Global Travel Alerts

• SCOTLAND / ENGLAND: England, Scotland scrap testing for vaxxed arrivals
• AUSTRALIA: Australia eases restrictions for int’l travellers
• BELGIUM / AUSTRIA / MALTA: European countries shorten vax certificate expiry
• RUSSIA / UKRAINE: US warns against travel to Russia, Ukraine
• TURKEY / GREECE: Winter storm causes chaos in Greece, Turkey
• WESTERN CAPE: Firefighters struggle against Cape Winelands fires
• INDONESIA / SINGAPORE: Indonesia, Singapore to start travel bubble
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yellowstone National Park to celebrate anniversary


SCOTLAND / ENGLAND: England, Scotland scrap testing for vaxxed arrivals
Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England and Scotland will no longer have to take a Day 2 lateral flow test, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed.

The new rules will take effect from 04h00, February 11.

Pre-departure tests have already been dropped for vaccinated travellers, as has the need to take a PCR test within two days of arrival into the country, says TTG Media.

AUSTRALIA: Australia eases restrictions for int’l travellers
From Sunday (January 30), international arrivals will be able to present a negative rapid antigen test instead of the previously mandatory nucleic acid amplification test (such as PCR tests) within 24 hours of departure to Australia.

“While PCR tests remain the gold standard test, an RAT within 24 hours is an acceptable indicator of whether a traveller has COVID-19 before flying to Australia,” said Greg Hunt, the Federal Minister for Health and Aged care.

The Health Minister has also halved the number of days those who contract COVID-19 while overseas have to wait before re-entering Australia from 14 to seven, according to Travel Weekly.

BELGIUM / AUSTRIA / MALTA: European countries shorten vax certificate expiry
Malta has decided to change the validity of vaccination certificates to only three months. Once the booster dose is received, the pass will be valid for another nine months, suggesting that everyone will be able to move freely within the country, provided they hold an updated vaccination certificate.

Austria will also shorten the validity of vaccination passes to 180 days starting from February 1, says Schengen Visa Info.

Belgian authorities decided on January 21 to reduce the validity of vaccination certificates from 270 days to 150 days, starting from March 1.

RUSSIA / UKRAINE: US warns against travel to Russia, Ukraine
The US Department of State has issued ‘Do Not Travel’ advisories for both Russia and Ukraine after a prolonged period of increased tension between the nations and what appears to be an escalation in the ongoing political situation between the two neighbouring countries over the weekend.

Russia has also been handed a Level 4 Travel Health Notice from the CDC, which indicates that there is a high level of COVID-19 in the country. The country is currently reporting a daily average over the past week of more than 43 000 cases, according to Travel Off Path.

TURKEY / GREECE: Winter storm causes chaos in Greece, Turkey
A powerful winter storm has covered portions of Greece and the Aegean islands with rare snowfall, says AccuWeather.
Late Monday, thundersnow was reported at Athens and Souda, Greece, as well as Istanbul, Turkey.

Authorities have warned the public to avoid all but essential outdoor movement, and several major roads and highways are passable only with snow chains.

As of yesterday (January 24), more than 4 500 people were stranded as a result of the storm, according to the Turkey Disaster and Emergency Authority. Emergency crews have already delivered thousands of containers of food and drinks to the stranded, according to Reuters.

WESTERN CAPE: Firefighters struggle against Cape Winelands fires
Firefighters are battling multiple fires in the Cape Winelands district municipality, in Pearl Valley, the Koo Valley, and De Wet Klipbreker Depot.

"The fire is fuelled by dense mixed vegetation and a strong wind. Due to the dense vegetation, the fire is inaccessible. Air resources were ineffectual," Municipal spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto says of the Pearl Valley fire.

The De Wet fire was caused by a lightning strike, says News24.

Another fire, next to Val de Vie, has since been brought under control by firefighters.

INDONESIA / SINGAPORE: Indonesia, Singapore to start travel bubble
Indonesia and Singapore are starting quarantine-free travel between the two countries as COVID-19’s Omicron cases become more dominant, The Bangkok Post reports.

A dedicated travel bubble arrangement between the resort islands of Batam-Bintan in Indonesia and the city state would be accessible to fully vaccinated visitors travelling via the Nongsapura international ferry terminal.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Yellowstone National Park to celebrate anniversary
Yellowstone National Park is about to turn 150 years old on March 1, and an array of activities are planned to honour the occasion, according to USA Today.

In August, multiple Tribal Nations will participate in installing a Teepee Village near the Roosevelt Arch.

At Old Faithful, park staff are converting a structure near the visitor education centre into a Tribal Heritage Centre, and Tribal Nations can use that space to display their artwork and cultural items for visitors to see.

Brought to you by Atlantis Corporate Travel, thanks to Travelinfo Plus