Covid-19 Restrictions updates - World-wide

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Canada lifts travel ban from African nations, reimposes testing

Canada announced the lifting of a ban on foreign travellers from 10 African countries, while reimposing testing and warning that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 risks quickly overwhelming hospitals, AFP reports.

The travel restriction on flights from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt will end at 11:59 pm on Saturday, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference.
The restriction had been announced last month “to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time,” he said. But with Omicron now spreading within Canada it is “no longer needed.”

 

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Switzerland targets unvaccinated with new Covid-19 curbs

Switzerland will step up anti-Covid measures on Monday with a return to working from home and curbs on the unvaccinated, as the country battles an intense fifth wave of the virus.

The new measures come as authorities anticipate the arrival of the highly-mutated Omicron variant, believed to be more contagious than previous strains, AFP reports.

“Only people who have been vaccinated or cured will have access to inside spaces at restaurants, cultural establishments and sports and leisure facilities, as well as to indoor events,” the country's Federal Council said in a statement.

Private gatherings will be limited to 10 people, including children, if anyone among the group is not vaccinated or cannot show proof of recovery.

 

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Israel bans travel to US over Omicron concerns

Israel has added the United States to its “no-fly” list, citing concerns over the spread of the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

Under the edict, which goes into effect at 2200 GMT on Tuesday, Israelis would need special permission to fly to the United States, now one of more than 50 countries to which its citizens cannot travel.

Acting on Health Ministry recommendations, cabinet ministers voted to put the United States, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Morocco, Portugal, Canada, Switzerland and Turkey on the no-fly roster, the prime minister's office said in a statement, according to Reuters.

 

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Germany considers contact restrictions to soften looming Covid-19 wave

Tougher contact restrictions and an accelerated booster campaign are among measures being considered by German leaders ahead of a meeting on Tuesday aimed at softening the blow of a fifth wave of coronavirus infections, reports Reuters.

The government's scientific advisory panel said in a statement it was necessary to further limit contact, with data so far showing that boosters alone would not be enough to contain the spread of the virus.

 

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Kuwait to make Covid-19 vaccine booster compulsory for incoming travelers

Kuwait will require travellers arriving in the country to have the Covid-19 vaccine booster shot if more than nine months have passed since their vaccination, according to the government communication centre.

Reuters reports Kuwait will also require incoming travellers to quarantine at home for 10 days unless they receive a negative PCR test for the coronavirus within 72 hours of their arrival.

 

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New Zealand delays border re-opening over Omicron concerns

New Zealand has postponed its phased border re-opening plans until the end of February over concerns of the rapid global spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Reuters reports.

Non-quarantine travel, which was to have opened for New Zealanders in Australia from January 16, will be pushed back until the end of February, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a press conference in Wellington.

"All of the evidence so far points to Omicron being the most transmissible Covid-19 variant yet. There's no doubt this is disappointing and will upset many holiday plans, but it's important to set these changes out clearly today so they can have time to consider those plans," he said.

 

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Thailand reinstates mandatory Covid-19 quarantine over Omicron concerns

Thailand will reinstate its mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for foreign visitors and scrap a quarantine waiver due to concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Reuters reports.

The decision to halt Thailand's "Test and Go" waiver means visitors will have to undergo hotel quarantine, which ranges between seven to 10 days.

Meanwhile, a so-called "sandbox" programme, which requires visitors to remain in a specific location but allows them free movement outside of their accommodation, will also be suspended in all places except for the tourist resort island of Phuket.

 

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Germany targets New Year's parties, sports in new Covid curbs

Germany has capped private New Year's Eve parties at 10 vaccinated or recovered guests and announced a ban on spectators at large sporting events from December 28 to slow Omicron's spread, reports AFP.

“This is not the time for parties and cosy evenings with lots of people,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said after talks with Germany's regional leaders.

From December 28, large organised events “will no longer take place with spectators, this applies in particular to football games,” he added. Nightclubs will also be closed.

 

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New Delhi bans Christmas, New Year celebrations over Omicron fears

India's capital New Delhi on Wednesday banned Christmas and other celebrations ahead of New Year to contain a possible surge in the Omicron coronavirus variant, as the city reported the country's highest number of cases along with Maharashtra state.

Over the past 24 hours, India's Omicron tally increased to 213, with 13 more cases across 15 states. Maharashtra, a western state where Omicron cases have been rising, also advised people to avoid gatherings.

India has reported no deaths from the variant so far. Its health minister has said most known cases are asymptomatic.

 

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Belgium closes entertainment venues as Omicron spreads

Belgium's government announced concert halls, cinemas and other entertainment venues would have to close from the weekend as Omicron cases increased, AFP reports.

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a media conference that while overall Covid-19 infections were down 60 percent from where they were three weeks ago, worryingly three out of 10 positive tests were now of the Omicron variant.

“We have to be more careful than ever in this period where there are many uncertainties,” he said. While entertainment venues would have to shut from Sunday, the additional restrictions would not affect museums, De Croo said.

 

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Greece makes face masks compulsory for festive season

Greece on Thursday said face masks would be compulsory both indoors and outside to limit the spread of the coronavirus during Christmas and New Year's gatherings, AFP reports.

More than 20,000 people have died of the virus with over 600 currently in intensive care. The government has resisted calls from health experts for additional safeguards and mobility restrictions, even among the vaccinated.

“There is major mobility during the festive season and large crowds gather outdoors,” Health Minister Thanos Plevris told reporters.

“As of 0400 GMT on Friday ... masks will be compulsory in all indoor and outdoor areas,” he said, adding that the measure would remain in force until at least January 2.

 

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Morocco extends suspension of commercial flights till Jan. 31

https://nation.com.pk/NewsSource/haber
Anadolu
1:15 AM | December 25, 2021


The Moroccan authorities on Friday extended the suspension of commercial flights to and from the North African country until Jan. 31.

The move came in a post by the National Airports Office on Facebook as a part of measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Earlier this month, the authorities extended the suspension of direct flights to and from the country until Dec. 31 following the rapid spread of the omicron variant in Europe and Africa.

The government said the suspension of flights in both directions prevented the arrival of the new wave of the coronavirus.

As of Thursday evening, Morocco registered 954,199 coronavirus cases, including 14,823 deaths, and 937,133 recoveries.

 

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Thousands of flights cancelled due to COVID-driven staff shortage


24 Dec 2021


At least three major airlines have reported cancelling dozens of flights as illnesses largely tied to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus take a toll on flight crew numbers during the busy holiday travel season.
At least 5,000 cancellations are expected during December 23-25, according to Flight Aware, a website that tracks flight data.

Germany-based Lufthansa said on Friday that it was cancelling a dozen long-haul transatlantic flights over the Christmas holiday period because of a “massive rise” in sick leave among pilots. The cancellations on flights to Houston, Boston and Washington come despite a “large buffer” of additional staff for the period.

The airline says it could not speculate on whether COVID-19 infections or quarantines were responsible because it was not informed about the sort of illness. Passengers were booked on other flights.

Lufthansa said in a statement: “… we planned a very large buffer for the vacation period. But this was not sufficient due to the high rate of people calling in sick.”

Worldwide, about 50 million people are projected to be travelling on international flights during the end-of-year holiday season, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Travellers walk through the Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US [Hannah Beier/Reuters]
In the United States, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said they had to cancel dozens of Christmas Eve flights because of staff shortages tied to Omicron.

“The nationwide spike in omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation,” United said in a statement to several news outlets. “As a result, we’ve unfortunately had to cancel some flights and are notifying impacted customers in advance of them coming to the airport.”
The airline said it was cancelling more than 100 flights and working to rebook as many people as possible.


Delta said it cancelled about 90 flights on Friday because of the possibility of bad weather and the impact the Omicron after it had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover scheduled flying”.

It said in a statement to several outlets that it was trying to get passengers to their destinations quickly.

The US Transportation Safety Administration said 2.1 million people travelled through US airports on December 23.

International travellers already have to navigate a host of testing and vaccination requirements in order to board a flight.

The cancellations come as coronavirus cases driven by the new variant further squeeze staffing at hospitals, police departments, supermarkets and other critical operations struggling to maintain a full contingent of front-line workers.

Countries including Spain and the United Kingdom have reduced the length of COVID-19 quarantines to ease staffing shortages by letting people return to work sooner after testing positive or being exposed to the virus.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian was among those who have called on the Biden administration to take similar steps or risk further disruptions in air travel.

 

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Algeria imposes vaccine pass to boost low inoculation rate

Algeria started requiring a vaccine passport from Sunday to enter a broad range of public venues, in a bid to boost the country's low inoculation rate and overcome vaccine hesitancy that has left millions of vaccines unused, AP reports.

The pass is now required for anyone entering or leaving Algeria, as well as for sports facilities, cinemas, theaters, museums, town halls and some other sites. It also applies to hammams the bath houses that are popular across the region.

Less than a quarter of Algeria's population has had even one vaccine dose, so the rule will be difficult to enforce.

 

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Over 7,000 flights scrapped as Omicron hits Christmas weekend travel

More than 7,000 flights have been canceled worldwide over the Christmas weekend and thousands more delayed, a tracking website reported on Sunday, as the highly infectious Omicron variant brings holiday hurt to millions.

Severe weather is compounding the travel chaos in the United States, with storms expected to wreak havoc on roadways in the country's west, though they brought a white Christmas weekend to Seattle and parts of California.

According to Flightaware.com, more than 2,000 flights were canceled on Sunday — including more than 570 originating from, or headed to, US airports.
More than 4,000 delays were reported.