Hong Kong will scrap its controversial COVID-19 hotel quarantine policy for all arrivals from Sept. 26, more than 2.5 years after it was first implemented, in a long-awaited move for many residents and businesses in the financial hub. All international arrivals will be able to return home or to accommodation of their choice but will have to self-monitor for three days after entering the Chinese special administrative hub, the government said on Friday. Travellers queue up for shuttle bus to quarantine hotels at the Hong Kong International Airport, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Hong Kong, China, August 1, 2022. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu "We are aiming in one single direction of allowing people to come with more convenience and they are allowed to go about their act...
Read MoreTag: COVID protocols
Vietnam is planning from December to reopen key tourist destinations to vaccinated visitors from countries deemed a low COVID-19 risk, the government said on Wednesday, ahead of a full resumption targeted for June next year. Vietnam imposed tight border controls at the start of the pandemic in an effort to keep out COVID-19, with some initial success, but that harmed its burgeoning tourism sector, which typically accounts for about 10% of gross domestic product. FILE PHOTO: Lanterns hang on a street in Vietnam's central ancient town of Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage site. REUTERS/Kham Vietnam last month announced it would reopen the resort island Phu Quoc for vaccinated travellers from November. It will from December also allow tourists from approved countries to visit UNESCO world...
Read MoreSurvey finds, frustration with travel restrictions is growing The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that air travelers are increasingly frustrated with the COVID-19 travel restrictions. A survey commissioned by IATA of 4,700 respondents in 11 markets in September demonstrated confidence that the risks of COVID-19 can be effectively managed and that the freedom to travel should be restored. 67% of respondents felt that most country borders should be opened now, up 12 percentage-points from the June 2021 survey.64% of respondents felt that border closures are unnecessary and have not been effective in containing the virus (up 11 percentage points from June 2021).73% responded that their quality of life is suffering as a result of COVID-19 travel restrictions ...
Read MorePeople associated with the Chardham Yatra on Monday demanded simplification of the guidelines related to the pilgrimage, citing practical problems being faced by pilgrims. Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee vice president Narinderjit Singh Bindra and Chardham Yatra joint rotation committee chief Sudhir Roy said some complexities in the standard operating procedure (SOP) issued recently on the yatra need to be addressed and simplified for the convenience of pilgrims. "The SOP asks pilgrims to complete all formalities regarding the yatra well in advance and at the same time asks them to show a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours on arrival. How can a pilgrim who registers for the yatra two weeks in advance produce a negative test report not older than 72 ...
Read MoreThe Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand will begin on Saturday after its prolonged suspension due to COVID-19. A day after the Uttarakhand High Court vacated its stay on Chardham Yatra, the state government on Friday issued a detailed SOP to start the yatra from Saturday with strict adherence to COVID-19 norms. Imposing a daily limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the Himalayan temples, the SOP put a cap of 1,000 pilgrims daily on Badrinath, 800 on Kedarnath, 600 on Gangotri and 400 on Yamunotri. Showing a document certifying administration of both doses of the anti- Covid vaccine at least 15 days back or a negative RT/PCR/TrueNat/CBNAAT/RAT Covid test report not older than 72 hours will be compulsory for every pilgrim visiting the shrines, it said. Pilgrims from inside the ...
Read MoreThe British government will on Friday consider easing England’s COVID-19 rules for international travel, a late-season boost for airlines, holiday and tourism companies which say they will not survive another winter of onerous rules and red tape. While Europe has relaxed travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated, expensive COVID-19 testing requirements remain in place for fully vaccinated arrivals into Britain, preventing a travel recovery as the tougher winter period nears. FILE PHOTO: A worker sanitises a sign at the International arrivals area of Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow Airport, Britain, August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls But rule changes could be announced later on Friday, Agriculture Secretary George Eustice said, following hints from Prime Minister Boris John...
Read MoreSingapore will gradually allow quarantine-free entry from next month. To start with, travelers from Germany and Brunei who are vaccinated against COVID-19 will be allowed to enter without requiring any quarantine, its aviation regulator said on Thursday, as part of a plan to gradually reopen its borders. Visitors from those countries can from Sept. 8 bypass the isolation requirement if they test negative in four polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. FILE PHOTO: People look at a Singapore Airlines plane, amid the spread of the COVID-19, at a viewing gallery of the Changi Airport in Singapore October 12, 2020. REUTERS/Edgar Su Border restrictions will also be progressively eased for all travel from Hong Kong and Macau from this Saturday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore s...
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