Read all about it! More than 41% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but more than 594,000 596,000 Americans have died from the virus. Malaysia locks down for two weeks and Hanoi halts international flights. Nearly two million travelers flew from U.S. airports on several days during the Memorial Day weekend. U.S. hotels still selling 300,000 fewer hotel rooms each day. Heathrow reopens Terminal 3--but only to service visitors required to submit to mandatory quarantine. And more. Read from the bottom for context.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, June 4, 2021

Right-wing politicians and social-media activists have decided that Dr. Anthony Fauci is this year's Vince Foster, Willie Horton and Hunter Biden all rolled into one. And that's when they get nasty. Politico has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        The future of business travel is smaller   Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian believes "traditional corporate travel will be reduced 20%–30%" over the long term. He made the comment at an investment conference.
        The new normal I   The TSA says that 1,815,931 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Thursday. That is 69.2% of 2019 volume on a similar day.
        The new normal II   There were 18,991 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Thursday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 601.
        Hawaii calls, but pay attention   A pair of vaccinated TikTok "influencers" flew from Raleigh to Hawaii--and were turned away because they got their negative test from the wrong provider. They flew to LAX, got an "approved" test and then returned to Hawaii. Then, of course, they told the world. Business Insider has the details.
        The sights of Venice   A big, honking cruise ship called at Venice for the first time in 17 months. Many locals thought the days of super-cruise ships had passed. Agence France-Presse has the details.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, June 3, 2021

Anheuser-Bush says it'll give free beers to all comers if the United States hits its target of 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4. TheHill.com has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        EU babble   Seven European Union nations have now been approved to start issuing what is essentially a vaccine passport. The others will be ready by July 1. Will U.S. and Canadians travelers be allowed to get a passport? Yes, but you have to ask a member nation directly. It's still awfully confusing. CNN has some of the details.
        Retreat   The TSA says that 1,587,910 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Wednesday. That is 67% of 2019 volume on a similar day. It's the slowest daily volume since just before the Memorial Day Weekend rush.
        Virus numbers   There were 16,913 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Wednesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 610. Separately, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said today that the seven-day average of about 15,600 cases per day is the lowest level of new recorded cases in the United States since March, 2020. "This represents a decrease of more than 30% from our prior seven-day average and ... a 94% decrease from the peak of COVID-19 cases we reported in January."
        Delta Air Lines   reaffirmed at an investment conference today that domestic leisure travel in June has returned to pre-pandemic levels, but business travel remains at just 30% of 2019 levels.
        Off the rails   Passenger counts in Britain for the 12 months ended March, 2021, were only 22% of the previous year's figures, according to the country's Office of Rail and Road. Passenger revenue for the period was 1.9 billion pounds, just 18.3% of the previous 12 months.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, June 2, 2021

London's Heathrow Airport reopened Terminal 3 and designated it as arrival port for visitors from the 43 nations on Britain's "red list." Arrivals from red list countries are subject to a mandatory quarantine for 10 days. Terminal 3 had closed in April, 2020. Here are today's other developments:
        June is busting out all over   The TSA says that 1,682,752 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Tuesday. That is 74.9% of 2019 volume on a similar day. It's also 20 points better than the first Tuesday in May.
        Backward step   There were 23,010 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Tuesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 641. This is a discouraging step backward.
        Blockbuster   Hilton Hotels said it had a "blockbuster weekend" with systemwide occupancy at 93% on Saturday night. "It was a holiday weekend, but the business is coming back strong. It's obviously being led by leisure at the moment," Hilton chief executive Chris Nassetta said on CNBC.
        Locked longer   Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, extended its lockdown for another week. It began May 27 and now will run until June 10.
        Swiss miss   Swiss, a division of Lufthansa, says it will fly just 50-55% of its 2019 capacity this summer. "We regretfully still see no signs of any broader structural recovery of the air transport sector," the company said.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Moderna has applied for full FDA approval of its Covid-19 vaccine. Pfizer applied several weeks ago. Both are currently being dispensed under emergency use authorizations. TheHill.com has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        Back in the high life again   The TSA says that 1,900,170 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Monday, the second time over the Memorial Day weekend that traffic passed the 1.9-million mark. That is 76% of 2019 volume on a similar day.
        This is a good look   There were 5,735 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Monday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 138. This is where the experts want the numbers to be.
        If at first you don't succeed ...   Phuket will reopen July 1 to vaccinated international visitors. Several earlier plans to reopen the Thai island, which depends on tourism, were abandoned.
        Half a European loaf   Eurocontrol, which operates the continent's air traffic control system, says network traffic is now above 40% of 2019 levels. For the full year 2021, it expects traffic to be 50% of 2019 aircraft volume.
        Another European half-loaf   Eurostar, which operates trains between England and Europe's mainland, will only operate at half its pre-pandemic levels by March, 2022. Full recovery won't happen before 2025. At the moment, only two daily trains are operating between London and Paris.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, May 31, 2021

Peru on Monday more than doubled its official Coronavirus death toll--and that makes it the country with the highest Covid-19 mortality per capita anywhere in the world. With the adjustment to more than 180,000 deaths, Peru has recorded 5,484 deaths per one million inhabitants. Here are today's other developments:
        Interesting quirk ...   The TSA says that 1,650,454 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Sunday. That is 64.6% of 2019 volume on a similar day, an odd drop of about 10 points from the weekend. It might mean a huge crush of traffic today. Stay tuned.
        We're there--with an asterisk   There were 6,725 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Sunday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 124. Experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci consistently say that the United States needs to be below 10,000 daily cases for real progress to be made. The asterisk? As many as 18 states do not report Coronavirus statistics on Sundays, according to Johns Hopkins.
        Malaysia locks down   Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a nationwide "total lockdown" from June 1 to 14. Only essential services and economic sectors remain open.
        Some of our hotels are still missing   The U.S. hotel industry recorded its best performance in 62 weeks, selling more than 3.3 million rooms each day of the week ending May 22. That's still 300,000 rooms shy of the rooms sold daily in May, 2019. The statistics come from industry recordkeeper STR.
        Closing shop in Vietnam   International flights to Hanoi have been halted as the Vietnamese government battles a Coronavirus outbreak. The shutdown lasts a week. Agence France-Presse has the details.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, May 29-30, 2021

A shrinking number of unvaccinated Americans are interested in getting a Coronavirus shot. Details are, of course, depressing. Here are today's other developments:
        Records and regularity   The TSA says 1,959,593 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday and 1,605,810 on Saturday. It's the first time since the pandemic lows of mid-April, 2020, that daily traffic passed 1.9 million. But the outbound weekend was remarkably consistent on a volume basis: Thursday, Friday and Saturday were 74.6-76.2% of similar days in 2019.
        Getting closer   The experts say the United States needs to be down to around 10,000 daily new Coronavirus cases to know we've broken the back of the pandemic. We are getting closer. There were 21,968 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Friday and 11,976 Saturday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 675 on Friday and 343 on Saturday.
        The walls still stand   Israel's health chief expects no major changes to country's travel policy for summer. The Times of Israel has the details.
        The anti-Semitism still stands   The owner of a hat shop in Nashville thought it was a good idea to express her anti-vax sentiment by selling specially embossed yellow Stars of David. Because anti-Semitism is always a great way to express your political views. TheHill.com has the details.
        Movie matters   Three major movie-theater chains--AMC, Cinemark and Regal--announced Friday that they were dropping their mask mandates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for May 22-May 28

Read all about it! More than 39% 40% of the nation now has been fully vaccinated. More than 589,000 590,000 593,000 Americans have died from the virus. France reopens to vaccinated travelers next month, but requires British visitors to self-quarantine on arrival. Airline traffic once again passes the 1.8-million mark--and briefly hits 90% of comparative 2019 volume. A United Airlines sweepstakes awards a year of travel for two if you enter vaccine information. Melbourne locks down again. Cruises return to Alaska waters in July, but a Florida restart is hampered by the governor's political executive order. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for May 15-May 21

Read all about it! About 36% 37% 38% of the nation now has been fully vaccinated. More than 585,000 586,000 587,000 588,000 Americans have died from the virus. Daily airline traffic in the United States passes 1.8 million for the first time since the pandemic began and has been at least 60% of 2019 volume for 17 of the first 20 days in May. Seven New York State airports, including LaGuardia and Kennedy, will offer one-shot J&J vaccinations all next week. Southwest Airlines says business travel revenue remains 80% below 2019 levels. There's a red state-blue state divide over vaccinations. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for May 8-May 14

Read all about it! More than 30% 35% 36% of the nation has been fully vaccinated. More than 580,000 584,000 Americans have died from the virus. Daily airline traffic in the United States passes the 1.7-million mark--and 70% of 2019 volume--for the first time in more than 13 months. United Airlines, the only U.S. carrier serving India, cuts flights. England's reopening leaves U.S. visitors encased in amber. Italy isn't welcoming Americans yet. Australia won't open borders for another year. Singapore imposes new restrictions after an outbreak at Changi Airport. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for May 1-May 7

Read all about it! More than 575,000 580,000 Americans have died from the virus. More than 27% 28% 29% 30% of the nation has been fully vaccinated. Daily airline traffic in the United States passes the 1.6-million mark for the first time in more than 13 months. The U.S. halts flights from India and Singapore imposes a 21-day quarantine on most arriving travelers. Costa Rica expects 2021 tourism to be worse than 2020. The Tasman flying bubble springs a leak. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 24-April 30

Read all about it! More than 570,000 575,000 Americans have died from the virus. More than 25% 26% 27% of the nation has now been fully vaccinated. Italy begins relaxing Coronavirus restrictions. Austria and Ireland will wait until mid-May. France's reopening comes in stages through June. French Polynesia reopens to U.S. visitors, but requires full vaccination and negative PCR test. The CDC says that cruises will resume this summer. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 17-April 23

Read all about it! Worldwide Coronavirus deaths pass the three-million mark and more than 565,000 570,000 Americans have died from the virus. About 25% of the nation has now been fully vaccinated. Canada keeps its land borders closed another month. A flight from Delhi to Hong Kong becomes a superspreader event. Alaska will offer visitors vaccines starting June 1. The Maldive Islands are now open without testing or quarantine to anyone fully vaccinated. More than 8,000 passenger aircraft remain in storage. Hotel occupancy falls to mid-March levels. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 10-April 16

Read all about it! More than 560,000 565,000 Americans have died from the virus and more than 21% of the nation has been fully vaccinated. But new-case numbers are rising quickly. U.S. flying slows from the Easter rush. Several South American and Asian countries tighten Covid restrictions. Malta will pay tourists--in cash, not falcons--to visit this summer. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 3-April 9

Read all about it! More than 553,000 555,000 560,000 Americans have died from the virus and more than 155 160 165 170 175 million vaccine doses have been administered. New cases and deaths spike up despite increased vaccinations. April is off to a (literal) flying start and airline traffic is the busiest since mid-March of 2020. The CDC bungled messaging aimed at vaccinated travelers. Europe flying is still just 40% of normal. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 27-April 2

Read all about it! The CDC says fully vaccinated Americans can fly and travel again. More than 547,000 550,000 553,000 Americans have died from the virus. More than 135 140 145 150 154 million vaccine doses have been administered. U.S. flying roars back and was 52.5% of 2019 volume. American Airlines says bookings are 90% of 2019 levels and United says domestic leisure demand has almost returned to normal. European nations continue to lock down, however. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 20-26

Read all about it! More than 540,000 545,000 547,000 Americans have died from Coronavirus while 30 million people have been infected. More than 115 120 125 130 133 million vaccine doses have been administered. U.S. flying briefly hits nearly 70% of 2019 volume, but some travelers (and pilots) behave badly. Europe continues to lock down, but Germany reverses its draconian Easter shutdown. The U.S.-Canada land border remains closed another month. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 13-19

Read all about it! More than 532,000 535,000 540,000 Americans have died from the virus. More than 100 105 115 million doses of vaccine have been administered. Travel is roaring back in the United States as flying and hotel occupancy both hit post-pandemic highs. Starved for vaccines--and worried about the AstraZeneca version--Europe is doing less well. Italy, the first Western epicenter of the Coronavirus, locks down again. A late winter storm buries Denver International. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 6-12

Read all about it! More than 522,000 525,000 530,000 532,000 Americans have died from the virus. It's been a year since the outbreak was officially declared a pandemic. States continue to reopen business and dining venues, but many European countries move back to lockdown. March flying in the United States ticks up. The CDC says fully vaccinated people can mingle more freely--but shouldn't travel. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 27-March 5

Read all about it! More than 510,000 515,000 520,000 522,000 Americans have died from Coronavirus. Europe is locking down again but U.S. states rush to shed their mask mandates and other restrictions. February flying traffic roars to a close and early March looks good by comparison. Texas' weather woes led to a surge in hotel occupancy. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 20-26

Read all about it! More than 495,000 500,000 505,000 510,000 Americans have died from Coronavirus and new-case numbers are edging up again. Travel-industry numbers for 2020 were brutal and the first quarter looks even weaker. Italy marks a year after it became the Western epicenter of the disease. Boeing 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines grounded worldwide after Denver incident. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 13-19

Read all about it! More than 476,000 480,000 485,000 490,000 495,000 Americans have died, but the new-case number is slowly falling. There was a Valentine's Day/President's Day boomlet in flying. The government backs off plans to demand negative tests for domestic flights. Nasty winter storms snarl flying nationwide and basically ground Texas. Travel industry financial numbers remain startlingly bad. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 5-12

Read all about it! More than 452,000 455,000 460,000 465,000 465,000 475,000 Americans have died. The TSA sets fines for violating federal transportation mask mandates, but the states are again fighting over masking rules. Travel is in its February funk as the economic recovery stalls. There's little hope for an immediate rebound, either. Global hotel occupancy rates are atrocious. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for Jan. 30-Feb. 4

Read all about it! More than 435,000 440,000 445,000 450,000 452,000 Americans have died as we pass 26 million cases. California, South Carolina and Arizona are the riskiest states for Coronavirus transmission. Canada cracks down on snowbird flights and slaps testing requirements on all arrivals. The CDC codifies President Biden's executive order on masks for travel. Portugal, the epicenter of the current outbreak, closes the country's borders for two weeks. A winter storm in the Northeast disrupts the skeletal air system. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 23-29

Read all about it! More than 412,000 415,000 420,000 425,000 430,000 433,000 Americans have died as we pass the 25-million case mark. U.S. travel slumps as the traditional January downturn depresses flying. Israel again shuts down flights. Sweden and Finland bar their Nordic neighbors and European nations close their borders to many visitors. Airline fourth-quarter "earnings" are awful. Bricks-and-mortar retailers close shops by the hundreds. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 16-22

Read all about it! Global Coronavirus deaths pass the 2-million mark and near the 100-million case plateau. More than 390,000 395,000 400,000 405,000 410,000 412,000 have died in the United States as we near the 25-million case mark. The Biden Administration expects 100,000 additional deaths just in the next month. Flying sags in Europe as nations tighten lockdowns. The United States sees small Martin Luther King Weekend surge, then the January malaise. And much more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 9-15

Read all about it! Coronavirus cases globally surge and more than 367,000 370,000 375,000 380,000 385,000 390,000 have died in the United States. Flying is plunging after the New Year's rush. Airlines ban rowdy travelers flying back from last week's Capitol riots. Washington and the area's airports lock down ahead of next week's Inauguration. Travel numbers from 2020 continue to show the depth of the industry's crisis while current lockdowns force carriers to cut capacity again. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 1-8

The new year starts with more of the same: Coronavirus cases in the United States near 21 million and more than 345,000 350,000 355,000 360,000 365,000 367,000 have died. Canada and England make it even tougher to enter the country as other nations tighten Coronavirus restrictions. More travel shuts down. U.S. flying zigzags after a "huge" Christmas and New Year rush. Click here for the week's updates.

2020 Daily Coronavirus Updates

We began day-by-day tracking of the Coronavirus' effect on travel in late January last year. You can see everything we posted in bullet-point form, grouped into weekly segments, by clicking 2020's archives.