Coronavirus digest: UK reopens travel to select countries
May 7, 2021
The UK has taken a "first step" to allow international leisure travel following its massive vaccination campaign. But a number of popular destinations are still not on the low-risk list. All the latest here.
All but essential travel remains barred to countries with severe outbreaks, including India and South AfricaImage: Matthew Childs/REUTERS
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The UK will allow people in England to travel internationally starting May 17, but it will limit the number of destinations that soon-to-be tourists can go to without quarantine.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the "green list" will include Portugal, Israel, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore to start. The list will be reviewed every three weeks.
However, major vacation destinations such as France, Spain and Greece did not make the cut. Britons traveling to those countries will have to self-isolate for 10 days upon their return.
Trade bodies for pilots and airlines said the UK was excessively cautious and a small reopening would not be enough for the industry to recover from a dismal travel year.
People who will travel to countries on the green list will not have to quarantine upon return. But they must still take a COVID-19 test before returning to the UK, and one more two days later.
The UK has seen a dramatic drop in COVID-19 cases after more than half of the country received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose.
Here's a roundup of some of the other major COVID-related stories around the world on Friday.
The seven-day incidence rate continued dropping, now at 125.7 cases per 100,000 people per week. Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Friday that there were signs of the third wave breaking.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed social issues to the top of the European Union's meeting agenda as member nations get ready to discuss the bloc's social affairs strategy for the next decade at a high-level conference in Portugal.
Restrictions on nonessential travel in Europe — country by country
Several European Union member states have announced stricter travel restrictions mandating further tests and extending quarantines to prevent the spread of mutant COVID-19 variants.
Image: Alexander Farnsworth/picture alliance
Poland
The Polish government has begun to ease the recent lockdown rules, although some restrictions remain in place until further notice. Many tourist attractions will open again in the next few days and hotels follow from May 8. Restaurants will be allowed to serve food in outdoor areas from May 15, and indoor dining returns from May 29. Nightclubs, however, remain closed until further notice.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/A. Widak
Czech Republic
Travel to the Czech Republic for tourist reasons remains prohibited. After more than half a year, all retail stores are permitted to reopen on May 10. Masks may then be removed outdoors if a distance of two meters can be maintained. Restaurants and hotels, meanwhile, remain closed. Outdoor restaurants are to be allowed to open on May 17.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
Finland
The Finnish government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into Finland until May 25. Restaurants are expected to reopen this month with limited seating and opening hours. In June the plan is to lift restrictions on public gatherings and allow travel from most other European countries. Travel for business reasons from outside the EU into Finland may be permitted from July.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Nousiainen
Sweden
Travelers from most EU countries, and people travelling from non-EU countries who are exempted from the EU's entry ban, will have to show a negative COVID-19 test no older than 48 hours on arrival, or be turned away. These rules will apply until May 31. There is a ban on entry to Sweden from the UK, Denmark and Norway, apart from Swedish citizens and people who live or work in Sweden.
Image: Alexander Farnsworth/picture alliance
Denmark
Non-essential tourist travel is still warned against but fully vaccinated people from EU countries ─ including tourists ─ can now enter Denmark. Unlike other travelers, they do not have to show a negative COVID test and they are not subject to testing and quarantine after arrival. Stores are open again in Denmark. Cafés, restaurants and bars are allowed to serve customers outdoors again.
Travelers arriving by air must present a negative test no more than 72 hours old and only arrivals from risk areas have to quarantine. Hotels are open, as are museums, stores, theaters, cinemas, zoos and amusement parks. Food and drink can be served on restaurant terraces. Wearing masks is mandatory everywhere. There are no curfews. There are no special concessions for vaccinated persons.
Image: Imago Images/Geisser
Luxembourg
Travelers from EU and Schengen Area countries can enter Luxembourg without the need to present a negative COVID-19 test unless they arrive by air; since January 29 a negative test must be shown at boarding. Nonessential travel from most third countries is banned. Non-essential shops are open, but bars and restaurants are closed in Luxembourg and there is a curfew from 11 p.m.
Image: imago/alimdi
Norway
Norway’s borders are closed to all but essential travel. A negative COVID-19 test result is required upon, entry while people from some countries have to take a test upon arrival. Everyone who does arrive in Norway has to register and quarantine for ten days. There are quarantine hotels at major entry points. Quarantine can be reduced to 7 days subject to 2 negative tests after arrival.
Image: picture-alliance/robertharding/J. Nix
Turkey
All travelers aged 6 years and above have to show a negative PCR test result before they can enter Turkey and may be subject to health screening when they arrive. A passenger locator form has to be filled out. Until May 17 the country is in full lockdown, meaning residents have to stay indoors except for essential shopping trips and urgent medical treatment.
Image: picture-alliance/R. Hackenberg
Croatia
Croatia is following a traffic light system for travel restrictions and anybody coming from an EU country on the "green list" can enter the country without any restrictions. That's providing they show no symptoms and haven't been in close proximity to an infected person. All other travelers have to show a negative COVID-19 test no older than 48 hours on arrival.
Image: picture-alliance/Zoonar/B. Hoyen
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Greek museums will reopen to visitors next week, one day before the official start to tourism season on May 15. Museums including the Acropolis museum have been closed since mid-November due to a second lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Americas
Vaccinations need to be ramped up across the globe if the world wants beat mutations of the virus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. He added that the United States was looking at ways it could help.
"If the entire world doesn't do more, the world won't be vaccinated until 2024. We can speed this up and get that done, I think, in much shorter time," Blinken said in an interview during a visit to Ukraine. "None of us are going to be fully safe until ... we get as many people vaccinated as possible."
'COVID-19: Faces of Resilience' portrays heroes of the pandemic
In her series "Faces of Resilience," German photographer Claudia Paul portrayed the staff of the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Image: Claudia Paul | Mount Sinai
At the pandemic's front line
Amid the coronavirus crisis, New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital asked photographer Claudia Paul to portray the clinic staff as they fought to save the lives of COVID-19 patients. In the midst of the chaos, Paul captured intense moments showing health care workers from behind the scenes. Here, a doctor is getting ready for work.
Image: Claudia Paul
'Important work in historic days'
Claudia Paul, a German photographer who lives in New York City, was "nervous about going to a clinic while this invisible threat was rampant," she told "The Luupe." But she knew that documenting the historic events in the clinic was important work. Here, nurses discuss the condition of a patient in the COVID intensive care unit.
Image: Claudia Paul | Mount Sinai
Emotional moments
"There were many emotional moments that I will never forget," says Paul, who has been living in the United States for 18 years. "It was often difficult, but there was also this fantastic spirit of resilience and teamwork. Everyone looked out for each other. My time in the clinic made me realize how important our health is." Nurse Simone can be seen here seeking strength through prayer.
Image: Claudia Paul | Mount Sinai
Humble health care workers
"I was very surprised at how humble the clinic staff are and how much they appreciated that we took their pictures and asked for their stories," Paul said, adding: "They don't see themselves as heroes. They just do what they have to do. It's their calling." This Mount Sinai Hospital worker was photographed at the end of his night shift.
Image: Claudia Paul | Mount Sinai
Pausing for hope
This nurse is also praying for her patients in the COVID-19 intensive care unit. Documenting the hospital staff's everyday work inspired Claudia Paul to also portray them more formally. The photos include a quote from the people portrayed on how they experienced the events. The series make up the photo exhibition "COVID-19 / Faces of Resilience," now on show in Tübingen.
Image: Claudia Paul | Mount Sinai
'Trish, emergency nursing'
"In the midst of all the chaos, I had a moment where I realized that this was why I went into nursing," reads the text in this photo. At the height of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, thousands of people died of COVID-19 in NYC within days. Space in the morgues was becoming scarce, and it was hardly possible to treat the dead with dignity.
Image: Claudia Paul
'Steven, engineering'
"My most memorable moment was seeing people realize that COVID-19 was not merely another virus," recalls the Mount Sinai Hospital engineer. At the beginning of the pandemic, former US President Donald Trump tried to downplay the threat of the coronavirus, which led the US to lose several crucial weeks in the fight against the virus.
Image: Claudia Paul
'Jennifer, pharmacy'
At the peak of the crisis in New York City, health care workers were all overworked and strained: "Our staff banded together and became even stronger, despite being exhausted and stretched very thin at times," says this emergency doctor.
Image: Claudia Paul
'Maurice, information technology'
The series "COVID-19 / Faces of Resilience'" by Claudia Paul is on show from May 5 through September 18, 2021 at the German-American Institute in Tübingen. A virtual tour of the exhibition is also accessible through the website, www.dai-tuebingen.de/covid.
Image: Claudia Paul
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New York City wants to start vaccinating tourists by offering shots at vaccination vans across the city’s major tourist hotspots like Times Square, Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said.
De Blasio called it a "positive message to tourists: 'Come here. It's safe, it's a great place to be and we're going to take care of you.''" However, the city needs state approval to go through with the plan.
The Mexican health ministry said local production of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine will likely begin at the end of June.
The health safety agency Cofepris was invited to visit Russia's Gamaleya Institute to observe the "Sputnik V technology transfer" in packaging the vaccine. The agency did not say when the trip would take place.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said residents of the city will be able to attend open-air sporting events and concerts starting next week after a steady drop in infections.
Sporting events will allow up to 25% capacity starting May 12. Other entertainment venues, including some indoor events, can start on May 17 at 30% capacity.
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Africa
Tanzania's new president Samia Suluhu Hassan reversed course from her predecessor and stressed the importance of wearing facemasks to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Hassan told community elders in Dar es Salaam, "we have come with face masks because elders are in a group of people who are at higher risk of contracting the prevailing disease. We have found it is important to protect you."
Previous president John Magufuli rejected masks and denounced vaccines as a Western conspiracy. He died in March after weeks of speculation that he was ill with COVID-19.
Asia-Pacific
The World Health Organization (WHO) gave emergency approval to the COVID-19 vaccine from China's state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm. This allows the COVAX vaccine program to purchase doses for countries that need assistance in vaccination efforts.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said its separate Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) recommended adults over 18 get two doses. The vaccine has an estimated efficacy of 79%.
India reported another record daily rise in coronavirus cases with 414,188 new infections reported on Friday. As the country struggles to deal with a crippling surge of the pandemic, India recorded 3,915 deaths over a 24-hour period, according to government data.
With 234,083 fatalities and over 21 million infections, the country accounts for the world’s worst outbreak after the United States. India has added 1.57 million cases and over 15,100 deaths from the virus this week alone.
Australia may keep its borders closed to visitors until late 2022, the country’s trade and tourism minister said Friday, putting a dampener on hopes of a quick reopening. The country has barred international travel since March 20, 2020.
It is "very hard to determine" when borders could reopen, Dan Tehan said in an interview, "the best guess would be in the middle to the second half of next year".
He added that the near blanket ban was essential to keep the country COVID-free.
Malaysia’s commercial capital Kuala Lumpur went into a two-week lockdown on Friday, as the number of daily cases increases considerably. The city will remain under lockdown until May 20.
Japan has extended the state of emergency in Tokyo and three other areas until May 31, weeks before the Tokyo Olympics. The three-week extension of restrictions has been attributed to the fourth wave of the virus as Tokyo and Osaka continue to record infections.
The extension — from May 11 to May 31 — leaves a margin of less than two months before the games start on July 23.
The WHO said it hopes the Tokyo Olympics can go ahead this summer, but there must be an assessment to determine how to manage risks from the pandemic.
"It is our hope that the Olympics can occur," said Mike Ryan, chief of the WHO's emergencies program.
World
The WHO urged governments to vaccinate at-risk groups against COVID-19, including the elderly and immunocompromised people, before moving on to children.
"The priority really needs to be getting vaccine to all countries in the world for the highest priority groups before we start advancing to groups that have much lower risk of disease," said Dr. Kate O'Brien, director of the WHO's vaccines and immunization department.
