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The government of Hong Kong has confirmed that from 10 August, arriving passengers who have visited or transited through Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa or the United States will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken a maximum of 72 hours prior to departure. They will also require proof of the credibility of the testing facility, and proof of a hotel room reservation in Hong Kong for at least 14 days from the day of arrival.

Celebrity Cruises, a member of the Royal Caribbean group, has re-confirmed that the majority of sailings globally have been voluntarily extended until at least 31 October. In a statement the operator cited that the health and safety of their guests, crew, and the communities they visit is their top priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension currently only excludes sailings from China and Australia.

The U.S. State Department yesterday, 6 August, urged citizens not to travel to Mexico despite easing a global travel ban, citing a rapid spread in COVID-19 within Mexico among other considerations. Despite close commercial ties across the world's busiest land border, this decision means that Mexico remains on an advisory level four - the highest classification which, outside of the now listed global advisory, is usually reserved for countries at war.

The Dubai-based airline has announced that from 16 August it will operate five flights per week to Toronto Pearson International Airport on its flagship Airbus A380; this will take the total number of cities served by Emirates' flagship aircraft to six.

The U.S. State Department has announced that from 6 August, the country is no longer advising against all international travel. This means that a global level four health advisory will now be lifted which has been in place since 19 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's government does however recommend that citizens exercise caution when travelling abroad due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic. All countries will now be rated on a level from one to four, depending on the severity of their outbreaks.

The two U.S. airlines have announced that they will block middle seats through to October 2020 in order to aid social distancing and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Alaska Airlines will do so through to 31 October, and jetBlue has set a current deadline of 15 October; both airlines will however still allow for the use of middle seats for larger parties who wish to sit together.

The city’s mayor has implemented quarantine check points at key entry points to the city, to ensure that travelers coming from 35 states on New York’s travel advisory comply with the 14-day quarantine mandate issued by the state in June. Travelers coming in from those states will be given information about the quarantine and will be reminded that it is required, not optional; fines for not observing the requirements could reportedly be as high as USD10,000.

The Montréal-based airline has announced that from 1 November it will have resumed flights to a total of 40 destinations for the winter season across the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, the U.S., Europe and domestically within Canada. As well as this, Air Transat is presenting even more flexible options to book, change or cancel a trip, and are ensuring a safe experience with its 'Traveller Care' program.

U.S. based line Crystal Cruises have taken the decision to cancel the remainder of their 2020 sailings, citing the uncertainty of the global COVID-19 pandemic; this includes all ocean cruises on the Crystal Symphony, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Esprit. The operator recently launched health and safety protocols and procedures, Crystal Clean+ 2.0, for when services eventually resume.

British Airways has resumed flying to a number of popular holiday destinations, among a number of other route resumptions announced as part of an update to their August-September schedule. Flights to Bari, Bastia, Bodrum, Bordeaux, Catania, Figari, Kefalonia, Malta, Paphos and Pula have resumed; while in long-haul, Antigua, Nairobi and Islamabad are now operating. Also notable is that from September, the service from London Heathrow to New York JFK will double in frequency and become daily.

The brand, who own and operate luxury resorts across predominantly Mexico and the Caribbean, have published update and adjusted re-opening dates for a number of their resorts. If guests with advance bookings have been affected by extended closure, they are to be granted additional flexibility for re-booking and a complimentary extra night.

British Airways have confirmed that they have stopped their historic BA1/BA2 service from London City Airport to New York JFK - a 32-seat all business class service which made a re-fuelling stop in Shannon, Ireland where passengers could also clear US customs prior to arrival in New York. The service had operated since 2009 using flight numbers previously owned by Concorde.

The U.S. airline have, from 30 July, introduced a new health declaration for passengers during the check-in process; the acknowledgment requires passengers to check boxes indicating that they have not been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19 within the past two weeks, and have not experienced any of the primary symptoms. Passengers who cannot confirm this will be unable to complete check-in, and will be prompted to cancel or change their reservation with fees waived.

Mexico's flag-carrying airline has announced that it is increasing operations by 20% in August compared to July, representing about 1,200 additional flights; in total, Aeromexico is planning about 7,400 flights in August to cities across North and South America.

The government of Japan have said that the U.S. island state of Hawaii has been included in a preliminary list of countries and regions that Japan is considering as part of a safe travel initiative; the program would require pre-travel COVID-19 testing and medical evaluation of returning passengers. The program includes a dozen countries and regions under consideration by Japanese officials including China, South Korea, Myanmar, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and several European countries.

The Canadian government has announced that from today, 31 July, people who choose to travel to Alaska through Canada will face tougher restrictions; the measures are an attempt to crack down on anyone taking advantage of the provided passage to instead sneak into parks and leisure sites within Canada. Measures include cars' rear-view mirrors being marked with identification. Currently although the border between the countries is closed to all non-essential travel, U.S. citizens and visitors can drive to and from Alaska as long as they follow specific mandates.

As per previously announced government plans, mandatory temperature screening has begun to be implemented in phases at Canada’s 15 busiest airports; this will start on 30 July at Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto-Pearson and Montreal-Trudeau. On or before 30 September, temperature screening operations will commence at the next 11 busiest airports - St. John’s, Halifax, Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto-Billy Bishop, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has announced that, in line with the American Hotel & Lodging Association's guest checklist, from 10 August guests in all locations in the United States and Canada will be required to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces; the company will inform guests of the new policy ahead of their arrival, and there also will be signage at each hotel. Similar announcements have recently been made by brands including Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels Corp. and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Virgin Atlantic have announced further route resumptions in August, after successfully re-starting flights to destinations including Hong Kong, New York JFK and Los Angeles in the second half of July. From 1 August services will resume to Barbados; this is followed by flights to Shanghai returning on 4 August. Finally, Virgin's Miami route will be operational from 18 August.

The local government of the U.S. state of Alaska have announced that from 11 August, visitors must present the negative results of a COVID-19 test taken prior to arrival, within 72 hours of entering the state. The policy will supersede current entry requirements, which thus far has offered options for pre-trip testing or a combination of quarantine time and testing upon arrival in the state.