There is one formidable traveler from around the world who is currently racing faster than Phileas Fogg, and his name is a variant of Delta.
New reports suggest that it is transmitted in the same way as chickenpox, but vaccines are more than 90% effective in preventing serious diseases.
So how do countries react?
The United States maintains its travel restrictions …
The United States is not going to receive tourists from EU member states, Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil in the near future.
A White House spokesman told CNN on Monday that he would maintain existing restrictions on travel through the coronavirus amid rising numbers of cases caused by the Delta option.
On the same day, the US State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new recommendations for five countries, citing an increase in the number of Covid cases.
Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Kyrgyzstan are now at Level 4 – “Do not travel” – while Israel has moved to Level 3 “View Travel”.
The United States completely resumes wearing masks indoors
The CDC has further exacerbated the situation by changing its camouflage guidelines to encourage people in high-risk areas – about two-thirds of the United States – to resume wearing masks indoors in public places.
Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California are two major tourist attractions that have once again introduced the wearing of a mask indoors for anyone aged two and older, regardless of vaccination status.
The Smithsonian Institution, a huge complex of 19 museums, mostly located in Washington, DC, also changed its mask policy on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the famous Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago kicked off on Thursday. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to gather in Grant Park for four days of performances. Admission requires full vaccination confirmation or a negative Covid test 72 hours prior to arrival.
Cases in the UK are falling sharply, and no one knows why
The outlook is brighter in the UK, where reported Covid cases fell 36% just a week after Britain lifted almost all of its legal restrictions on coronavirus.
This may be because the European Football Championship is over, it may be because people are spending more time outdoors because of the warm weather, or because people are reporting fewer positive Covid results because they want to avoid self-isolation. – Nobody really knows why.
This is definitely good news for fully vaccinated visitors from the US and the EU, who will be able to enter England, Scotland and Wales without quarantine from 2 August.
Pubs in Ireland are finally reopening.
In Ireland, a covered canteen has reopened for fully vaccinated people and those who have been cured of Covid-19 in the last six months.
The indoor restaurant was closed for seven months – a difficult situation in a country known for its gloomy weather – while some “wet pubs” (those that serve alcohol but not food) opened for the first time since March 2020.
According to a tweet from Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, about 70% of Ireland’s adult population is now fully vaccinated.
Australia will quarantine until 70% of adults are fully vaccinated.
Australia’s largest city, Sydney, has been blocked for five weeks, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a news conference on Friday that the country would continue to use quarantine to suppress Covid-19 outbreaks until 70 % of the adult population will not be fully vaccinated.
“I think we can achieve this by the end of the year,” he said.
International borders will begin to open after 80% of the population is fully vaccinated, restrictions on the arrival of Australian citizens are lifted and more agreements are made on travel bubbles.
Now all travelers entering Grenada must be fully vaccinated.
The Caribbean island of Grenada, also known as the “Spice Island”, has updated its entry requirements, so all visitors must be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before arrival.
Citizens of Grenada and children under the age of 13 are exempt from paying taxes.
The island consists of lush rainforests, spectacular waterfalls and paradise beaches – in fact, about 45. Grand Anse, a three-kilometer stretch of white sand, is the most popular.
Pakistan demands full vaccination of civil servants, crew members and passengers.
Pakistan will require vaccination certificates from employees who visit government offices, schools, restaurants, transportation and shopping malls, according to Reuters, despite the fact that only 2.7% of its population has been fully vaccinated.
The new rule also applies to air passengers and crew.
Assad Umar, head of the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), told Reuters that from August 1, employees of schools and schools, as well as employees of shopping malls, restaurants, public transport and government agencies will need certificates from the end of August.
Saudi Arabia may impose harsh measures on violators of the travel law.
The state news agency of Saudi Arabia SPA reported that the country may be set to impose harsh measures on citizens who break the law by visiting the “red list” countries, including India, South Africa and the UAE.
He quoted an unnamed Interior Ministry official who reportedly said those who violated the travel rules “would be subject to legal liability and severe fines upon return and would be barred from traveling for three years.”
However, it is a warmer welcome for fully vaccinated international tourists who can enter Saudi Arabia from August 1 without the need for quarantine.
Kuwait prohibits unvaccinated citizens from traveling internationally.
It gets cold here for the unvaccinated.
Kuwait has announced that from August 1, only fully vaccinated citizens will be able to travel abroad, according to Reuters. Exceptions will be made for children, pregnant women and people with diseases.
The country’s aviation authority also said that all those arriving in Kuwait must pass a negative test for Covid before boarding the flight. They will also have to remain in home quarantine for seven days until they pass a test for Covid in Kuwait, which will not be negative.