Read all about it! At least 43% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but more than 598,000 Americans have died from the virus. The TSA says that nearly two million people flew on two separate days this week, the most since early March, 2020. Two cruise ships report passengers have tested positive for Coronavirus. Florida stops reporting daily virus or vaccination data. Mississippi's governor shrugs off the state's horrific death toll and low vaccination rate. Europe skies are filling up again, but British passenger traffic in the first quarter fell 94% compared to 2019. And more. Read from the bottom for context.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, June 11, 2021

Deadly diseases never die, they continue to wait for opportunities. But the World Health Organization says the Philippines is once again polio-free. Agence France-Presse has all the details. Here are today's other developments:
        And you want to cruise again? Part two ...   Just a day after a Mediterranean cruise ship reported passengers tested positive for Covid-19, a cruise liner sailing in Caribbean waters reported the same problem. Reuters has the details.
        Twice   The TSA says 1,975,189 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Thursday. That's 73.8% of comparative 2019 volume and the second time this week that the passenger count passed 1.9 million.
        That's better   There were 14,417 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Thursday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 428. Both numbers are lower than Wednesday's data.
        Air France   says it will fly 65% of its 2019 capacity during July and August.
        Hotel highs   Average hotel occupancy in the United States reached 61.9% for the week ended June 5. Average daily rate was $123.49. RevPAR (revenue per available room), a key measure of lodging profitability, was $76.44. All three are record highs since the pandemic began, according to industry statisticians STR.
        Where have all the flyers gone?   During the first quarter of 2021, 3.4 million passengers flew into and out of the United Kingdom on 80,625 flights. It represents a 94% fall in passenger numbers compared to 1Q 2019, according to the British Civil Aviation Authority.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, June 10, 2021

The FDA has extended the shelf life of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to 4.5 months from the previous three months. Half of the 21 million produced for the United States are still unused. Reuters has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        We're doomed   U.S. President Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Johnson met today and promised a working group and quick action to reopen travel between the two nations. In other words, don't book those tickets just yet.
        Down again   The TSA says 1,669,537 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Wednesday. That's 66.5% of 2019 volume, the lowest comparative volume on Wednesday since mid-May.
        Up   There were 20,779 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Wednesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 432. Both numbers are higher than in recent days.
        Horrifying   A 60-year-old British Airways pilot was hospitalized with Coronavirus for more than 240 days. He has died after a 15-month battle with the virus. The Daily Mail has the details.
        China Syndrome   There may be another outbreak of Coronavirus in China. The conclusion is based on a furious new round of mass testing and quarantines. The New York Times has the details.
        And you want to cruise again?   A Mediterranean cruise ship confirmed that two passengers tested positive for the Coronavirus. It was promptly denied the right to make port in Malta. The Times of Malta has the all-too-familiar details.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, June 9, 2021

The Tsukiji market, once home to Tokyo's legendary dawn tuna auctions, is now the city's latest mass vaccination site. Here are today's other developments:
        Hmm ...   The TSA says that 1,560,561 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Tuesday. That's 64.1% of 2019 volume, the lowest comparative volume since May 25.
        In the zone   There were 15,150 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Tuesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 380. That's right about the recent daily averages.
        JetBlue Airways   estimates its second-quarter revenue will be down 30-33% compared to 2Q 2019. Its capacity is expected to be down approximately 15% compared to 2019.
        SAS Scandinavian Airlines   says it carried more than 400,000 passengers in May, far below normal numbers but higher than in April.
        Bottom fishers   The so-called "ultra low-cost carrier" segment--Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant and Sun Country--carried 11.2% of all U.S. traffic in 2020. That is 2.2% higher than in 2019. According to the Transportation Department, the ULCC group carried 13% of all travelers in the first two months of 2021.
        Don't cry for me, health regulators   Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose shows include Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, also owns six London theaters. (Hey, there's big dough in singing felines and whiny Argentine dictators.) He threatens to open them on June 21 "come hell or high water"--even if the British government rethinks its current plan to permit them to reopen on that day. TheHill.com has the details.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Airlines are pressuring governments to open up borders. They may be right, but, naturally, the airlines' pitch is totally self-serving. Reuters has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        Meh ...   The TSA says that 1,828,396 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Monday. That's 69.1% of 2019 volume, right around where traffic has been in recent weeks.
        Hawaii calls--finally   Hawaii Governor David Ige says the state will drop all its Coronavirus restrictions--including its arrival-testing requirement--once the state vaccinates 70% of its citizens. The details are here.
        No surprise, really   Air Canada has been shamed into requiring top executives to return bonuses and share awards issued about the time the carrier received a C$5.9 billion bailout. The details are here.
        Down the curve   There were 15,496 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Monday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 324.
        Not so grand after all   The Singapore Grand Prix has been cancelled for the second year running.
        Express to nowhere   Traffic on the Heathrow Express train between the London airport and Paddington Station fell to just 4.7% of normal volume during the 12 months ended March, 2021. The data was released by Britain's Office of Rail and Road.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, June 7, 2021

Florida has decided to stop publishing daily records of new Coronavirus cases and vaccinations. The New York Times has the distressing details. Here are today's other developments:
        They're back ... mostly   The TSA says 1,984,658 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Sunday. That's the highest one-day volume since the beginning of the pandemic and the most since March 8, 2020. But as a percentage of comparative day volume, it was only 74.3%, no longer a remarkable performance.
        Nice and low*   There were 5,395 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Sunday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 251. The asterisk? As many as 18 states do not report Coronavirus stats for Sundays, according to Johns Hopkins.
        Newbies must vaccinate   United Airlines has confirmed that it is telling potential new hires they must be vaccinated. Existing employees are exempt, but the carrier is urging them to get shot(s).
        More crowded skies   Eurocontrol says aircraft traffic in Europe's skies grew 12.4% last week. That translates to more than 15,000 daily flights.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, June 5-6, 2021

Mississippi has the fifth-highest death toll among the states and only vaccinated 30% of its residents. But Governor Tate Reeves dismisses President Biden's goal of 70% of adults with at least one shot as "arbitrary." TheHill.com has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        About even   The TSA says 1,879,885 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday and 1,681,192 on Saturday. The two-day total is roughly equal to last weekend, the Memorial Day rush.
        Encouraging   Although weekend Coronavirus numbers are always scattered and incomplete, the trend lines are encouraging. There were 16,860 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Friday and 13,908 Saturday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 567 on Friday and 376 on Saturday.
        Spendy   Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby both told an investment conference during the week that spending on their respective branded credit cards already had returned to or exceeded 2019 levels.
        Hot sheets   Boosted by the Friday and Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, nationwide hotel occupancy reached its highest level since late February, 2020, according to lodging statisticians STR. It was 61.8% nationwide.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for May 29-June 4

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 in London reopens Terminal 3 to serve visitors required to submit to mandatory quarantine. Click here for the week's updates.

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.