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From 1 August all passengers travelling to the United Arab Emirates from any destination, including those transiting in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, must have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result from a qualifying facility in order to be accepted on the flight at check-in. The test must be taken within 96 hours of departure, and only passengers under the age of 12 or those who have a moderate to severe disability will be excluded from this requirement. In addition to this, also from 1 August, passengers from 29 selected countries must also be subject to a second test on arrival via a nasal swab.

A number of updates to measures in the Bahamas have been made by the country’s government. A state of emergency is now in place until at least 30 September; secondly, only emergency travel to and from Grand Bahama is permitted until 7 August as part of a local lockdown imposed until 7 August. Finally, inter-island travel will also cease from 19.00 (local time) on 28 July. Meanwhile, all arrivals are subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing at their own expense.

The government of the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea have today, 27 July, halted entry for cross-border arrivals with the exception of those arriving by air from the Australian airports of Brisbane or Cairns; this follows a week in which COVID-19 infections have doubled within the country. Inbound air passengers must show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken in the seven days prior to boarding their flight, and must isolate themselves for 14 days on arrival.

The government of Germany has announced that it will offer free COVID-19 tests to citizens returning from holiday, as part of efforts to prevent a new wave of infections. Arrivals from countries designated as high-risk will be eligible for immediate tests, while arrivals from other places will be able to get tested within three days; Germany has designated 130 countries as high-risk, including Turkey, Egypt and the United States.

The Dubai-based airline has released further information following the announcement that, from 1 August, all passengers flying to or via Dubai International Airport must hold a valid, negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken less than 96 hours prior to departure in order to be accepted for their flight at check-in. If a UAE-endorsed testing facility is available in the passenger's country of origin, they must obtain the test result from that facility accordingly; if an approved facility is not listed, any registered practitioner able to provide PCR testing will be accepted.

The government of Morocco have announced that from today, movement in and out of the cities of Tangier, Tetouan, Meknes, Fes, Casablanca, Berechid, Settat and Marrakech is prohibited. This follows spikes in COVID-19 cases as 633 new infections were recorded on 26 July. Meanwhile, international flights remain suspended with the exception of special flights by national airlines carrying Moroccans or foreign residents.

Hong Kong has today announced further restrictions to curb the surge of COVID-19, including a total ban on restaurant dining and a face mask requirement outdoors. The new rules will take effect from 29 July; this will be the first time the city has completely banned dining in restaurants.

The country’s president has extended a nightly 21h00 to 04h00 curfew for 30 days past it’s previous deadline of 6/7 August, to help curb the spread of COVID-19. Other measures have also been heightened including restaurant opening hours and an indefinite closure of bars.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has released further information following the announcement that, from 1 August, all passengers flying to or via Abu Dhabi International Airport must hold a valid, negative COVID-19 PCR test result taken less than 96 hours prior to departure in order to be accepted for their flight at check-in. If an airline-endorsed 'Pure Health' testing facility is available in the passenger's country of origin, they must obtain the test result from that facility accordingly; a database of all eligible facilities, searchable by destination, is available on the airline website.

The Vietnamese government announced today, 27 July, that is is evacuating 80,000 people from the central tourism hotspot of Da Nang after three residents tested positive for COVID-19 over the past few days; the first community infections confirmed since April, these new cases have put the country on high alert. The evacuation, which involves mainly domestic tourists, will take at least four days and will rely on domestic airlines operating approximately 100 flights daily from Da Nang to 11 other Vietnamese cities.

The government of Norway announced that as of 25 July it has re-imposed a 10-day quarantine requirement for people arriving from Spain after a surge in COVID-19 cases there. Residents of the European Union, European Economic Area or Schengen countries with fewer than 20 confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last two weeks are able to enter Norway without being required to go into self-quarantine. Meanwhile, Norway also announced on 24 July that it has now eased restrictions on people coming from more counties of Sweden.

Australia's island state of Tasmania has announced that a 'safe travel bubble' will come into effect on 7 August. The bubble will invite travellers from South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, but will exclude travellers from Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland.

The UK government has announced that any visitors or returning passengers from Spain who arrive on UK soil from 23.59 (GMT) tonight, 25 July, will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. The update follows a significant increase in the volume and pace of COVID-19 cases in mainland Spain over the past week.

The UK's Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against all but essential travel to the Australian state of Victoria. This follows extensive measures being taken in the state by the Australian government in response to spikes in COVID-19 levels; stay at home restrictions are still in place in metropolitan Melbourne and surrounding areas, and Melbourne Airport is currently closed to incoming passenger flights until further notice.

Indian airline SpiceJet on announced on 24 July that it has been designated as the “Indian scheduled carrier,” permitting it to operate flights to the United States. The airline will be the first Indian budget carrier to operate services to the US; national carrier Air India is currently the only other Indian airline doing so, since all international commercial passenger flights were suspended on 22 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline have posted an advisory and reminder regarding COVID-19 PCR testing; if Etihad's hub of Abu Dhabi is a passenger’s final destination, they must have a negative test result issued by an ICA-approved medical facility within 72 hours prior to departure, available to present at check-in for their flight at the destination of origin.

The Dubai-based airline has announced the resumption of a five-times weekly service to Seychelles from 1 August, coinciding with the country’s re-opening to international tourism.

The government of Belgium has announced that from 25 July it will tighten COVID-19 containment measures after a rise in infections, requiring the use of face masks in crowded outdoor public spaces and tracing measures at restaurants and bars. An easing of restrictions will now not be announced until at least 1 September, potentially allowing a resumption of trade fairs.

As of 27 July the US Embassy in London are resuming certain visa services, including: immigrant visas for spouses and children of US citizens and F-1 and M-1 student visa categories. Students travelling from the UK (and the Schengen Area and Ireland) with valid F-1 and M-1 visas, will not need to seek a national interest exception to travel.

Visitors to Scotland from the Spanish mainland and its islands, as well as returning Scottish residents, will no longer be required to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival from this week. A list of quarantine-exempt countries published by the Scottish government previously came into force on 10 July, and has since been reviewed. As a devolved administration, Scotland has chosen to act independently of fellow UK countries including England and Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic.