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Border restrictions on nonessential travel have been extended again, this time through Oct. 21, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said Monday. The restrictions were first implemented in March 2020 and have since been extended on a monthly basis.

As you are aware, violent protests and riots have flared up around the country, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. The safety of both our customers and staff is of utmost importance to us and we have therefore decided to close all our branches in KZN until the situation improves. The operations team will unfortunately not be able to facilitate reservations and rental returns today, and we urge our customers to avoid travelling in these areas. The current situation is very volatile and as soon as it is safe to open any of our branches, we will do so and communicate accordingly. All customers wanting to terminate vehicles, need to communicate with our Call Centre or directly with the branch. We will keep a record of the dates and times of termination and will not charge customers for the delayed period post the initial rental return. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and will communicate any changes in the current situation.

Marriott International has announced that members on its Bonvoy loyalty program can now earn points via Uber, in an effort to diversify the hotel brand's loyalty offering amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the partnership, Bonvoy members can earn points toward free nights at Marriott properties, including home rentals, by ordering food delivery via Uber Eats or requesting select Uber rides. The perk is available in the United States, and those who sign up and have at least one qualifying transaction by May 31 will get 2,000 Bonvoy bonus points.

Car hire provider Europcar has announced that due to the impact of COVID-19 on the travel and tourism sector and the resulting reduction in demand, a number of smaller regional branches within South Africa have been closed. A complete summary of the branches that are remaining open in the country, along with their operating hours, can be found on Europcar's website.

Strict cleaning and safety protocols have been introduced by AVIS Australia including minimum-contact vehicle pick-ups, deep cleaning and sanitation of rental cars, plus staff training to ensure greater safety when hiring a car.

Budget Rent a Car in Australia has introduced their Worry-Free Promise. Incorporating minimum contact vehicle pick-ups, deep cleaning and sanitation of rental cars, plus staff training to ensure greater safety when hiring a car.

The South African services, trading, and distribution company has said that it may be forced to close or sell its car rental business as it struggles to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bidvest’s car rental business includes car, van, truck and coach hire in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia.

AVIS in South Africa have today released an update to their 'Drive with Confidence' pledge, which seeks to assure customers that they are vigilantly implementing enhanced protocols to ensure safety. The update also includes information on the opening hours of AVIS' 49 rental locations in the country, as South Africa moves to COVID-19 alert level three.

Hertz Global Holdings (the U.S. based entity) has voluntarily filed for reorganisation under Chapter 11 in the United States legal process. This includes subsidiaries Dollar, Thrifty, Firefly, Hertz Car Sales, and Donlen. Hertz’s principal international operating regions elsewhere are not included in the proceedings and will continue to operate as they did before. Day-to-day operations will continue unaffected at this time.