Category: Covid-19

  • Avail Donates More Than 5,000 Masks to Medical Efforts

    Avail Donates More Than 5,000 Masks to Medical Efforts

    James Xu

    Avail Vapor has donated more than 5,000 masks to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to help medical professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus battle protect themselves.

    The idea came to light a few months ago when Avail employees heard about the shortage of masks in China when Covid-19 initially struck. Avail works closely with many Chinese suppliers, and Avail employees wanted to support these suppliers in their time of need.

    Employees from around the U.S. gathered masks to donate; as a result, Avail shipped thousands of masks to its overseas partners. Now that the United States is experiencing a shortage in masks, those same Chinese colleagues have returned the generosity and shipped thousands of masks to Avail headquarters for employees and health care workers.

    “To be successful, our business has always been highly collaborative with global partners,” said James Xu, CEO and chairman of Avail, and a Chinese American. “To see our employees proactively answer a need for their Chinese counterparts was special. Now we are so grateful to our Chinese friends for helping us defend our citizens in this pandemic.”

    In addition, Avail has implemented new programs to help its customers during this unprecedented time. Since March 18, 2020, Avail customers who are burdened with a financial impact from Covid-19, as well as those in the medical community or who are first responders, have been eligible for a one-time purchase of select e-liquids for a penny ($0.01 transactional fee plus applicable taxes). Avail is also offering call-ahead and curbside pickup at all retail locations, as the health, safety and well-being of its staff and customers is paramount.

    Avail employs more than 350 people across the U.S. The company has committed to compensate staff for work time lost due to Covid-19 or influenza. In addition, if employees need further financial assistance, they can apply through the Xu Fund, a special employee assistance fund dedicated to supporting Avail staff in the event of personal and family hardships. CEO and Chairman Xu donates 100 percent of his salary to support the fund. Since 2018, the Xu Fund has helped 90 Avail employees.

  • Malawi Markets to Open Amid Covid-19

    Malawi Markets to Open Amid Covid-19

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Licensed tobacco markets will open this month, following strict guidelines to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    The Malawi government earlier decided that tobacco markets should open to protect growers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has listed April 20 as the opening date for the markets.

    Sales will begin at the Lilongwe selling floor on April 20; at the Chinkhoma selling floor on April 22; at the Limbe selling floor on April 27; and at the Mzuzu selling floor on May 4.

    To help prevent the spread of Covid-19, entry will be restricted to those who have “critical tasks to perform”; those entering will have to wash their hands at the gate with 0.05 percent chlorinated water and wipe their feet on a chlorinated mat; everyone will have their temperature taken upon entry; entrants must have an ID, wear a uniform and wear a face mask; social distancing will be adhered to; and no more than 100 people will be allowed on the floor at a time.

    Once individuals have finished their business, they will be asked to leave immediately. Tobacco bales will not be re-laid, but Saturday contract sales will continue with willing tobacco-buying companies. Growers will not be allowed to witness sales.

  • Swedish Match Restarts Cigar Production in Dominican

    Swedish Match Restarts Cigar Production in Dominican

    Photo: Swedish Match

    Swedish Match has reopened its factory in the Dominican Republic.

    On March 20, Swedish Match announced that the cigar operations of its subsidiary, Swedish Match Dominicana, would be suspended from March 23 with a targeted date of April 6 to resume operations.

    Manufacturing operations have resumed with one shift, and the resumption of any additional shifts is dependent on the national curfew being lifted or altered.

    Swedish Match does not anticipate any material impact from Covid-19 on its ability to meet anticipated demand.

  • Scott Gottlieb Key Voice in Pandemic

    Scott Gottlieb Key Voice in Pandemic

    Scott Gottlieb

    Scott Gottlieb, former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, has been a consistent voice from outside the Trump administration advising on the coronavirus outbreak, according to an article on MSN.

    Gottlieb has been informally advising the coronavirus task force, and he recently supplied Trump with a “roadmap,” created by him and other experts, outlining when and how the U.S. can begin returning to more normal daily activity.

    He warned the administration in January that the coronavirus would spread to the U.S. and later warned that it would become a pandemic before the World Health Organization declared it so. Despite his early warnings going unheeded, Gottlieb has not criticized the administration but has “offered sharp words for officials and states when he disagreed with their policies,” according to MSN.

    “He’s not going to shade his views and say something that people want to hear or that might make a headline,” said Mark McClellan, a former FDA commissioner who hired Gottlieb under the George W. Bush administration. “He’s just trying to be straight up about the critical things that need to be done to respond to the pandemic. It’s not about making a name for himself or saying something that is controversial or critical just for the sake of it. It’s really with this kind of constructive goal in mind. I’ve seen that the entire time we’ve worked together.”

    Vice President Mike Pence, the coronavirus task force lead, said he had “great respect” for Gottlieb, and Trump noted that he “did a great job at [the] FDA.” Pence confirmed that Gottlieb has been advising the task force.

    Others seem to take Gottlieb’s advice to heart as well—after he released the “roadmap” to the task force, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed their decision on nonmedical face masks, saying the public should wear some sort of face covering when out. After Gottlieb said that the U.S. recovery would depend on states like Texas and Florida, where officials had been pushing back against lockdowns and social distancing, being more aggressive, the Florida governor issued a stay-at-home order.

  • Tabacalera Donates $50,000 to Support Coronavirus Victims

    Tabacalera Donates $50,000 to Support Coronavirus Victims

    Tabacalera USA and its business units Altadis USA, JR Cigar and Casa de Montecristo are donating $50,000 to support those impacted by the Coronavirus in Broward County, Florida, USA.

    The contribution comes in response to the United Way of Broward County’s request for members of the community to assist its humanitarian efforts in the face of this unprecedented crisis affecting the entire community.

    “We share United Way of Broward County’s concerns—and, indeed, a concern shared around the world—regarding Covid-19,” said Javier Estades, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based Tabacalera USA. “Our contribution to the United Way of Broward County’s virus relief fund is one small way we can help our community as we focus on the safety of our employees, customers and the broader community.

    “We urge everyone who can to join in this effort,” he said. “We also remind our fellow citizens to follow the guidance of local, state and federal officials concerning best practices to prevent the spread of this virus. 

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors here in our own community and everywhere around the world who have been impacted by this pandemic,” Estades said. 

  • UKVIA Calls on Vape Shops to Follow Government Guidance

    UKVIA Calls on Vape Shops to Follow Government Guidance

    The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) is urging vapor stores to adhere to government guidance to remain closed during the current lockdown.

    The call comes after reports that a vape shop owner had been arrested by police after keeping a retail outlet open despite the government directive.

    “We understand that we are talking about people’s livelihoods here, but it is paramount that the industry follows the government guidance. We have to wait until we get the green light to reopen,” said John Dunne, director of the UKVIA.

    “In the meantime, vape retailers are offering online and home delivery services. In addition, whilst supermarkets and corner shops, which the government has allowed to stay open, don’t have the range of vape products sold by specialist offline and online stores, consumers can still buy vape devices and e-liquids from these outlets.”

    The UKVIA has also published a list of members that offer online and home delivery services.

  • Malawi President Orders Tobacco Markets to Open

    Malawi President Orders Tobacco Markets to Open

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Malawi President Peter Mutharika has ordered tobacco markets to be opened and allowed to operate without disruption to protect small farmers and bolster foreign currency receipts. Tobacco is Malawi’s primary foreign currency earner.

    The order is part of a stimulus package aimed at mitigating the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, which also includes measures such as tax breaks, fuel price reductions and increased risk allowances for healthcare workers.

    “The coronavirus attack has a huge negative impact on the economy and businesses everywhere,” Mutharika said. “There are many businesspeople and industry players who are uncertain about the situation as it is unfolding. I know that everyone is worried. Therefore, [the] government will take measures to protect jobs and incomes, protect businesses and ensure continuity of the supply chain and the survival of the economy.”

    Mutharika and his cabinet will also take a 10 percent pay cut to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

    As of Saturday, Malawi had four confirmed cases of Covid-19.

  • FDA Likely to Delay PMTA Deadline to September

    FDA Likely to Delay PMTA Deadline to September

    Photo: Jhvephotos | Dreamstime.com

    While not yet official, the deadline for submitting premarket tobacco product authorizations (PMTA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one step closer to being delayed from May 12, 2020 to Sept. 9, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Judge Paul Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland issued an “indicative ruling” granting the FDA’s request to delay the deadline by 120 days.

    The ruling is not yet final, however, due to procedural issues that are expected to be resolved expeditiously. Due to appeals filed by several organizations, including the Vapor Technology Association and the FDA itself, Grimm no longer has the authority to modify his original ruling which moved the deadline to May 2020. That power now lies with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

    For the ruling to become valid, the Fourth Circuit must remand the case back to Grimm’s court where Grimm says he would modify the order to allow the FDA to delay the change. The FDA will then need to update its regulations to move the PMTA date to Sept. 9, 2020.

  • Multinationals Halt Cigarette Manufacturing in Russia

    Multinationals Halt Cigarette Manufacturing in Russia

    Several multinational cigarette makers including Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and British American Tobacco (BAT) have suspended their cigarette manufacturing operations in Russia pending clarification about coronavirus policies.

    The Russian government has listed tobacco products as “non-food” commodities and therefore prohibited them from operating during this stage of the pandemic.

    JTI, which announced a “Putin break” from March 30 to April 3, stated, “This decision was due to the ambiguity of how various regulatory measures taken in the past week, and the definition of continuous production and nonbusiness days, relate to each other, and also the fact that tobacco products were excluded from the list of non-food commodities.”

    The spokesperson noted that JTI has taken measures to ensure an uninterrupted supply of its products to consumers. BAT has closed its St. Petersburg production facility until April 5 for similar reasons. PMI has closed its St. Petersburg production facility until April 3.

    These production slowdowns could lead to a cigarette shortage unless the government clarifies its intent.

  • Uncertainty About Zimbabwe Sales Season

    Uncertainty About Zimbabwe Sales Season

    The Tobacco Sales Floor in Harare

    Zimbabwe’s tobacco marketing season will open on April 22, according to Patrick Davenish, chairman of the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board (TIMB).

    The dates may change depending on the coronavirus pandemic.

    “The position is that we have set the tobacco marketing season dates to the 22nd of April 2020 and what that means is that it gives us a month to monitor developments regarding the virus,” Davenish told reporters.

    “If it becomes worse we may come up with other options depending on the situation on the ground.”

    The TIMB is considering conducting sales with a small number of farmers while the Zimbabwe Tobacco Association was conducting awareness campaigns on farms.

    Patrick Dutiro, a member of Parliament’s agriculture committee, suggested the decongestion of auction floors during the selling season and payment of farmers in foreign currency to discourage them from going to banks to withdraw their money in local currency.

    Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe’s major sources of foreign currency and suspending the marketing season could translate to severe loss.