NEPAL: International and domestic flights to remain suspended until 22 July 2020

The country's government has announced that it will extend the suspension of all scheduled domestic and international commercial flights until at least 22 July. This also includes the denial of entry to Nepal to certain foreign nationals, as well as the closure of land-based entry crossings into the country for foreigners from third countries.
Borders
Business
Leisure

AMERICAN CRUISE LINES: Operator announces cancelled Alaska sailing

American Cruise Lines announced on 8 July that it has cancelled plans to resume sailing in Alaska this summer, due to concerns in the spike in COVID-19 cases within the U.S. The Connecticut-based line operates twelve small cruise ships along the Eastern and Western Seaboards, as well as the Mississippi-Ohio and Columbia-Snake river systems of the United States
United States of America
Cruise
American Cruise Lines
Leisure

NIGERIA: Country resumes domestic flights as airports re-open

Nigeria began to resume domestic flights on 8 July following a suspension of around three months. The airports for the capital, Abuja, and commercial hub Lagos have now re-opened for flights; a handful of other airports will open on 11 July, and the remainder of airports will resume flights on 15 July.
Nigeria
Borders
Business
Leisure

FINNAIR: Flight schedule set to increase to over 30 destinations in July 2020

The airline have announced that, in line with Finland opening its borders to a number of countries from 13 July, they will increase their flight schedule for the remainder of July with services to over 30 domestic, European and Asian destinations.
Finland
Airline
Finnair
Business
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AUSTRIAN AIRLINES: Airline releases flight schedules through to October 2020

The airline has published their summer flight schedule for this year through to the end of October, when their capacity will double from 20% to around 40% of normal levels, with flights to over 60 destinations. They are also set to increase capacity on most routes from September.
Austria
South Africa
Airline
Austrian Airlines
Business
Leisure

NETHERLANDS: Borders closed to Serbia and Montenegro for a second time

The Netherlands closed its borders to arrivals from Serbia and Montenegro on 8 July just a week after opening them, citing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in both countries. Travellers from Serbia and Montenegro had regained access on 1 July when the Netherlands, following European Union guidelines, re-opened their borders to a list of 14 countries outside of the European bloc.
Montenegro
Netherlands
Serbia
Borders
Business
Leisure

AUSTRALIA: State of Queensland to close border to arrivals from Victoria

The Australian state of Queensland has announced that from midday on 10 July it will close its border to anyone who has been in a COVID-19 hotspot in the last 14 days; this includes any arrivals from the entire state of Victoria, which is classified as a hotspot. Anyone who enters is required to sign a border pass agreeing to mandatory testing if they develop symptoms within 14 days.
Australia
Borders
Business
Leisure

BANGLADESH: Airlines may require departing passengers to present negative COVID-19 test

The United Kingdom's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reported that some airlines may now be requiring passengers departing from airports in Bangladesh to present negative COVID-19 test certificates prior to boarding. Passengers due to fly on departing services should confirm any such requirement in advance with their airline.
Bangladesh
Borders
Business
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: Government advises citizens against all cruise travel

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has today, 9 July, advised British citizens against all cruise ship travel. The decision is cited as being due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and is based on medical advice from Public Health England, the country's health authority.
United Kingdom
Cruise
Leisure

SPAIN: Catalonia orders all residents and visitors to wear masks in public

The Spanish region of Catalonia, which includes the city of Barcelona, has ordered that from 9 July all residents and visitors must wear face masks in public at all times; this makes them the first Spanish region to toughen an existing national directive mandating their use when in close proximity to others.
Spain
Borders
Business
Leisure

AUSTRALIA: Country advises its citizens against travel to Hong Kong

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has warned its citizens against travel to Hong Kong. This follows the Australian prime minister's announcement that an extradition treaty with the Hong Kong is to be cancelled; this is due to Australia citing China’s national security law as ‘a fundamental change of circumstances’. Smartraveller warns that the new legislation for Hong Kong could be interpreted broadly, and travellers could be deported to mainland China for prosecution under mainland law for breaking a law in Hong Kong that they were not aware of, and without intention.
Australia
Borders
Business
Leisure

AUSTRALIA: State of Western Australia imposes cap on international arrivals

The state of Western Australia (WA) has capped the number of international arrivals to 525 per week, effective immediately, in order to ease pressure on government-provided quarantine. The state's government is also drafting urgent legislation which, if passed, would add it to the growing list of Australian states requiring arrivals to cover the cost of their mandatory 14-day stays. International passengers due to arrive in Perth, or transit the city's international airport as a first port of call en-route to other Australian destinations, should monitor their flight status closely.
Australia
Borders
Business
Leisure

ESTONIA: Entry permitted for travellers from 14 non-EU and EEA countries

As of 6 July, Estonia will now permit entry to travellers from 14 countries outside of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), based on their low COVID-19 infection rates. Travellers without symptoms arriving from an EU Member State, Schengen Convention state or from the UK are allowed also permitted to enter the country. A requirement for self-isolation is dependent on the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the passengers' country of departure.
Estonia
Borders
Business
Leisure

NEW ZEALAND: Temporary workers in-country to be granted visa extension

The country's government has announced that they are making immediate short-term changes to visa settings to support temporary migrants already onshore in New Zealand and their employers. All existing temporary work visas due to expire by the end of 2020 will now be extended by six months.
New Zealand
Borders
Business
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: 57 countries to be exempt from self-quarantine in Scotland from 10 July 2020

The Scottish government has released a list of 57 countries (plus 14 UK overseas territories) from which arrivals will not need to self-quarantine from 10 July. Although a constituent country of the UK, as a devolved administration Scotland has chosen to issue its own entry requirements. It's list is, though, identical to England's with the exception that Scotland has chosen to omit visitors from Spain and Serbia as being exempt from quarantine.
Serbia
Spain
United Kingdom
Borders
Business
Leisure

AUSTRALIA: Country's government considering limiting numbers of returning citizens and residents

The country's prime minister said today, 8 July, that the government could restrict the number of people returning to the country, following the news of strict lockdown measures being re-imposed in the state of Victoria. The prime minister said he wants to reduce the number of Australian citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners exempt from Australia’s travel ban that are landing at Australian airports, in order to ease the strain on hotel quarantine.
Australia
Borders
Business
Leisure

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: International flights set to resume from 1 September 2020

The Caribbean country is aiming for a tentative planned resumption date of 1 September for international flights. In the meantime, British Airways have accordingly cancelled all flights between Trinidad and Tobago and the UK until 31 August; Virgin Atlantic have said that they plan to re-start flights to the country from October.
Trinidad and Tobago
Borders
Business
Leisure

JAPAN: Restrictions on public events to ease from 10 July 2020

The country's economy minister has announced that the government had agreed with members of a new expert panel to ease restrictions on holding events from 10 July. The relaxation comes despite Tokyo reportedly confirming 102 new COVID-19 cases as of 6 July, in what was the fifth straight day that the tally of new cases exceeded 100.
Japan
Event
Business
Leisure

ITALY: Country suspends all flights from Bangladesh for one week

The Italian government has suspended all flights from Bangladesh for one week, after a ‘significant number’ of passengers arriving on a flight to Rome on Monday tested positive for COVID-19. Last week the Lazio region, close to Rome, also urged the local Bangladeshi community to test for the virus after clusters of recent cases.
Bangladesh
Italy
Borders
Business
Leisure

COLOMBIA: Country extends national lockdown until 1 August 2020

Colombia is extending its nationwide lockdown by more than two weeks after the number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths has accelerated in several cities. The measures, which were implemented in March, were due to be lifted on 15 July but have now been pushed back to 1 August.
Colombia
Borders
Business
Leisure