AUSTRALIA: Whole of NSW to enter lockdown

The whole of New South Wales will go into lockdown from 5pm on Saturday 14, August 2021. This new order will replace any existing orders in regional NSW. Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends. People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together. Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them at all times. Every employer across NSW must require their employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable. It is a reasonable excuse to leave your home for work – but only if it is not practicable to work from home.
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AUSTRALIA: WA amends risk level for multiple jurisdictions

WA Premier Mark McGowan has amended the risk level to multiple jurisdictions. Currently, NSW is deemed as medium risk, but will move to high risk from 12:01am on Tuesday, 17 August 2021. Victoria, QLD, and SA are deemed as medium risk - but SA will move to low risk from 12:01am on Saturday, 14 August 2021. The ACT is currently declared as low risk but will move to medium risk at 12:01am on Saturday, 14 August 2021. The trio of New Zealand, the NT, and Tasmania have been deemed as very low risk jurisdictions.
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AUSTRALIA: WA tightens border to high-risk states

WA has further tightened its border restrictions for people coming from high-risk states, requiring proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination and a negative test result in the last 72 hours. Premier Mark McGowan announced the changes to the controlled border with NSW as that state recorded 390 new COVID-19 cases in the community. The new restrictions are due to take effect next Tuesday, 17 August 2021, and will apply to all jurisdictions designated high risk, where there are more than 50 new cases a day.
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kulula / BA Comair: Returning to the skies from 01 September 2021

After two months of not flying, BA Comair and kulula return to the skies from 01 September 2021
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SPAIN: Spain classifies South Africa ‘high risk’

The latest update for South African residents wanting to travel to Spain reveals that SA is on a list of high-risk countries. Although there are no more restrictions on flights from South Africa a 10-day quarantine will apply for anyone coming from South Africa to Spain. Quarantine could be finalised sooner if on the seventh day a negative result for an infection-diagnostic test can be shown. Travellers from South Africa are limited to those who are residents in Spain or Andorra and spouses of Spanish citizens, with few exceptions.
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AUSTRALIA: Lockdown extended by a week in Hunter Valley region

The lockdown in the Hunter Valley region scheduled to end at midnight on Thursday, 12 August 2021, has been extended by another week. The LGAs impacted are Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook.
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AUSTRALIA: NT declares the ACT as a hotspot

The Northern Territory will declare the ACT as a COVID-19 hotspot from 4.30pm ACST on Thursday, 12 August 2021. Anyone approved to come to the NT from the ACT after that time will be directed into 14 days of supervised quarantine at their own expense.
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AUSTRALIA: ACT to enter seven-day lockdown

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has announced a seven-day lockdown for the ACT that will begin at 5.00pm on Thursday, 12 August 2021. The territory has recorded one positive case of COVID-19 - it's the first locally acquired case in more than a year.
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AUSTRALIA: QLD opens border to SA

QLD has reopened its border with SA, effective immediately. To enter QLD you still have to complete an entry pass, get tested if you develop any COVID-19 symptoms after arriving, and monitor the list of interstate exposure venues daily (at least once every 24 hours) from the time you complete a declaration and for 14 days after arriving in QLD.
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Hong Kong "vaccine bubble" concept updates

In view of the latest development in global and local COVID-19 epidemic situations, the Hong Kong SAR Government will tighten the border control measures for overseas inbound travellers based on "vaccine bubble" in order to build an anti-epidemic barrier to prevent the importation of cases. The new measures take effect from 9 August 2021.
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AUSTRALIA: QLD and Tasmania declare ACT as a hotspot

QLD has announced it will declare the ACT a hotspot from 1:00am on Saturday, 14 August 2021. Anyone arriving from the ACT after this time will go into mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days - anyone arriving from the ACT before then will be required to complete 14 days of mandatory home quarantine. Tasmania has also classified ACT as a hotspot, effective from 5:00pm on Thursday, 12 of August 2021. People who've spent time in the ACT will only be let in to Tasmania if they've been granted essential traveller status and will have to quarantine for 14 days.
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AUSTRALIA: Cairns and Yarrabah to exit lockdown

Cairns and Yarrabah will exit their snap lockdown at 4.00pm on Wednesday, 11 August 2021. Restrictions will remain in place and will mirror the restrictions in the 11 South East Queensland LGAs.
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AUSTRALIA: Walgett, surrounding LGAs placed into snap lockdown

Walgett Shire and surrounding LGAs have been placed into a snap lockdown from 7.00pm on Wednesday, 11 August 2021, after a local man who travelled to Dubbo tested positive for COVID-19. The Western NSW LGAs of Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Narromine and Warren have also joined Walgett in lockdown.
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LAOS: Laos extends nationwide lockdown

The government of Laos has extended the current nationwide lockdown to 18 August 2021, originally set to expire on Tuesday 3 August.
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AUSTRALIA: NT revokes hotspot declarations for 11 QLD LGAs

The Northern Territory Government has revoked hotspot declarations for eleven LGAs in South East Queensland. The areas, including Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Logan City council areas are no longer considered hotspots for the purposes of travel to the NT. Cairns and the Yarrabah area remain declared hotspots.
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SOUTH AFRICA / DUBAI: South Africans need PCR for Dubai transit

According to the Emirates Airlines, transit passengers must have a negative COVID-19 test certificate issued within 72 hours before departure. From 9 August 2021, this certificate must have been issued by a laboratory that uses a QR code system – no others will be accepted. The airline approves the Ampath, APS, Pathcare and Lancet laboratories in South Africa. No transit over 10 hours will be allowed and STPCs will not be offered to passengers while transiting through Dubai International Airport.
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Iraqi Airways : launches new flights from Baghdad to Abu Dhabi International Airport

Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has welcomed two new weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The inaugural flight, operated by Iraqi Airways using Boeing 737-800 aircraft, landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) on Saturday, August 7 at 17:00 Local Time (LT). Iraqi Airways will start by operating one flight per week and will then increase its number flights to two per week. Flights will be operating on both Saturdays and Tuesdays, upon the recovery of the travel demand.
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Middle East airlines : welcome amber list decision

Two leading Middle Eastern airlines have welcomed a decision to add the United Arab Emirates and Qatar to the amber list for travellers to England. The changes will come into effect on Sunday. Qatar Airways said it was seeing bookings soar since the announcement last night. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are very proud to be playing our part in the reopening of our country to visitors in the safest way possible and supporting the next step in the development of Qatar’s tourism industry.
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AUSTRALIA: Tamworth placed into one-week lockdown in NSW

The NSW city of Tamworth will go into lockdown for one week from 5.00pm on Monday, 9 August 2021, after a COVID-positive woman from Newcastle travelled to the area.
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Emirates : now offers up to 64kg free baggage for Africa travellers

Emirates airline on Thursday said customers flying to and from any destination in Africa can check-in up to 64kg of free baggage. Effective August 9, customers travelling in First and Business class on any Africa route can check in up to 64kg of free baggage or two pieces of 32kg each, regardless of where in the Emirates global network they are headed to or travelling from. Customers flying in Economy class on Saver, Flex and Flex Plus fares, can enjoy up to 46kg of free check-in baggage allowance or two pieces of 23kg each, while those on Special fares will have one free check-in bag of up to 23kg.
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