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The government of Jamaica has announced that from 20 August, arrivals from all U.S. states are required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from an accredited lab within 10 days of the intended travel date. As a reminder, all tourists visiting Jamaica must also adhere to the ‘Stay in Zone’ order, requiring them to stay in accredited hotels within certain areas.

The government of Mexico has agreed with the U.S. to extend by a further month the restriction on non-essential travel between the two countries via their shared land border. The agreement will now be in place until at least 21 September; the land border restrictions, aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, were first announced in March and have thus far been renewed monthly.

The U.S. airline has announced that from 19 August it will not allow certain types of face coverings on board; this includes those with exhaust valves, those made with materials such as mesh or lace, and those that do not cover the nose and mouth. Face shields without the addition of a face covering are also prohibited. American Airlines’ face mask rules apply to all passengers over the age of two, but the masks may be taken off briefly by passengers while they're eating and drinking.

The Czech government will make the wearing of face masks compulsory again from 1 September, on both public transport and in many indoor public venues, following a resurgence of COVID-19 infections within the country.

The national airline of Bangladesh has announced that, in accordance with a government directive, from 16 August it will collect additional fees with the issuance of each new ticket; the fees are cited to fall under the categories of 'Airport Development' & 'Passenger Security'. The fees will be collected for any flights departing from Bangladesh and will appear seperately on the ticket breakdown under tax codes 'P7' and 'P8'.

The government of Iceland has announced that from 19 August, arriving passengers who opt for COVID-19 testing on arrival (at their own cost) as opposed a blanket 14-day quarantine, must also be tested a second time four to five days after arrival and remain in self-isolation until the second test result is obtained.

The country's government has announced that it is re-opening its border to international visitors from 21 August, when it will also begin to accept online entry applications. All passengers will be given a COVID-19 PCR test on arrival, with a second test also required on day 10 of the visit; visitors must remain in their accommodation in the interim until after day 10.

The U.S. government has announced that its land borders with both Mexico and Canada will remain closed to non-essential travel for at least another month until 21 September. The land border restrictions, aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, were first announced in March and have thus far been renewed monthly.

The Dubai-based airline has announced that it will resume passenger flights to Warsaw, Poland from 4 September starting with twice-a-week services, and increasing to three-a-week from 7 October. The resumption of flights to Warsaw will expand Emirates’ current network to 75 cities in September, offering travellers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific connections via Dubai to the Polish capital.

It has been announced that from 21 August, passengers travelling from the UK to China must obtain a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test result within five days of boarding; they must also submit a scanned copy of a health declaration form to their nearest Chinese embassy or consulate within the UK.

Canada's public safety minister has announced that the Canada-U.S. border will remain closed to non-essential travel for at least another month until 21 September. The statement came a day after Mexico announced a similar measure for its border with the United States. The land border restrictions, aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, were first announced in March and have thus far been renewed monthly.

Indian private airline Vistara are reportedly likely to shortly begin flight operations between India and the UK, Germany and France under the bilateral air bubble arrangements that have been signed with these countries by the government of India. A three-times weekly service between Delhi and London Heathrow Airport is likely to the first new flight announced as early as next week, according to industry sources.

The country's government has announced that it is gearing up to resume international flights in and out of the country after shutting down its airport in March to curb the spread of COVID-19. According to a statement released today, 17 August by the Nigeria's government, flights will resume on 29 August from Lagos, the west African nation's commercial hub, and Abuja, its capital city. Travel within other cities will follow at a later date.

International travellers arriving in Ecuador by air are no longer required to quarantine so long as they present a negative COVID-19 PCR test result prior to arrival obtained a maximum of 10 days before departure. Passengers who do not present this may take a test on arrival at their own cost, using a qualifying facility, and self-isolation is mandatory while they wait for the results. If negative they can leave the isolation; if positive they must self-isolate for 14 days, at their own expense, in hotels or private accommodation.

South Africa will be downgraded to enter COVID-19 alert level two as of midnight, 17 August, whereby all restrictions on inter-provincial travel will be lifted. Accommodation, hospitality venues and tours will also be permitted according to approved protocols to ensure social distancing. South Africa's borders though remain closed, with no international travel taking place with the exception of repatriation flights in and out of the country. Meanwhile, a national state of disaster has been extended by a further month, until 15 September 2020.

The country’s prime minister has announced a 12-day extension to the country’s reinstated COVID-19 restrictions after a new cluster of cases has grown to 29. The measures will now last until at least 26 August; Auckland will remain on level three (the maximum is four), meaning most businesses will remain closed and residents must stay home when not at work or school. The rest of the country is under level two, meaning residents and visitors must wear a mask if possible, and gatherings of more than 100 are banned.

The airline has said that it will resume daily flights to the UK's London Gatwick Airport from 20 August, in a move which will see its UK network expand to 45 weekly flights to four gateways. UK passengers will now be able to connect via the airline's Doha hub to over 40 destinations in Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Multi-national hotel group NH Hotels has announced that their landmark property ‘The Lord Charles’ hotel in Cape Town's Somerset West is to close its doors at the end of August. Although the closure comes in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated the South African tourism industry, it appears from the statement by NH Hotels that the decision to shut the hotel was taken prior to the lockdown.

The country's government has announced that lockdown restrictions will be eased in England from tomorrow, 15 August. Among the changes will be the resumption of indoor performances under some conditions, small wedding receptions, the piloting of some sporting events and ‘close contact’ beauty services.

The government of France has today declared the cities of Paris and Marseille, plus their surrounding areas, to be high-risk zones for COVID-19. This is expected to allow authorities further powers to impose localised curbs on the virus, and further restrictions could be expected to be imposed imminently.