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The UK government is expected to today, 3 September, remove Portugal from it's 'travel corridor' list due to a surge in COVID-19 cases within the country. If removed, visitors or returning passengers arriving in England from Portugal will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. The official announcement is being awaited.

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will resume flights to Accra, Ghana and Abidjan, Ivory Coast from 6 September; this will bring Emirates’ total number of destinations within Africa to 11, with 81 passenger destinations worldwide. The flights from Dubai to Accra and Abidjan will be linked services, operating three times a week on an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

The government of Greece has announced that it will require visitors from Russia to present a negative COVID-19 test before entering the country between 7-21 September. Under the new advisory, Russian citizens will need to obtain the test result a maximum of 72 hours prior to their arrival. Greece also said that a maximum 500 people from Russia will be allowed to land at the airports of Athens, Thessaloniki and Heraklion per week during the period in question.

The government of South Africa has said that eligible international arrivals to the country are now permitted to self-isolate at a place of their choosing, provided that it complies with government criteria. An application must be submitted 72 hours before the date of intended travel; otherwise, arrivals will be quarantined for 10 days in a state appointed facility. More information can be found in the latest Department of Health guidelines.

The low-cost airline is due to offer a total of13 routes from Doncaster Sheffield Airport from 22 October; in addition to existing routes, added will be services to Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Larnaca, Lublin (Poland), Kosice (Slovakia) and Suceana (Romania).

The country’s government has announced that from today, 2 September, it is banning direct flights from 44 countries including Spain, Israel and Romania in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The United States, Malta, Montenegro, Mexico, Brasil, Argentina and India are also on the list of countries.

The airline has announced further route resumptions with five additional services being added for September; Virgin are resuming flying from London Heathrow to New Delhi, Tel Aviv, Atlanta, Mumbai and Lagos. Further routes are also set to be resumed throughout the remainder of 2020.

The country’s civil aviation regulator has said today that direct flights to Beijing from eight countries including Thailand, Cambodia, Greece, Denmark, Sweden and Canada will be able to resume from tomorrow, 3 September.

The Indian government has released information on it’s ‘Unlock 4.0’ - the fourth stage of the country’s post-COVID-19 re-opening. Within September a number of transport, sporting and entertainment services will be permitted to resume, and inter-state movement of people and goods can no longer be restricted.

The Irish airline has made a request to six UK airports to offer flights to the U.S. and Canada from 2021 until at least 2024; Aer Lingus reportedly are seeking to swap capacity from Shannon, Ireland to the UK as part of this plan.

The government of the devolved UK administration of Scotland has announced that it will impose a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from Greece starting tomorrow, 3 September. Britain’s national government in London is expected to decide later this week whether to also quarantine travellers returning from Greece - a decision that would then also apply to England.

Onefinestay provides high-end home and villa rentals worldwide, offering personal and professional service to guests and homeowners alike. Since launching in 2010, Onefinestay has been committed to the highest hospitality standards. They have recently enhanced these standards with stringent new guidelines around housekeeping and hygiene, so that you can continue feeling safe and reassured when staying in any of their homes or villas.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has said that it will now offer complimentary COVID-19 PCR testing 48 hours prior to departure for passengers originating from XNB bus terminal in Dubai, who are due to transfer to Abu Dhabi International Airport before travelling on to 46 destinations. The current operating times are from 10.00-15.00 (local time) each day, and the facility is located at Etihad's Dubai Office at Mazaya Center on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road. Passengers must present a valid passport and a copy of their ticket.

The Dubai-based airline has from today, 1 September, resumed passenger flights to Bangkok, Thailand; this resumption has expanded Emirates’ current network to 78 cities in September, offering travellers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific convenient connections via Dubai to the popular Thai destination. Flights between Dubai and Bangkok will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering seats in first, business and economy class.

The government of Estonia have announced that as of today, 1 September, those returning to Estonia from COVID-19 risk countries now have the opportunity to be tested for the virus at the airport and port in order to shorten the 14-day self-isolation requirement. Testing is free of charge for Estonian residents; foreigners can take the test at a cost of 67 euros and can pay on the spot by card.

The government of Mauritius is reopening its borders in three phases. The first phase is for the repatriation of Mauritians stranded abroad, which will continue until 30 September. Arriving passengers will continue to be quarantined in the centres made available by the government. The second phase will start on 1 October, during which travel to and from certain destinations will be allowed. Access to Mauritius will be authorised for passengers abiding by sanitary protocols. Online booking for airline tickets and hotel room reservations will be available. However, priority will be given to Mauritian nationals, licensed residents, those employed in Mauritius and other visitors wishing to travel to Mauritius. The third phase of reopening the borders will be determined by the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government of the United Arab Emirates has said that all residents holding a Dubai-issued residency visa will be required to gain approval from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) before they are eligible to return to the country via any UAE airport. Approvals can be obtained via a dedicated government portal.

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing with immediate effect the elimination of change fees on tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands in Delta’s First Class, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, with the exception of Basic Economy tickets. Additionally, the airline will extend its waiver on change fees for newly purchased flights, including international flights and Basic Economy fares, through to the end of the year and will extend its expiration on travel credits to December 2022 for tickets booked before April 17, 2020.

The U.S. airline has joined others in announcing with immediate effect the elimination of change fees on tickets purchased for travel within the domestic U.S., and has also pledged to do so for its international destinations. The new change-fee policy applies to all tickets, except for Saver fares. Previously, the airline's change fee applied to all non-Saver travel, except for passengers traveling on refundable tickets and Mileage Plan top elite status members.

South Africa's iconic luxury train journey on board The Blue Train will be resuming services for private charters from September 2020, the provider has announced; the move coincides with COVID-19 restrictions within the country being adjusted down to level two. Leisure travel will also resume with a full schedule from 1 November, and passengers will benefit from strict and thorough COVID-19 hygiene protocols.