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The Canadian government has announced that its land border with the United States will remain closed to non-essential travel for at least another month until 21 May. The land border restrictions, aimed at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, were first announced in March 2020 and have thus far been renewed monthly.

The Caribbean island has said that it will begin to welcome visitors from countries deemed 'high-risk' for COVID-19, including the United States, from 1 May; However, passengers need to obtain approval before arriving in Saba via info@sabagov.nl. Fully COVID-19 vaccinated adults must present proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before arrival and are not required to quarantine. Non-vaccinated travelers must quarantine for five days and take a rapid COVID-19 antigen test on day five.

The government of Japan is considering the declaration of a state of emergency for Tokyo and Osaka, according to broadcaster NHK, in order to curb the increased spread of COVID-19; Osaka's neighbouring prefectures of Hyogo and Kyoto could also be affected. If adopted in all four regions, the emergency measures would cover close to a quarter of Japan’s population of 126 million. In Tokyo, reports suggest this could span from 29 April to 9 May in order to incorporate the annual 'Golden Week' holiday period.

The island's Grantley Adams airport has re-opened following a week-long closure due to the ash fall from La Soufriere volcano on St. Vincent. In St. Vincent, however, Argyle airport remains closed due to heavy ash fall; the island was hit by another eruption on 18 April, blanketing St. Vincent with another layer of ash.

The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reportedly warned that it could impose restrictions on people who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, as the region’s business and tourism hub pushes its immunisation campaign. The UAE, where social distancing and mask-wearing in public are required, is among the countries with the world’s fastest COVID-19 vaccination programmes.

The island's government has announced the addition of an entry requirement for U.S. passengers; a rapid COVID-19 antigen test on the third day of a stay in Curacao is now mandatory, in addition to the existing entry requirements of a Digital Immigration Card and a Passenger Locator Card (PLC) uploaded within 48 hours of travel - and proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result obtained within 72 hours of departure. Passengers typically will receive their antigen test results within 20 minutes to one hour, on average. The antigen tests in Curacao vary in price but typically start at $20 USD.

The country's government yesterday, 19 April, lifted COVID-19 quarantine restrictions for travellers from most European countries and the United States, as well as Israel; the easing of measures come as it prepares to re-open tourism services from next month. Air travelers from exempt countries will no longer be subject to a seven-day quarantine requirement if they hold a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test issued within the previous 72 hours. Other exempt countries include the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Iceland, Liechstenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The U.S. state department said yesterday, 19 April, that it plans to boost its 'do not travel' guidance for citizens to include 80% of destination countries worldwide, citing the risk to travellers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently around 34 our of 200 countries are listed under the level four guidance, implying that this will shortly increase to around 130 countries. So far, no indication has been given as to when the measures will eventually ease.

The government of the U.S. state of Alaska has said that COVID-19 vaccines are due to be made available to visitors at key airports from 1 June, in a further attempt to bolster the state's tourism industry, which has been heavily affected by the pandemic. The state plans to offer vaccines at airports in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan, with the clinics outside the security area; they will be available to anyone passing through from 1 June. State health officials are also encouraging travelers to test for COVID-19, although it's no longer mandated.

The UK’s Department of Transport has announced a change to be made to England’s ‘red list’ from 04.00 (GMT) on Friday 23 April 2021. From this date, visitors who have departed from or transited through India in the previous 10 days will be refused entry to England. Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights (including long-term visa holders) will be permitted to enter; however, they must stay in a government-approved facility for 10 days.

The country's government has announced that its capital of New Delhi will be under a strict COVID-19 'lockdown' for six days from the evening of Monday 19 April, following the news that India's healthcare system is at breaking point due to the worsening spikes in cases of the virus.

The government of Hong Kong has announced that it will suspend flights from India, Pakistan and the Philippines from 20 April for two weeks after a mutant COVID-19 strain was detected in the Asian financial hub for the first time. The three countries will now be classified as 'extremely high risk' for the virus, after there have been multiple imported cases carrying the strain into Hong Kong in the past 14 days, the government have said.

French authorities will restrict who can travel to France from Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa, and will impose a 10-day quarantine on those who do. Entry from the four listed countries will be limited to French citizens and their families, citizens of other EU countries, and foreigners with permanent homes in France. Travellers must have tested negative for the virus before take-off, and will be given antigenic tests on arrival. The above restrictions will come into effect on 24 April. Currently, travellers from France’s low risk list of countries are not restricted and are subject to only a seven-day quarantine period according to France’s ministry of foreign affairs.

The government of France has announced that it will order a strict 10-day quarantine for all passengers arriving from Brazil from 24 April, in a bad to prevent the spread of a COVID-19 variant first discovered in the South American country. In addition, the suspension of all flights to Brazil by the government of France has now been extended until at least 23 April.

The country's government has said that it will ease COVID-19 restrictions in many areas from 26 April, after strict curbs on business and movement have been in place for most of this year. From this date, the more lenient 'yellow' and 'white' zone classifications will be reinstated where infection levels are low - in these areas restaurants and bars will be able to serve clients at outside tables, and cinemas and theatres will reopen with attendance limits.

The country's government has announced an easing of the required COVID-19 quarantine period for fully vaccinated visitors from 14 days to seven days as part of an updated, phased approach to health protocols that aim to revitalise the island's economy. In addition from 1 July, all visitors entering Anguilla must be vaccinated; fees and quarantine requirements will be removed, although a negative COVID-19 test undertaken three to five days prior to arrival will still be required.

The mayor of Colombia's capital of Bogota has announced that the city will repeat a three-day lockdown this weekend, 16-18 April, in a bid to slow COVID-19 infections; a similar lockdown last weekend has helped slow the transmission of the virus, reportedly. Residents must stay at home on Friday through to Sunday, and limits on when people can shop based on their ID number will continue.

The UK government has once again signalled intentions to ease restrictions on international travel from 17 May; a ‘traffic light’ system will categorise countries as red, amber or green, based on COVID-19 risk alongside restrictions required for travel. Presently, there is only a red list, which includes most countries in the sub-Saharan region, among others. Amber and green lists are yet to be compiled.

The country's government has announced that it will start to ease some restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic and allow more people to gather from 16 April; residents will again be allowed to receive up to five guests in private homes, up from two currently, and restaurants can serve alcohol under certain conditions. A maximum of 100 people will be allowed to attend indoor events in for example theatres and sports arenas, provided there are fixed seating arrangements, and groups of up to 200 people can attend outdoor events.

The country's government has announced that it will open its borders to COVID-19 vaccinated tour groups from 23 May; Israel has been closed to tourism since the start of the pandemic, and this announcement is part of an initiative to begin re-opening to travellers under a phased approach. Individual travellers will be welcomed in a later phase, likely to be in July, but is still to be determined. Visitors must undergo a COVID-19 PCR test before boarding their flight to Israel, and upon arrival at Ben Gurion airport must also undergo a serological test to prove their vaccination status.