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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.

From today, the middle-eastern airline has resumed twice-weekly flights to the Turkish destinations of Antalya and Bodrum. They have also announced that by the end of this month they will have resumed operations via 450 weekly flights to more than 70 destinations.

Guided tour operator Trafalgar have announced that they will now offer private trips for groups of 12 or more, to help ease customer concerns over travelling with others outside of their friend and family circles during the COVID-19 pandemic. The option is available for most of the company’s winter and spring itineraries throughout Europe and North America.

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.

The airline have announced that they will start flying a new route from London Gatwick Airport to Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica from 13 October. The twice-weekly service will operate on a Tuesday and Saturday on a Boeing 777 aircraft, with seats available in World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World.

The country's government has announced that they have expanded to 42 the number of countries on its COVID-19 watch list, from which new arrivals must enter a 10-day quarantine. New entries as of tomorrow, 23 July include Bosnia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eswatini, Guatemala, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, the Palestinian territories, Suriname and the United Arab Emirates. Belarus and Sweden, however, are to be removed.

British passenger cruise line Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) has ceased operations after failing to secure the necessary funding. CMV sourced mainly British passengers and operated six cruise ships: the Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Astoria, Astor, Marco Polo and Magellan.

After some uncertainty over the date of its release, the government of Ireland have now announced their travel 'green list' of quarantine-exempt countries; arrivals into the country from Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco, and San Marino will not have to restrict their movements or be subject to a 14-day quarantine. Notably, the United Kingdom has for now been excluded. The list will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis.

The release of Ireland's 'green list' of countries set to be exempt from COVID-19 arrival measures has been delayed, despite previous assurances that it would be made available by 20 July. The delay has been caused by the postponement of a government cabinet meeting to sign-off on the list, and it is currently not clear when it will be re-scheduled for.

From 18 July, British Airways will be resuming flights from Dubai International Airport; services will operate from Terminal 3, rather than Terminal 1 as they did previously.

Express COVID-19 testing has been made available on a trial basis today, 20 July, for some passengers at Russia’s busiest airport, Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. The trial is part of a pilot project aimed at allowing air travel and tourism to resume safely. Following the trial and pending any problems, the express testing will be available from 27 July for domestic and international flights at Sheremetyevo’s Terminal D.

The Republic of Ireland is due to publish a 'green list' of countries from which arrivals will not be subject to restricted movement or quarantine. Eligible countries are to be determined based on their COVID-19 infection numbers, and the list will be reviewed every two weeks. Great Britain is reportedly expected to not be included.

The Royal Caribbean group has announced the decision to extend the suspension of cruise sailings for passengers due to depart on or before 30 September. Included among the group’s brands are Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea.

Italy's government announced on 16 July that the country has now banned arriving passengers who have been present in Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro in the last 14 days, including those seeking only to transit. Last week, Italy had already banned entry to people coming from an additional 13 countries, including Brazil, all of which it said presented an excessive rate of COVID-19 infections.

Quest, a global serviced apartment hotel brand, has released their Stay Safe health and safety promise - a commitment to ensure that the safety of their customers during COVID-19 remains their top priority. This is now valid at all Quest properties in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

From 15 July, Russia has started to lift further restrictions on international flights with some countries. All foreign arrivals are now asked to provide a medical certificate to prove they have either tested negative for COVID-19 or tested positive for COVID-19-related antibodies. Arriving passengers are also no longer required to quarantine unless they are experiencing symptoms.

From 15 July, Norway is allowing entry for passengers who are resident in most Schengen and European Union/European Economic Area countries, which currently also includes the UK. Arrivals will either be exempt from, or must adhere to, a 10-day mandatory self-quarantine depending on the risk status of the country from which they travel. For countries outside the Nordics, Schengen or EU/EEA, restrictions continue to apply.