NETHERLANDS: Borders closed to Serbia and Montenegro for a second time

The Netherlands closed its borders to arrivals from Serbia and Montenegro on 8 July just a week after opening them, citing a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in both countries. Travellers from Serbia and Montenegro had regained access on 1 July when the Netherlands, following European Union guidelines, re-opened their borders to a list of 14 countries outside of the European bloc.
Montenegro
Netherlands
Serbia
Borders
Business
Leisure

FINNAIR: Flight schedule set to increase to over 30 destinations in July 2020

The airline have announced that, in line with Finland opening its borders to a number of countries from 13 July, they will increase their flight schedule for the remainder of July with services to over 30 domestic, European and Asian destinations.
Finland
Airline
Finnair
Business
Leisure

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES: Airline releases flight schedules through to October 2020

The airline has published their summer flight schedule for this year through to the end of October, when their capacity will double from 20% to around 40% of normal levels, with flights to over 60 destinations. They are also set to increase capacity on most routes from September.
Austria
South Africa
Airline
Austrian Airlines
Business
Leisure

SPAIN: Catalonia orders all residents and visitors to wear masks in public

The Spanish region of Catalonia, which includes the city of Barcelona, has ordered that from 9 July all residents and visitors must wear face masks in public at all times; this makes them the first Spanish region to toughen an existing national directive mandating their use when in close proximity to others.
Spain
Borders
Business
Leisure

FINLAND: Easing of travel restrictions from 13 July 2020

The country's government has announced that on 13 July it will lift all travel restrictions for 17 European countries; also allowed will be both work-related travel and other essential trips to several countries on other continents. However, restrictions including a recommended 14-day quarantine upon arrival will be retained for travellers from 12 European countries - this includes Spain, Britain and France, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Romania, Monaco, Portugal, Poland and Sweden.
Finland
Borders
Business
Leisure

ESTONIA: Entry permitted for travellers from 14 non-EU and EEA countries

As of 6 July, Estonia will now permit entry to travellers from 14 countries outside of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), based on their low COVID-19 infection rates. Travellers without symptoms arriving from an EU Member State, Schengen Convention state or from the UK are allowed also permitted to enter the country. A requirement for self-isolation is dependent on the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the passengers' country of departure.
Estonia
Borders
Business
Leisure

HURTIGRUTEN: Norwegian cruise line to increase sailings from September 2020

Norway-based cruise line Hurtigruten have announced plans to ramp up operations by putting 14 of its 16 ships back into service by the end of September; last month, they were already have said to put the first ocean cruise ship in the world back into action, when the Finnmarken departed on 16 June. Sailings resuming in September will include short-break expeditions around the British Isles.
Norway
United Kingdom
Cruise
Hurtigruten
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: 57 countries to be exempt from self-quarantine in Scotland from 10 July 2020

The Scottish government has released a list of 57 countries (plus 14 UK overseas territories) from which arrivals will not need to self-quarantine from 10 July. Although a constituent country of the UK, as a devolved administration Scotland has chosen to issue its own entry requirements. It's list is, though, identical to England's with the exception that Scotland has chosen to omit visitors from Spain and Serbia as being exempt from quarantine.
Serbia
Spain
United Kingdom
Borders
Business
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ITALY: Country suspends all flights from Bangladesh for one week

The Italian government has suspended all flights from Bangladesh for one week, after a ‘significant number’ of passengers arriving on a flight to Rome on Monday tested positive for COVID-19. Last week the Lazio region, close to Rome, also urged the local Bangladeshi community to test for the virus after clusters of recent cases.
Bangladesh
Italy
Borders
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Leisure

NORWEGIAN: Airline releases latest COVID-19 updates

Norwegian Air Shuttle, the low-cost airline which trades is 'Norwegian', has released its latest round of updates on cancellation, re-booking and changes to services during COVID-19. There is also information on the meal services on board, changes to hand baggage requirements and the mandatory use of face masks on board.
Norway
Airline
Business
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: London Heathrow Airport awaits green light on COVID-19 arrival testing

The UK government is deciding whether to give the green light on London's Heathrow Airport becoming the first UK airport to offer medical COVID-19 tests. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) pilot testing scheme would be available for passengers arriving from countries that are not exempt from England's quarantine regulations such as the U.S., Portugal, China and Brazil. If passengers are given the all-clear with negative tests results they wouldn't have to self-isolate for 14 days. The scheme reportedly has the complete support of the country's transport minister.
United Kingdom
Borders
Business
Leisure

LATVIA: EU citizens no longer required to self-isolate on arrival

The country's government has announced that citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, as well as people who live permanently in those countries are no longer required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their arrival in Latvia, as long as their home countries have maintained an incidence of less than 16 COVID-19 cases in 100,000 people for the previous 14 days. Epidemiological data is updated every Friday and published on the Latvian Centre for Disease Prevention and Control website.
Latvia
Borders
Business
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: COVID-19 restrictions lifted in Wales and tourism starts to re-open

The country of Wales has now started to re-open to tourism as COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. From March, a ‘stay local’ requirement has meant residents were required to stay less than five miles from their home, in addition to restrictions being in place at the border with England. Visitors are now able to travel into and around Wales, and the tourism sector including self-catering accommodation can begin to welcome guests from 11 July, if conditions allow.
United Kingdom
Borders
Business
Leisure

SPAIN: Region of Catalonia imposes lockdown on an area of 210,000 people

The government in Spain's Catalonia region has re-imposed COVID-19 controls on an area of 210,000 people after a sharp rise in infections. The region's president has said no-one will now be allowed to enter or leave Segrià, an agricultural area west of Barcelona which includes the city of Lleida. The local lockdown began on the afternoon of 4 July, with provisions made to allow non-residents to leave.
Spain
Borders
Business
Leisure

EUROSTAR: Daily rail service from London to Amsterdam to resume from 9 July 2020

The cross-channel rail provider Eurostar has confirmed that it will reinstate its daily through-train from London St Pancras to the Dutch city if Amsterdam effective as of 9 July. There will be a single service (previously it operated up to three times daily) departing London at 11.04 and arriving into Amsterdam Centraal at 16.11.
France
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Rail
Eurostar
Business
Leisure

AMERICAN AIRLINES: Airline to move London Heathrow operations to airport's Terminal 5

American Airlines will move its London Heathrow operations into the airport’s Terminal 5 on 7 July, where joint venture partner British Airways is based. The move will facilitate smoother connections between the four daily Heathrow flights American Airlines is currently flying and British Airways’ domestic, European and global networks.
South Africa
United Kingdom
United States of America
Airline
American Airlines
Business
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NORWAY: Quarantine requirements to ease for arrivals from some countries on 15 July 2020

Norway's government has said that from 15 July, the country will allow quarantine-free travel for those living in certain EU/EEA countries where the level of infection is at a low level. The list of countries is set to be published on 10 July on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health website.
Norway
Borders
Business
Leisure

GREECE: Country restricts entry to visitors from Serbia for seven days from 6 July 2020

The Greek government has announced that it has banned all but essential travel from Serbia, as COVID-19 infection numbers steadily rise in the Balkan country. For a week from the morning of 6 July, all entry points are closed to Serbian travellers. The move comes days after Serbian authorities re-imposed lockdown restrictions in the capital Belgrade.
Greece
Serbia
Borders
Business
Leisure

SPAIN: North-western region of Galicia imposes lockdown on an area of 70,000 people

Government official's in Spain's north-western region of Galicia have re-imposed restrictions on an area of 70,000 people following a COVID-19 outbreak. Only those travelling for work will be allowed to leave or enter the coastal district of A Marina from midnight on Sunday 5 July to Friday 10 July. The move comes a day after the north-eastern region of Catalonia imposed a similar local lockdown.
Spain
Borders
Business
Leisure

UNITED KINGDOM: Foreign and Commonwealth Office partially lifts travel advisory for UK citizens

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has partially lifted an exceptional travel advisory which has been place since March, advising British citizens against 'all but essential' travel worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Effective as of 4 July, 67 countries and territories that are judged to be low-risk are now exempt from the advisory.
United Kingdom
Borders
Business
Leisure