WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) –The United States, which closed its borders to much of the world as the pandemic took hold, plans eventually to begin allowing fully vaccinated foreigners back in, a White House official said Wednesday. President Joe Biden’s administration, recognizing the importance of international travel, wants to reopen to visitors from abroad in a “safe and sustainable manner,” the official said. It is developing “a phased approach that over time will mean, with […]
Tag: travel
China restricts overseas travel to curb Covid outbreak
BEIJING, China (AFP) — China on Wednesday tightened overseas travel restrictions for its citizens as part of efforts to contain rising coronavirus cases, after reporting its highest number of infections in months. The movement of people is coming under more restriction inside China – with localised transport closures and stay-at-home orders in places in some cities – and beyond China’s borders. China had previously boasted of its success in crushing Covid-19, with hard lockdowns in […]
New Zealand opens travel bubble to Pacific workers
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Seasonal workers from selected Pacific countries will be allowed into New Zealand without undergoing two weeks in quarantine, Jacinda Ardern said Monday. The expansion of the travel bubble will be restricted to workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu employed in the horticulture and viticulture industries where there are not enough New Zealand-based workers. “This new one-way travel policy will significantly expand the potential workforce available for those experiencing labour shortages,” […]
DOH advises public vs unnecessary travel, gatherings as it confirms local transmission of Delta variant in PHL
(Eagle News) — The Department of Health advised the public to refrain from unnecessary travel and gatherings as it confirmed the local transmission of the highly infectious Delta variant in the Philippines. The DOH said the local transmission was confirmed after “clusters of Delta variant cases” were found to be linked to other local cases following the phylogenetic analysis conducted by the University of the Philippines-Philippine Genome Center , and a case investigation by the […]
Saudis wanting to travel need two Covid jabs: official
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Any Saudi citizen wishing to travel abroad will be required to have had two doses of coronavirus vaccine from next month, tightening existing measures, the interior ministry said on Monday. “The second dose of the vaccine against Covid will be a condition of all overseas travel for all citizens from August 9, 2021,” the ministry wrote in a statement published by the official SPA news agency. Children under 12, those […]
Covid case cuts short Singapore ‘cruise to nowhere’
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — An ocean liner on a “cruise to nowhere” was forced to make an earlier-than-scheduled return to Singapore Wednesday after a coronavirus case was detected on board, reports said. The cruises — starting and ending in Singapore, with no stops — were launched last year as part of the travel industry’s attempt to bounce back from a pandemic-induced crunch. They have proved popular among those seeking an escape from the tiny city-state, […]
IATF lists “green” countries as shorter quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound int’l travelers start
Fully-vaccinated travelers who stayed in these COVID-19 “low-risk” countries can qualify for shorter quarantine starting July 1, says Palace (Eagle News) — The Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) issued a list of the so-called “green” or “low-risk” countries and jurisdictions as the Philippine government starts allowing shorter quarantine period for international fully vaccinated travelers. Today, July 1, is the effectivity of the shorter quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound travelers provided that they came from any […]
Japan to issue vaccine passport for travel abroad
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan said on Thursday it will make a vaccine passport available from a next month for Japanese travellers, as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch tourism and business trips. “We are preparing to issue a certificate of vaccination for those who need one… when they visit foreign countries,” top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato told reporters. The certificate will be paper-based rather than digital and will be issued by […]
Royal Caribbean delays trip after 8 crew test Covid-19 positive
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Royal Caribbean is pushing back the maiden voyage of a new ship by a month after eight crew members tested positive for Covid-19, the company’s chief executive said. “Two steps forward and one step back!” Chief Executive Michael Bayley said in a Facebook post Tuesday night that announced the delay for the inaugural trip of “Odyssey of the Seas.” “During routine testing, eight crew members received a positive test […]
US eases travel warning to countries including Olympics host Japan
by Shaun TANDON WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Tuesday eased its warnings against travel to a number of major nations including Olympics host Japan, raising hopes that widespread vaccinations will bring a return to normal travel. Close US allies and neighbors including Canada, Mexico, France and Germany also received upgrades, with the State Department asking Americans to reconsider travel but ending its blanket advice not to go at all. South Korea […]
EU summit welcomes Covid certificate to unlock travel
by Marc BURLEIGH BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — EU leaders on Tuesday welcomed the introduction of a bloc-wide Covid-19 pass that they hope will unlock a tourist surge this summer. The 27 member states want the EU Digital Covid Certificate, to be launched July 1, to turn the page on coronavirus restrictions that have crimped Europeans’ cherished freedom of movement. Coupled with a separate plan to let in fully vaccinated travelers from countries outside the EU, […]
New Zealand halts travel bubble with Australian state
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand suspended quarantine-free travel with Australia’s Victoria state over a new coronavirus cluster Tuesday, the fourth time the trans-Tasman travel bubble has been disrupted since it opened last month. Officials in Wellington said they were taking a cautious approach after Melbourne recorded nine locally acquired cases in the past two days, believed to be related to a leak from a quarantine hotel. New Zealand’s Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins […]





