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A new variant of COVID-19 discovered in South Africa, B.1.1.529, has prompted the UK to place South Africa back on its red list, along with Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia from midday 26 November. Direct flights to the UK from these countries, both commercial and private, will be banned until hotel quarantine is up and running at 04h00, November 28. This excludes cargo and freight without passengers. Non-UK and Irish residents who have been in these countries in the last 10 days will not be able to enter England, and possibly the rest of the UK. UK and Ireland residents arriving in the UK between midday 26 November and 04h00 on Sunday, 28 November, must isolate at home for 10 days and take PCR tests on days 2 and 8. Residents arriving from 04h00 on Sunday, 28 November, must isolate in a government-approved facility, also for 10 days and with tests on days 2 and 8.

On 25 November, French Health Minister Olivier Véran announced that from 15 January, booster shots will become a requirement for a valid health pass, which is required in France to enter restaurants, cafés, cinemas and museums, among other public venues. The announcement came as France has been tackling a recent surge in infections. The country is wary of entering a lockdown at this point.

Due to the newly-discovered SA variant of COVID-19, Israel has banned entry of travellers from South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, and Eswatini, according to News18. Israeli citizens returning from these countries must stay in a designated quarantine motel for seven days, even if they are fully vaccinated. They will be released after two negative PCR tests. Those who refuse to be tested must stay in quarantine for 12 days, PM Naftali Bennett has confirmed.

Italy is to bar unvaccinated people from popular social and sports activities, with a 'super green pass' effective December 6. People must prove they are vaccinated or recovered from COVID to access cinemas, theatres, gyms, nightclubs, ski lifts and stadiums, and to be served indoors at bars and restaurants.

Madeira has tightened COVID-19 restrictions just as the island enters its peak winter season. The destination remains open to tourists but has returned to “a state of contingency”. Measures now in place include the requirement to show a vaccination certificate or negative antigen test, renewable weekly, to access shops, public transport, cinemas, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues. From Saturday, 27 November, a weekly negative antigen test will be required in addition to the vaccination certificate. Measures do not apply to children up to 12.

New Zealand has announced a phased reopening of its borders to fully vaccinated travellers in the first few months of 2022. Guests will still have to self-isolate at home for a week, but will no longer have to pass through managed isolation facilities. New Zealanders can travel home from Australia without staying in managed isolation from January 17. They can come from all other countries from February 14, and isolate at home. After that, fully vaccinated people, including international tourists, will be able to travel to New Zealand from the end of April. They must isolate at home upon arrival.

Hawaii Governor David Ige, announced on 24 November, the lifting of many pandemic restrictions from 1 December, allowing meetings, conventions, and weddings. Unvaccinated travellers entering the country must still be tested, and the indoor mask mandate remains.

Grenada has updated its ‘Pure Safe Travel’ protocols. Fully vaccinated travellers entering Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique with a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before travel, will no longer need to be tested on arrival, nor to quarantine for 48 hours upon arrival. Travellers will no longer need to fill out a Pure Safe Travel Authorisation Certificate, but must fill out a Health Declaration Form.

New Zealand is set to introduce a new ‘traffic light’ system of COVID-19 alert levels from December 3, PM Jacinda Ardern has confirmed. Most freedoms will be available to those who are vaccinated – including visiting restaurants, bars, hairdressers and gyms, even at the highest alert levels. Those unvaccinated will face restrictions on gathering sizes, and will not be able to enter most hospitality businesses at higher alert levels.

Fully vaccinated New Zealanders in Australia will be able to travel to New Zealand without a two-week quarantine period from January 16, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has said. Mr Hipkins has outlined a staged reopening of international borders, with foreign travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID able to enter the country from April 30. Fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers from all other countries could start travelling to New Zealand without quarantine from February 13, Mr Hipkins said. However, Mr Hipkins said there would be a mandatory 7-day self-isolation period for those who were not required to enter quarantine. He said all travellers will also require a negative pre-departure test, proof of vaccination and a declaration that they had not been in a very high-risk country in the past 14 days.

Antigua and Barbuda have updated their entry requirements, meaning that all fully vaccinated arrivals can now present either a negative PCR test or a negative rapid antigen test result, neither taken more than three days before their flight. Prior to this new update, all arrivals by air had to present a negative PCR test result taken within seven days of their flight. In addition, all arriving passengers, including returning nationals and residents but excluding minors, are now required to have received at least one dose of a two-dose vaccine.

The level of risk associated with the Katherine LGA has changed from ‘Very low risk’ to ‘High risk’. If you are vaccinated, you can still travel to SA but on arrival you must comply with 'High risk' conditions.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner says Katherine will transition from a lockdown to a lockout at some point. "We will transition at some point to a lockout and I cannot give you any more comfort on when that will be yet," he says. "I know this feels never-ending but every day we know more and every test lets us know more. "Keep doing what you were doing and we will get there."

Australia will further ease its COVID-19 border restrictions by reopening to fully vaccinated skilled and student visa holders from December 1, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed. Eligibility extends to working holidaymakers, humanitarian workers and provisional family visa holders. They must hold a valid, qualifying visa, be able to provide proof of vaccination status, and present evidence of a negative PCR test for COVID-19 taken up to 72 hours prior to travel. From the same date, Australia will also reopen to fully vaccinated citizens from Japan and South Korea with valid Australian visas.

Starting November 30, 2021, Canadians or individuals who have right of entry, qualify as fully vaccinated travellers and who re-enter Canada within 72 hours of leaving, won’t have to provide a pre-entry molecular test result.

The Philippines is looking to open its borders to fully vaccinated tourists coming from "green list" countries "soon". There are currently 44 countries and territories on the Philippines coronavirus “green list”. The Philippines added South Africa on November 16, effective until the next review on November 30.

Austria will implement the first full-scale lockdown imposed by any European government this winter, from 22 November 2021. These regulations were announced just days after the state imposed a lockdown on unvaccinated people aged 12 years and over, and policed it with officers on the streets asking for vaccination certificates. This new lockdown will last a maximum of 20 days, and during this time, travel to Austria from non-EU countries for touristic purposes will not be allowed. Austria will become the first European state to make vaccination mandatory from February 1, 2022.

That means fully vaccinated residents can move around the community in the Robinson River area, including surrounding homelands. Katherine will remain locked down until 6pm Wednesday, 24 November.

Norway has imposed stricter entry restrictions on travellers arriving from all EU countries. Starting Friday 26 November, EU travellers entering Norway must register their arrival into the country, regardless of vaccination status, residency status and nationality. Both unvaccinated travellers and those who can prove recovery with a health pass must be tested at the border. In the event of a traveller crossing a border without a place to test, such as a land border, they must submit a test result within 24 hours of arriving in Norway.

Emirates has confirmed it will retrofit 105 of its wide-body aircraft with its premium economy product, in addition to other cabin enhancements. The 18-month retrofit programme, scheduled to begin at the end of 2022, will be entirely conducted at Emirates’ engineering centre in Dubai. It will see 52 Emirates A380s and 53 Boeing 777s fitted with the new cabin class. The airline is also considering installing a brand-new business class product on its Boeing 777 aircraft, with customised seats in a one-two-one layout.