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Thailand will lift entry ban for African countries as of 11 January with two options when entering Thailand. Travel will be allowed into Thailand under either the Sandbox initiative, covering travel into Phuket/Krabi/Phang-Na/Surat Thani (Koh Samui, Koh Pha-ngan, Ko Tao). Or under the Alternative quarantine option, whereby travellers can enter at any point in Thailand, however, must undergo government quarantine for minimum of 7 days before moving on. Under the Sandbox initiative travellers must arrive direct at Phuket Airport with no BKK transits allowed. All travellers must be fully vaccinated, not applicable to children under 18 traveling with vaccinated parents. Further detailed requirements in terms of testing and stay apply.

From 8 January - 21 January, passengers who have been in eight countries including Australia for more than two hours in the past 21 days, will not be permitted to board a flight to Hong Kong. This measure will be effective for 14 days, subject to review. The eight countries are Australia, Canada, France, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. For entry prior to 8 January, you’ll be subject to 21 days of compulsory quarantine at a designated quarantine hotel on arrival, followed by seven days of self-monitoring. You’ll also need to take several compulsory COVID-19 tests.

A new Russian government ruling on COVID cancels all earlier exceptions for diplomatic passport holders, travellers on business visas, and some other categories of visitors from Hong Kong and nine African nations – Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Eswatini, and South Africa. The highest number of those infected with the Omicron variant has been detected in South Africa. The new strain has since been recorded in over 50 countries.

Australia is now listed as a ‘high risk place’. If you're travelling from Australia, you can't enter Hong Kong unless you're a fully vaccinated Hong Kong resident. You also can't enter Hong Kong if you have been in Australia for more than 2 hours on the day of boarding or during the 21 days before that day. Fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents or a fully vaccinated Foreign Domestic Helpers with a valid employment visa can arrive into Hong Kong however they will be required to hotel quarantine for 21 days.

Due to the Omicron Covid-19 variant, new restrictions on travel between South Africa and further Southern African countries, have been put in place. The newly added countries applying either additional testing requirements, quarantine on arrival, travel for restricted exempt travellers or complete bans on travel for the affected countries include; Kuwait, Norway, Fiji, South Korea, Indonesia, Slovenia, Finland, the Bahamas, Mongolia, Macau, Brunei, Lithuania, Peru, the Ukraine, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, Antigua and Barbuda, Ecuador, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Chile, St Vincent and The Grenadine, Aruba, and Uzbekistan.

Japan has suspended the entry of all non-resident foreign nationals. You are unable to enter Japan unless you're a Japanese citizen or permanent resident with a re-entry permit. This entry ban applies to travellers who have already obtained a visa in the past. The quarantine period for all international arrivals is 14-days, even if you're fully vaccinated.

In addition to country bans and restrictions in place in reaction to the emergence of the Omicron variant, as on 29 November, further countries have applied regulations of their own. The countries newly included are Zimbabwe, Gabon, Bangladesh, Panama, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Cambodia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Poland, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Reunion, Russia, Rwanda and Switzerland. Some of the restrictions would have immediate effect on travel from South Africa and other risk-designated countries, with complete bans or stricter entry regulations which may include mandatory quarantine. Travel regulations remain extremely fluid as government and airline regulations continue to be adjusted in response to the Omicron variant.

Various countries, as listed below, have issued new travel restrictions on traffic originating from Southern African countries, including South Africa, due to the Omicron variant of COVID-19 (these may include but are not limited to quarantine upon arrival, additional testing, vaccination requirements or a complete travel ban). The affected countries currently are listed as the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Mauritius, Seychelles, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Croatia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Belgium, France, Spain, Malta, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Guatemala, Cyprus, Canada, the US, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Denmark, Egypt, India, Japan, the Maldives, Morocco, Qatar, Thailand, Pakistan, Israel, New Zealand, Angola. The situation is extremely fluid and changing constantly. Travel into a great number of the countries that imposed a travel ban or travel halt, is restricted to travel being allowed for citizens and permanent residents, with limited exemptions being allowed.

The Philippines is looking to open its borders to fully vaccinated tourists coming from "green list" countries "soon". There are currently 44 countries and territories on the Philippines coronavirus “green list”. The Philippines added South Africa on November 16, effective until the next review on November 30.

Japan will ease restrictions on fully vaccinated business travellers from today 8 November. There have been no updates as to when it will allow international tourists to return. Arrivals will only have to self-isolate for three days, rather than the current 10-day quarantine period if they can provide proof of their vaccination status.

China is reimposing new lockdowns amid rising COVID-19 infections as the country recorded more than 100 cases across 11 provinces over the last week. Infections have been reported in nearly a third of the country’s provinces and regions, with all medium- and high-risk regions concentrated in Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Guizhou, and Beijing. Authorities have banned travel agencies from organising cross-provincial tours in these regions and heightened entry restrictions, requiring travellers from any areas with confirmed cases to present negative tests and undergo 14 days of health monitoring.

Thailand confirmed that vaccinated travellers from all countries were welcome into its ‘sandbox scheme’ on 1 October. The islands in the sandbox scheme are Phuket, Surat Thani (Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan, and Ko Tao), Phang-Nga (Khao Lak and Ko Yao), and Krabi (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Ngai, and Railay Beach).

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed a further extension to its reopening plans with the Phuket Sandbox 7+7 programme. The new system will provide fully-vaccinated international travellers with even more options to visit multiple Thai destinations bringing back the opportunity to enjoy multicentre, island-hopping itineraries, without the need to quarantine.The decision, however, comes against a backdrop of Thailand being added to the red list in the UK.

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.

The government of Laos has extended the current nationwide lockdown to 18 August 2021, originally set to expire on Tuesday 3 August.

Turkey recently deemed Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka high-risk, but allowed passengers from these to enter the country with a 72-hour PCR test and 14-day quarantine upon arrival. However, Turkey’s Interior Ministry issued a circular stating that the country had suspended direct flights from Bangladesh, Brazil, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka as of July 1 and until further notice. Turkish authorities announced that the nation was suspending direct flights only from these six countries due to the spike of the new variants of the COVID-19 virus.

To curb the spread of new variants of COVID-19, the Hong Kong government announced yesterday 28 June that all passenger flights from the UK would be banned from flying to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, starting Thursday 1 July. Hong Kong authorities classified the UK as “extremely high risk” because of the “recent rebound of the epidemic situation in the UK and the widespread Delta variant virus strain there”. Under the new classification, people who have stayed in the UK for more than two hours will be restricted from boarding passenger flights to Hong Kong.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has set out its complete guidelines for the Phuket Sandbox reopening on the 1st of July 2021. All visitors to Phuket must: Obtain a Certificate of Entry at entrythailand.go.th after arriving from a medium- to low-risk country, regardless of vaccination. Be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before departure to Thailand. Present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure. Take out COVID-19 health insurance with a minimum coverage of US$100 000. Take another COVID-19 test upon arrival. If travellers want to move around Thailand after they have stayed in Phuket, they must wait 14 days before moving out of Phuket. Travellers will also need to show proof that the 14-day arrival stay was completed in Phuket.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has eased travel recommendations for more than 110 countries and territories, including Japan; the new ratings include 61 nations that were lowered from its highest 'Level 4' rating that discouraged all travel, to recommending travel for fully COVID-19 vaccinated passengers. An additional 50 countries and territories have also been lowered to 'Level 2' or 'Level 1'.

The airline has confirmed the return of its non-stop Manchester route from 17 July; initially, the flight will operate three times weekly to and from Singapore, with an A350-900 aircraft - but it is hoped that in time this can gradually increase, and also include the return of the westbound transatlantic connection to Houston, USA.