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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.

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reported that from today, 15 July, the UK has been included in a list of countries from which flights are permitted to land in Malta, and arrivals from the have been added to a list of those exempt from self-isolation, as long as they can provide evidence of residing in the UK or another exempt country for 14 days prior to travel.

The UK's health secretary has announced that England will make face coverings mandatory in shops and supermarkets from 24 July, with anyone failing to comply with the order liable to face fines. The move will bring England into line with Scotland and other major European nations like Spain, Italy and Germany - mask-wearing has also been mandatory on public transport in England, and at NHS facilities across the UK, since 15 June.

The government of France announced on 13 July that, with immediate effect, it has started to restrict Chinese airlines to one passenger flight per week, in a move seen to be a retaliatory response to curbs imposed by Beijing on French airlines; discussions between the two governments reportedly remain in motion, with an aim to reach a more satisfactory mutual decision. Currently three Chinese airlines are permitted to make weekly flights to Paris - Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines.

Virgin Atlantic has today announced that they have agreed to a private £1.2bn recapitalisation deal which will allow the airline to secure its future post-COVID-19. By 2022 the airline plans to fly the same number of flights as they did in 2019, albeit from smaller operating bases at the UK's London Heathrow and Manchester Airports; this follows the suspension of operations at London Gatwick Airport for the forseeable future.

To address safe group travel practices and evolve today’s event experience, Hilton today announced a global, industry-leading cleanliness and customer service program specific to meetings and events. Hilton EventReady with CleanStay is the next phase of the company’s recently launched Hilton CleanStay and was shaped by extensive research and feedback.

The country's government has announced that wearing face masks will be mandatory in most closed public spaces from 13 July, due to a continued increase in cases of COVID-19; included will be employees and customers in shops as well as employees in bars, restaurants and other places where there is close contact with customers. The use of face masks on public transport was made compulsory several weeks ago.

The country's prime minister has today announced that new restrictions on cross-border travel will be imposed from 15 July; travel to Hungary from high-risk countries classified as 'yellow' and 'red' will require strict health checks and quarantine on arrival for Hungarian passport holders. The same will apply for foreign nationals, other than that entry from 'red' countries will be prohibited.

The country's government has published its first list of colour codes for the areas to which Belgian travellers will face travel restrictions this summer; listed under the 'red-zone' category currently are Lleida and A Mariña in Spain, Lisbon in Portugal and Leicester in the UK. Travellers returning from one of these areas will be treated as high-risk, and will be required to be tested and quarantined.

The country's government has proposed that scheduled, commercial international flights should resume from 15 July; the proposal comes after Russia re-opened sports facilities and restaurants despite recording a high number of new COVID-19 cases. The deputy prime minister has said that any foreigners entering Russia would be required to have tested negative for the virus within three days of arrival.

The city of Leicester has become the only location in the UK to be placed on the Belgian government's 'red-zone' travel list; anyone arriving in Belgium who has recently visited the city will be told to place themselves in a two-week mandatory quarantine. This follows the news of Leicester returning to a localised COVID-19 lockdown, following a surge in cases in previous weeks.

The tour operator has announced they are set to resume tours shortly, with 21 departures planned across European destinations for September. The collection includes tours to seven countries including Greece, Spain, Iceland, Croatia and Italy. Passengers will be offered a range of itineraries from across G Adventures’ travel styles, and all trips are suitable for those looking to create a ‘bubble’ holiday, with friends and family, or with a small group of like-minded travellers.

The Norwegian government has today confirmed a list of more than 20 European countries from which it will lift travel restrictions on 15 July; this includes France, Germany and Britain as well as three of the 21 provinces of neighbouring Sweden. The list will be reviewed at least every 14 days based on data such as infection rates and hospital admissions in each country.

The UK government has announced that leisure and beauty related businesses and services will be permitted to re-open throughout the remainder of July. Among those included to be re-opened in phases until 25 July are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, grassroots sport, indoor gyms, sports facilities and beauticians.

The Dubai-based airline have announced that they will shortly resume flights to a further six cities: Geneva, Los Angeles, Dar es Salaam, Prague, Sao Paulo and Boston. This will take the airline’s network to 58 cities by mid-August, including 20 destinations in Europe and 24 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Greek government announced today that from 14 July, visitors arriving via its border with Bulgaria will be permitted entry only if they show a negative COVID-19 test. The test must be conducted within 72 hours of arrival.

The UK rail operator LNER, who operate long-distance inter-city services from London King's Cross to north east England and Scotland, have announced that they have released tickets for booking on journeys up until and including 31 July. During the COVID-19 pandemic, reservations on LNER services must be made in advance.

The country's prime minister announced today, 10 July, that Italy is likely to extend a state of emergency beyond its current deadline of 31 July due to the current COVID-19 crisis. The state of emergency was originally declared in January.

Spain's Balearic Islands have joined the region of Catalonia in also making face masks mandatory in public at all times. The four largest islands are Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera - the order will take effect from 13 July.

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.