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The country is set to increase its COVID-19 alert level following four cases of COVID-19 being detected in a household in Auckland - the first domestic cases of the virus in around 100 days. The capital city of Auckland will return to level three lockdown restrictions from midday tomorrow, 12 August until at least midnight on Friday, 14 August. Residents will be asked to stay at home and many businesses will close. The rest of the country will also be raised to level two restrictions during the same initial time period.

The government of Egypt has announced that from 15 August, the country will require most foreign travellers to obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test result less than 72 hours prior to arrival. This is only with the exception of tourists flying directly to, and staying within, Red Sea destinations including Hurghada, Marsa Allam and Sharm El-Sheikh.

The government of Australia has confirmed that strict caps on international arrivals, previously put in place to ease the pressure on government sanctioned hotel quarantine facilities, will continue until at least 24 October. This includes, but is not limited to, caps in Sydney of 350 passenger arrivals per day; Perth, 525 passenger arrivals per week and Brisbane, 500 passenger arrivals per week.

The government of Hong Kong has confirmed that from 10 August, arriving passengers who have visited or transited through Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa or the United States will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken a maximum of 72 hours prior to departure. They will also require proof of the credibility of the testing facility, and proof of a hotel room reservation in Hong Kong for at least 14 days from the day of arrival.

From today, 10 August, the city of Paris has made the wearing of face masks mandatory for anyone over the age of 11 in busy outdoor areas to curb a rise in COVID-19 infections. Among the areas included are the banks of the River Seine, and a number of open-air markets.

The local government of Hawaii have announced that from 11 August it will partially reinstate an inter-island quarantine which was previously lifted in June. It will now be in effect until at least 31 August and a 14-day quarantine will be required for passengers arriving in the counties of Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and Kalawao.

The Cayman Islands has extended its border closure by at least another 30 days until 1 October, at which time a further decision will be made. While the borders remain closed, the Cayman Islands has issued a reminder that anyone who does enter the destination must be quarantined for 14 days in a government facility and will require a negative COVID-19 PCR test prior to travelling or returning to their accommodation.

The UK government has announced that from 04.00 (local time) on 8 August, both arrivals and returning passengers from Andorra, Belgium and the Bahamas will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days due to the countries being removed from the UK's travel corridor exemption list. In addition, the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also advised British nationals against all but essential travel to these destinations, based on the risk currently presented due to their levels of COVID-19.

The country's government has announced that it will not raise a limit on public gatherings which was originally planned for this month, following a spike in COVID-19 infections. As part of the Denmark’s gradual reopening following a lockdown to curb the spread of the virus, the government had previously planned to raise the limit on public gatherings to 200 people on 8 August, up from the current limit of 100 people.

The country’s government has made COVID-19 pre-testing prior to arrival mandatory; anyone not able to present a negative PCR (Polymerized Chain Reaction) COVID-19 test, result obtained a maximum of seven days prior to departure, will be refused boarding at their port of origin.

The government of Austria have announced that from 10 August it will advise the country's citizens against travel to Spain, excluding the Canary and Balearic Islands. Anyone arriving in or returning to Austria from Spain will now be required to present a negative test result for COVID-19.

The U.S. State Department has announced that from 6 August, the country is no longer advising against all international travel. This means that a global level four health advisory will now be lifted which has been in place since 19 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's government does however recommend that citizens exercise caution when travelling abroad due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. All countries will now be rated on a level from one to four, depending on the severity of their outbreaks.

The U.S. State Department yesterday, 6 August, urged citizens not to travel to Mexico despite easing a global travel ban, citing a rapid spread in COVID-19 within Mexico among other considerations. Despite close commercial ties across the world's busiest land border, this decision means that Mexico remains on an advisory level four - the highest classification which, outside of the now listed global advisory, is usually reserved for countries at war.

The country’s government has delayed plans for a ‘travel bubble’ agreement with select countries following a rise in COVID-19 infection numbers in both Thailand and other Asian countries, in a move which is expected to put pressure on its vital tourism industry and complicate efforts to revive its economy. The idea was first proposed in June, however for now has been shelved.

The regional government of Spain's Canary Islands has announced that all tourists visiting the islands will have any potential COVID-19 related costs covered. This includes both medical costs and any possible required extension of holidays required in the case of quarantine measures undertaken while visitors are on the islands. Included among the Canary Islands are the popular European holiday destinations of Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife and La Palma.

The city of Amsterdam yesterday, 5 August, began mandating the use of face masks in crowded areas such as its 'Red Light' district, in a localised drive against COVID-19 which stands in contrast to the country's national policy. City workers will continue to hand out masks to both tourists and residents in busier areas, and will inform them that failure to wear them could result in a fine of 95 Euros (USD112).

The government of The Gambia has declared a state of emergency and introduced a nationwide night-time curfew for 21 days due to a rise in COVID-19 infections. The country's borders and airspace will remain closed except for cargo, diplomats and those seeking treatment abroad.

The city’s mayor has implemented quarantine check points at key entry points to the city, to ensure that travelers coming from 35 states on New York’s travel advisory comply with the 14-day quarantine mandate issued by the state in June. Travelers coming in from those states will be given information about the quarantine and will be reminded that it is required, not optional; fines for not observing the requirements could reportedly be as high as USD10,000.

The government of Greece has announced that from 18 August it will extend mandatory requirements for the wearing of face masks to passengers travelling on the decks of ferries between its islands; last week the country had already made mask-wearing mandatory in all indoor public spaces, and also in outdoor spaces where proper social distancing cannot be observed.

The local government of the Australian state of Queensland (QLD) has announced that its borders with New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will close from 01.00 (local time) on 8 August. All visitors will be denied entry with few exceptions, and returning Queensland residents will incur the cost of a 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine.