Canada is set to ease its travel and testing rules in less than 48 hours, but the country’s chief public health officer is suggesting the government will throw things into reverse if needed. The Edmonton Journal and Canadian Press report that Dr. Theresa Tam on Friday (Feb. 25) said that nobody knows what the coronavirus will do next, and that Canada has to be ready to bring back some public health measures if case counts begin to rise sharply again. Noting that viruses often pick up steam when cool weather arrives, Tam said Canada needs be ready for the fall, Read more
vaccines
It’s been a tough couple years, but St. Kitts and Nevis are poised to bounce back in a big way. Visitors are being welcomed, a range of activities are available, and most hotels are open, Ellison “Tommy”Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, said in a Zoom chat this week. Thompson formerly worked in tourism in The Bahamas and just came to his new role in January, so he’s looking at St. Kitts with fresh eyes. “We see St. Kitts as a real fun, adventure place,” Thompson told me. “There’s quite a lot to do here. We’re also targeting Read more
Israel will begin allowing entry to all tourists, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, starting March 1. Quoting a statement from the prime minister’s office said on Sunday, Global News and Reuters said entry into Israel will still require two PCR tests, one before flying in and one upon landing in Israel, the statement said. Right now, only COVID-19 vaccinated foreigners are allowed into the country. “We are seeing a constant decline in morbidity data, so it is time to gradually open up,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. “In order to maintain to public’s trust and ensure Read more
Europe and the world are poised for a travel rebound, plus tourism optimism in the Canadian Maritimes and news about rules for visiting Hawai’i and Belize. Today’s Jim Byers Travel news update. EUROPE POISED FOR TRAVEL REBOUND THIS YEAR The European Travel Commission (ETC) predicts tourist arrivals to be just 20% below pre-pandemic levels in 2022, according to Hotel News Resource. The International Air Transport Association says that, worldwide, there was an 11-percentage point improvement between the January and February periods for air travel, which it said was the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the pandemic began. Read more
The best-known COVID-19 expert in the U.S. says the American government should “seriously” consider requiring domestic travellers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. “There’s requirements that you might want to get if you want to get into college, or you want to go to a university, or you want to work in certain places,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, said on MSNBC on Monday. “When you make vaccination a requirement, that’s another incentive to get more people vaccinated. If you want to do that with domestic flights, I think that’s something that seriously should be considered.” CNBC Read more
