‘Relying on scans to make sure we spot small cancers can only go so far. It is easy to miss a tiny tumour. This is why it’s vital we have a treatment that can obliterate the cancer cells that may be lurking around for every patient.’
Nivolumab is the first treatment to offer this group the hope of a cure. The drug, given as a drip every two weeks for up to a year, works by disabling proteins called PD-L1 attached to the tumour which make it invisible to fighter cells in the immune system. This ‘turning off’ of the proteins allows the immune system to spot the cancer and attack it.
Artist Tracey Emin (pictured) has spoken candidly about having a major procedure to treat her bladder cancer in 2020
Many other tumours have PD-L1 proteins attached to them, and nivolumab has been shown to work effectively on other cancers in the same way. NHS patients with skin cancer, kidney cancer and some head and neck cancers may be treated with the drug. Side effects are mostly mild, with the most common being itchy skin, diarrhoea and fatigue.
Dr Syed Hussain, Professor of Oncology at the University of Sheffield, who was involved with the nivolumab trial, said: ‘I treated a 60-year-old man with nivolumab and there’s still no sign of cancer even two years later.
‘Best of all, he had an excellent quality of life on the drug, with virtually no side effects. It was quite remarkable.
‘It is clear that patients on nivolumab can happily continue with their day-to-day lives, which is far more tricky with chemotherapy.’
Weird science: Boys who turn into boys at puberty
There is a village in the Caribbean where many of the boys don’t develop sex organs until they reach puberty.
Known as Guevedoces, which translates as ‘penis at 12’, the children are born with what looks like female genitalia because of a hormone deficiency.
Normally, babies in the womb are neither male nor female until about eight weeks after conception, when sex hormones kick in.
In boys, testosterone is converted into a potent hormone called dihydro-testosterone which triggers the development of sex organs.
But Guevedoces are deficient in an enzyme that triggers this process, so they appear female when born and are raised this way.
It is only when they reach puberty, and have a second surge of testosterone, that the body responds.
Your amazing body
Researchers believe getting wrinkly hands in water is an evolutionary advantage
Soaking too long in the bath makes fingers and feet go wrinkly – but this quirk of our bodies may once have served an important purpose.
Experts believe the ridges that form in the skin gave our ancestors an evolutionary advantage, helping them to grip wet objects or surfaces by channelling water away, much like the tread on a car tyre does.
The wrinkles appear when the brain sends signals to the blood vessels beneath the skin, telling them to constrict.
This decreases blood flow to the fingers and feet, marginally reducing them in size and forming loose folds of skin.
<!- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/de/health/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->
Advertisement
Sharon Osbourne, 69, looks frail as she shares snap of herself on a drip during Covid battle
Sharon Osbourne has shared a picture of herself in bed with an intravenous drip in her arm after she revealed she had caught Covid-19 from her husband Ozzy.
The Talk UK host, 69, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a snap of herself looking unwell as she relaxed in her bed while battling the virus.
She had previously revealed that she caught Covid after having to fly back to Los Angeles from London to look after rocker Ozzy, 73, who had contracted the virus.
Unwell: Sharon Osbourne shared a picture of herself in bed with an intravenous drip in her arm after she revealed she had caught Covid-19 from her husband Ozzy
In her social media snap, Sharon went make up free as she wore a blue T-shirt and made the peace sign with her left hand.
The sleeve of her top on her right arm was rolled up and the intravenous drip in her arm could be seen secured by green tape.
She was surrounded by five TV remote controls and three of her dogs on her bed as well as a mobile phone, laptop and magazine as she tried to keep busy.
Alongside the snap, she simply wrote ‘Covid’ accompanied by angry face emojis.
Illness: Sharon, 69, had previously revealed that she caught Covid after having to fly back to Los Angeles from London to look after rocker Ozzy, 73 (both pictured in June 2018)
Sharon’s drip consisted of Sodium Chloride USP. It was found the use of a hypertonic solution of sodium chloride at 1.1% reduced viral replication by 88% in tests involving infected lung cells conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo.
Her latest post comes after she revealed she caught Covid from her husband Ozzy after she was forced to fly back to Los Angeles to look after him.
The TV personality broke down in tears last week after confirming she was flying back to the United States to help her singer husband, 73.
Speaking on her new TalkTV show The Talk from LA, Sharon told her co-star Jeremy Kyle that Ozzy is now doing well but she and daughter Kelly have sadly been struck down with the virus.
Health: Sharon Osbourne has revealed she has caught Covid from her husband Ozzy after she was forced to fly back to Los Angeles to look after him
She said: ‘He’s doing much better thank you. His temperature is now back to normal his coughing has stopped, he’s doing much better.
‘But I’ve got some news to share. My daughter Kelly has it, I have it and the entire household has it now.
Asked if Ozzy will now be looking after his wife, Sharon laughed and said: ‘Maybe, we’ll see. I feel OK actually.’
Ozzy has recovered enough that Sharon can return to her presenting duties on The Talk, Monday to Friday at 9pm.
Recovering: Sharon told her TalkTV co-star Jeremy Kyle that Ozzy is now doing well but she and daughter Kelly have sadly been struck down with the virus
Update: Sharon told her co-star Jeremy Kyle: ‘He’s doing much better thank you. His temperature is now back to normal his coughing has stopped, he’s doing much better’
Sharon added: ‘But I’ve got some news to share. My daughter Kelly has it, I have it and the entire household has it now’
The star will join her panelists via video link from her home in LA for the timebeing, having missed just two shows.
Sharon added: ‘I’m so happy to be back at work tonight. Ozzy is doing so much better, thankfully.
‘I’m so grateful to everyone for their well wishes and outpouring of love for Ozzy. And to everyone at TalkTV for being so understanding.’
On Sunday, Sharon and Ozzy’s son Jack shared a video of his father FaceTiming their dogs and said he was doing ok.
On the mend: On Sunday, Sharon and Ozzy’s son Jack shared a video of his father FaceTiming their dogs and said he was doing ok
He wrote: ‘Dad is on the mend and back to FaceTiming the dogs. Thank you for all the love & support!’
Sharon was previously said to be ‘beside herself with worry’ after Ozzy contracted Covid-19.
It was claimed Sharon was concerned about Ozzy as he became ‘paranoid’ about getting Covid after enduring a string of health problems in recent years.
The former Black Sabbath star, who has Parkinson’s disease, was said to have been cleaning takeaway deliveries with anti-bacterial spray in a bid to prevent himself from catching Covid.
Family: Ozzy was also seen FaceTiming with Sharon in the clip
A source told The Mirror: ‘Ozzy was badly paranoid about getting Covid because of everything that he has been through. Now he’s got it, he’s panicked and feeling awful.
‘He heard about Covid spreading on surfaces and got so paranoid that he got all takeaway deliveries coming into the house sprayed outside with anti-bacterial treatments.’
MailOnline contacted Sharon and Ozzy’s representatives for comment.
Worry: Ozzy, who has Parkinson’s disease, was said to have been cleaning takeaway deliveries with anti-bacterial spray in a bid to prevent himself from catching Covid
An emotional Sharon recently confirmed that she was heading back to the US to help Ozzy.
The ex-The Talk panelist had relocated to the United Kingdom for work after being blacklisted in the US following a heated on-air debate with co-host Sheryl Underwood about race.
But she admitted her new role alongside Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show Uncensored has been put to one side while she cares for stricken Ozzy.
She said: ‘I spoke to him and he’s OK. I am very worried about Ozzy right now.
Devastated: TV personality Sharon, 69, broke down in tears on Thursday after confirming she was flying back to the United States to help her husband
‘Ozzy was only diagnosed in the middle of the night our time. I spoke to him and he’s OK. I am very worried about Ozzy right now. We’ve gone two years without him catching COVID and it’s just Ozzy’s luck it would be now.’
But Sharon insisted she would be back in the United Kingdom to fulfil her role with TalkTV as soon as her husband has recovered from the respiratory illness.
She said: ‘I can’t believe my luck. I’m missing the show and I’ve only been there three days. I can’t believe it. Three days and I’m missing the show but I will be back. I know I will.
‘You’re going to see me back on air in a week because I know we’re going to get my husband back on his feet and we’re going to get a negative test by next week.’
Emotional: Sharon became emotional on air as she discussed Ozzy’s COVID-19 diagnosis on Thursday
Sharon, who has been credited with helping resurrect Ozzy’s career as a solo artist beginning in 1979, admitted she was eager to be reunited with her husband, albeit with the correct health and safety guidelines in place.
When asked what she wanted to first, she said: ‘Hold him and kiss him, but with about three masks on I think. My family’s my life.’
The TV personality is leaving the UK after making a guest appearance on Piers Morgan’s new show.
Desperate: Sharon admitted she was eager to be reunited with her husband, albeit with the correct health and safety guidelines in place
During the interview, Morgan praised Ozzy, calling him ‘one of my favorite people in the world’, before asking about what he called his ‘health wars’, as reported by Mirror.
‘He’s doing okay, he sends you his love,’ Sharon began, before sharing about his last hurdle he has to endure.
‘He’s got one more operation left to do and then he’s dying to come back home,’ she said, in a what appeared to be a reference to them moving from Los Angeles back to the UK.
Health: Ozzy has had a series of health problems in recent years including a staph infection in 2018; flu complications, pneumonia and injuries sustained during a fall at home in 2019
While news of Ozzy revealing he had Parkinson’s disease made headlines in early 2020, the Black Sabbath star has previously said he was first diagnosed in 2003, according to several publications that includes Kerrang and Mirror.
But his more recent series of health issues reared its ugly face, beginning in October 2018, when he underwent surgery after getting a potentially deadly staph infection after a manicure that caused his thumb to swell to tie size of lightbulb.
‘It turns out he contracted three separate staph infections that started in his thumb and spread to his middle finger, according to Rolling Stone.
The interview: Piers Morgan called Ozzy Osbourne ‘one of my favorite people in the world’, before asking Sharon about what he called the rocker’s ‘health wars’
In February 2019, the No More Tears rocker was hospitalized with flu complications, which led to the postponement of the European leg of his No More Tour 2 tour.
Ozzy would eventually cancel the tour entirely, as well as the rest of his concert dates in 2019, after sustaining serious injuries from a fall in his Los Angeles home while recovering from pneumonia. That fall actually caused him to re-injure his back, neck and shoulders, which resulted in him needing surgery.
The Crazy Train singer-songwriter has also long felt the repercussions from when he crashed a quad-bike at his Buckinghamshire, UK home in 2003 that left him with a number of broken bones, including his neck vertebra, collarbone and eight ribs.
Sharon later revealed her husband had stopped breathing following the crash and that his then personal bodyguard, Sam Ruston, resuscitated him.
Milestone: Sharon and Ozzy will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on July 4, 2022
During the Uncensored interview, the matriarch of the Osbourne family got visibly upset when she revealed that she, her family, and even the family”s dogs got death threats, in the wake of her publicly supporting Morgan and his comments about Meghan Markle.
‘I never thought in my wildest dreams that my career after 50 years would have ended that way,’ she said of the controversy and eventual dismissal from CBS.
‘I must have cried for three months. Never stopped crying.’
She continued: ‘They wanted to kill my dogs. Then they started on Ozzy and I thought, this is just insanity.’
This all stemmed from her publicly supporting Piers Morgan’s negative comments towards Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, in March 2021, resulting in a heated exchange with The Talk co-host Sheryl Underwood.
In the same month, a 2018 clip from The Talk resurfaced in which Sharon was discussing the Duchess of Sussex’s skin color, where she said that Meghan ‘ain’t Black’ and that ‘she doesn’t look Black.’
Her departure, which followed a hiatus of the show for an investigation, was ultimately made by the end of March 2021.
Sharon and Ozzy, who share three children together – daughters Aimee, 38, and Kelly, 37, and son Jack, 36 – are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on July 4, 2022.
Emotional: Elsewhere, Sharon got upset when she revealed that she and her family got death threats after supporting Piers Morgan in the wake of his comments about Meghan Markle
Frail Phil Collins stands with Genesis bandmates as iconic band play FINAL ever concert
‘After tonight, we’ll all have to get real jobs’: Frail Phil Collins, 71, stands with Genesis bandmates Mike Rutherford, 71, and Tony Banks, 72, as iconic band bid farewell to fans at FINAL ever concert in London
- London’s 02 provided the backdrop for the band’s last show on their The Last Domino? Tour – with frail frontman Phil telling the crowd he will now have to get a real job
- Phil, who performed the show sitting down, due to suffering from a number of different health conditions in recent years, later joined Mike, 71, and Tony, 72 for a standing ovation
- Since the band’s debut, they have gone on to sell more than 100 million records – securing 21 UK Top 40 hits and six Number One albums
- Original member Peter Gabriel, 72, did not join the trio for this set of shows, and neither did guitarist Steve Hackett , 72, who was in the band from 1971-1977.
Phil Collins bade an emotional farewell to Genesis fans alongside bandmates Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks in London on Saturday – as the iconic band played their final ever concert.
London’s 02 provided the backdrop for the band’s last show on their The Last Domino? Tour – with frail frontman Phil, 71, telling the crowd he will now have to get a real job.
Phil, who performed the show sitting down due to suffering from a number of different health conditions in recent years, later joined Mike, 71, and Tony, 72 for a standing ovation.
Standing ovation: Phil Collins bade an emotional farewell to Genesis fans alongside bandmates Mike Rutherford (left) and Tony Banks (right)in London on Saturday – as the iconic band played their final ever concert
The band first found fame in the 1970s and have sold more than 100million records.
Phil told the crowd ‘It’s the last stop of our tour, and it’s the last show for Genesis. After tonight we all have to get real jobs.’
The three London concerts were set to take place at the end of last year but had to be rescheduled due to positive Covid 19 tests within the band, which has been touring for the first time in 14 years,
Collins, who has a history with back problems, has been sitting down for all the concerts on the tour and his son, Nic Collins, 20, has stepped in for him on drums.
Health problems: London’s 02 provided the backdrop for the band’s last show on their The Last Domino? Tour – with frail frontman Phil, 71, telling the crowd he will now have to get a real job
Icon: Phil, who performed the show sitting down, due to suffering from a number of different health conditions in recent years, joined Mike, 71, and Tony, 72 for a standing ovation
Goodbye: The band waved goodbye to fans after a career spanning five decades
The 2007 Genesis reunion tour left Phil with a dislocated vertebra in his neck that caused nerve damage in his hands. He has been using a walking stick since he had major surgery on his back in October 2015.
In 2017 Phil was forced to postpone two solo concerts at the Royal Albert Hall after a fall in his hotel room.
Original member Peter Gabriel, 72, did not join the trio for this set of shows, and neither did guitarist Steve Hackett , 72, who was in the band from 1971-1977.
The band was originally comprised of singer Peter, Tony, guitarist Anthony Phillips, Mike, and drummer Chris Stewart.
They released their debut LP – From Genesis To Revelation in 1969 – with John Silver replacing Chris on drums and percussion.
Iconic: The band released their debut LP in 1969 and, since then, have gone on to sell more than 100 million records – securing 21 UK Top 40 hits and six Number One albums
Different line-up: Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford pose up in 1975
By the time of second album Trespass in 1970, John Mayhew was the drummer.
In 1970 Phil became the drummer and provided backing vocals before taking over lead vocals in 1975.
Mick Barnard also enjoyed a one-year stint in the band on guitar from 1970-71.
Since the band’s debut, they have gone on to sell more than 100 million records – securing 21 UK Top 40 hits and six Number One albums.
Before the tour – they last performed together in 2007 to mark their 40th anniversary and had been in two minds about reuniting due to Phil’s medical issues.
Moment in history: Founding member Peter Gabriel (end left) was not part of the reunion shows (pictured with guitarist Steve Hackett in 2014)
Los Angeles County mask mandate creates distrust among frail restaurant industry: ‘No clarity whatsoever’
Los Angeles County reinstituted a mask mandate Saturday night for public indoor settings in response to the Delta variant spreading throughout the area, leaving business owners indignant and exhausted by the mixed messaging.
“As of midnight on Saturday, it is a reality. So anybody in L.A. County has, whether you’re vaccinated or not, has to wear a mask if you’re indoors. So that is now our reality, our new reality,” Angela Marsden, owner of the Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks, Calif., told Fox News. The restaurant owner made heads and hearts turn with her viral video criticizing California’s double standard on its COVID restrictions last winter, and once again she said she’s choosing to defend her community from government overreach.
The reverse in policy comes despite 61% of the county’s residents already being fully vaccinated.
“We had basically one month of complete freedom of being able to be indoors and not have to wear a mask,” she said.
Angela Marsden, owner of the Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks, Calif., said she’s exhausted by mask mixed messaging.
(Fox News)
In many respects, California is ground zero for the government’s COVID-19 vaccine messaging, as officials continue to implore and incentivize their constituents that it will save their own lives and the lives of others. But Marsden said the response many of her patrons have to the ever-shifting regulations is nothing but confusion and angst.
“It’s creating anger. It’s creating confusion. And, you know, the funny thing is, is it creates more vaccine hesitancy, in my opinion,” she said. “I don’t understand the inconsistency, the confusion and the fear baiting that is basically being used by our leadership.”
LA COUNTY MASK MANDATES: GOVERNORS REFUSE TO FOLLOW LEAD ON GUIDELINES FOR THEIR OWN STATES
Marsden recounted numerous conversations with other restaurant employees in which they said they believe the move to force vaccinated citizens to mask-up is subverting trust in their efficacy. One described having panic attacks at the possibility of not being protected; another expressed anger from not knowing what to believe about the contagion’s threat.
“He was so filled with angst and frustration and confusion, no clarity whatsoever,” Marsden said,
She added, “Everyone’s very volatile. People are on edge like I’ve never seen them before.”
A sign advises shoppers to wear masks outside of a story Monday, July 19, 2021, in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County has reinstated an indoor mask mandate due to rising COVID-19 cases.
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Vaccine distrust is not only to blame, but the rising inflation rates witnessed throughout the country as well. Even though businesses are open to full capacity and regular hours, it doesn’t make up for the staggering amount of lost revenue during the pandemic. Marsden said that most restaurants are either breaking even or taking losses despite lifted restrictions over the past few months.
“If we could sell our businesses today, we would, but there is nothing to sell,” she said.
It’s also been difficult to hire new hands, according to Marsden.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF WILL NOT ENFORCE NEW MASK MANDATE: ‘NOT BACKED BY SCIENCE’
“We can’t get people to work,” she said, explaining how many who previously worked in kitchens and dining rooms have moved on to corporate positions where remote work is possible. Those who do apply but ultimately defer the job offer tell Marsden they’ll simply wait until the pandemic has fully subsided before returning to work, complaining about the county’s renewed mask mandate.
To add insult to injury, those who do come to work make $13-$14 an hour under California’s minimum wage law, allowing servers to average $80-$100 per hour with tips.
“My employees make more money than I do,” Marsden said.
The pandemic’s shockwave is still sending ripple effects through seemingly every individual and industry, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, open or closed; but many like Marsden believe the pathway to relief is not paved with government interference.
“I don’t understand why [the government] can’t make up their mind!” Marsden said. “I want them to quit interfering with our businesses and let us make our own decisions.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Despite fearing another shutdown, Marsden chose to persevere through the government’s messaging tango and renewed restrictions.
“I love my staff. I love my business,” she said. A handful of employees have been at the Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill since the late 1970s, and Marsden said she considers them like family.
For Marsden, the hope lies in her community.
“If more of us stay and try to make change, it’s [going to happen,]” she said.