Read all about it! Hawaii lifts testing requirement for vaccinated visitors. More than 46% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but the total U.S. death toll from Coronavirus has now passed 603,000. The TSA says more than 2.1 million people flew on Sunday, highest total since March, 2020. Coronavirus deaths in Brazil pass 500,000. Qantas grows domestic schedule since most international traffic in Australia remains forbidden. Europe reaches 50% of 2019 flight levels. Airline seat capacity worldwide remains 43% below 2019 levels. The Netherlands reopens to U.S. visitors, but Canadians are still restricted. And more. Read from the bottom for context.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, June 25, 2021

Colleges and universities are the latest battleground between people who want to know they're in an environment with vaccinated people and those politically intent on shielding the unvaccinated from scrutiny. TheHill.com has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        Hawaii calls (finally)   Hawaii will drop its testing and quarantine rules for fully vaccinated domestic travelers on July 8. That means vaccinated flyers can visit the islands freely for the first time in more than a year. The Associated Press has the details.
        Thursday surge   The TSA says that 2,085,327 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Thursday. It's the seventh day in the last two weeks when travel passed the 2-million mark.
        Déjà vu   There were 12,830 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Thursday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 341. That's almost exactly the same results as Wednesday.
        Delta Air Lines   is now selling test kits to assist international travelers deal with various testing requirements. Here's what Delta says about its plan. United Airlines already offers a similar program.
        Israel   reinstated a mask mandate for people in indoor spaces. Despite Israel's high vaccination rate, new infections surged since the country ten days ago dropped the requirement to wear masks in enclosed public places.
        Scary Sydney   Australia has basically closed the country to keep the Coronavirus in check. But now Sydney, the largest city, is sweating out a new outbreak of infections. The Washington Post has the background. Meanwhile, parts of the city went back into lockdown today (local time). Agence France-Presse has those details. Yesterday, New Zealand extended the closure of the "travel bubble" for Sydney flights.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, June 24, 2021

Nearly 900 employees of the U.S. Secret Service were infected with the Coronavirus in the 12 months ended March 9, according to the advocacy group CREW. The good-government group blames former President Trump for holding mass rallies during the pandemic, forcing agents to expose themselves to the virus. Click here for details. Here are today's other developments:
        Wobbly Wednesday   The TSA says 1,801,329 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Wednesday. That's 69.4% of comparative 2019 volume, the first time in more than a week when traffic fell below the 70% mark.
        Stay alert   There were 12,436 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Wednesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll was 375. That's higher than in recent days.
        The bubble bursts again   New Zealand extended the closure of quarantine-free "travel bubble" flights from New South Wales in Australia following Sydney's growing coronavirus outbreak. The ban will last until July 7. It's the third time since April the trans-Tasman bubble has been burst.
        Never mind then   After a hail of negative publicity, Frontier Airlines has dropped its so-called Covid Recovery surcharge.
        Agony in Colombia   Coronavirus deaths in Colombia have surged passed the 100,000 mark. The New York Times has the details.
        Numbers in the sky   There were 280 million scheduled airline seats available worldwide in May, 43% below the level scheduled in May, 2019, according to OAG, the industry schedulekeepers. Capacity for June is currently estimated at 301 million seats.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Morgan Stanley will bar employees and clients who have not been fully vaccinated from entering the bank’s New York offices. After July 12, those who don’t attest to being fully vaccinated will lose building access. The information is in an internal memo reviewed by the Financial Times. Here are today's other developments:
        Slowdown   The TSA says 1,795,141 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Tuesday. That's 71.6% of comparative 2019 volume, slightly less than recent days.
        Low, thankfully   There were 10,940 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Tuesday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll was 370. That's right about where the experts want numbers to be as the nation continues to vaccinate.
        Shot and stay   Guam (where America's day begins, as any Chamorro will tell you) is hoping to revive tourism by offering visitors a vaccine. The New York Times has the details.
        Masks off   Italy, the first nexus of Coronavirus in the Western world, will end its outdoor mask mandate on June 28.
        Business travel lags   Leisure travel is roaring along, but business travel remains slow--and will be a trailing indicator of a national recovery. That matters because business travel is as much as 50% of carrier revenue and as much as 75% of their profit. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details.
        That's not happening   The Biden Administration has officially acknowledged that the country will fall short of the President's goal of 70% of Americans having received at least one shot of a vaccine by July 4. TheHill.com has the details.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Philippine strongman, demagogue and all-around thug Rodrigo Duterte is threatening to jail citizens who don't get vaccinated. Here are today's other developments:
        Yeah, yeah, we know ...   The TSA says 2,030,577 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Monday. That's the sixth day since June 11 that traffic reached the 2-million mark. But at 74.8% of comparative 2019 volume, it's actually a bit down from Sunday's performance.
        Encouraging   There were 12,388 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Monday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll was 268. That's encouraging since all states are reporting again for the week.
        Splitting the American baby   Effective June 24, travelers from the United States will no longer be required to test or quarantine when entering the Netherlands. Canadian travelers, not so much ... Details of Netherland's new entry rules are here.
        Splitting the baby II   Canada projects a long, slow return to normal for international travel, including cross-border trips from the United States. But at least Canadian citizens who have been vaccinated will no longer be required to quarantine on return. TheHill.com has the details.
        Europe on a roll   Eurocontrol, which operates the continent's air traffic control system, says two-week traffic growth in Europe's skies includes France (plus 20%), Italy (plus 17%) and Greece (plus 32%). Aircraft volume in the United Kingdom was down 3%, however.
        Hong Kong's collapse   On a 12-month rolling basis, the number of passengers and flights at Hong Kong International Airport have declined 98.2%.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, June 21, 2021

American Airlines, which received tens of billions of dollars of bailout funds to keep employees paid, is suddenly short of workers. It cancelled around 300 flights over the weekend and is cutting about 1% of its schedule through mid-July due to pilot shortages and other gaps in its workforce. Here are today's other developments:
        Plus one   The TSA says 2,100,761 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Sunday, the highest daily count since March 8, 2020. It's also 77.2% of comparative 2019 volume, the highest percentage in June so far.
        Feels like victory   There were 3,892 new Coronavirus cases in the United States on Sunday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll was 83. But it's a qualified victory since as many as 18 states and territories do not report Coronavirus stats for Sundays, according to Johns Hopkins.
        Hawaii calls   Remote workers who fled to Hawaii during the pandemic are finding scattered problems--like getting up at 3am for a 9am meeting call on the East Coast--but lots of Aloha Spirit and good vibrations. The Wall Street Journal has the details.
        Europe's rebound   Eurocontrol, which operates the continent's air traffic control system, says 19,826 flights were in the air Friday, more than any day since March, 2020. For the week ended June 20, the system handled more than 50% of 2019 volume.
        They fly in the land Down Under   With Australia's skies all but closed to international traffic, flag carrier Qantas is looking inward. Its domestic schedule during fiscal year 2022 is expected to be 107% of 2019 levels. The domestic flight operations of its JetStar subsidiary is expected to be 120% of 2019 levels.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, June 19-20, 2021

The seven-day moving average of new Coronavirus cases has dropped below 14,000, according to the CDC. The number represents cases through June 9. Here are this weekend's other developments:
        Right direction   Although weekend Coronavirus numbers are always incomplete, the trend lines are going in the right direction. There were 7,308 new Coronavirus cases in the United States Friday and 8,520 on Saturday, says Johns Hopkins. The death toll: 637 (Friday) and 170 (Saturday).
        Happy days are, well, you know   The TSA says 2,081,115 people passed through U.S. airport security checkpoints Friday, marking the fourth day since June 11 that the passenger count passed two million.
        Brazil's Covid nightmare   Coronavirus deaths have soared past the 500,000 mark in Brazil. The country is led by a Trump acolyte who not only denies the severity of the virus, but also refuses to allow local authorities to effectively fight the disease. Agence France-Press has the ugly details.
        Moscow Misery   The Russian capital of Moscow is racking up record high numbers of new Coronavirus cases even as the mayor has shut much of the city down. Muscovites are also wary of the country's homegrown vaccine. Agence France-Press has the details.
        Winning by losing   U.S. scheduled passenger airlines reported a first-quarter after-tax net loss of $4.2 billion and a pre-tax operating loss of $12.7 billion, according to the Transportation Department. It's the fifth consecutive quarter of losses, but the negative 1Q results are lower than during the fourth quarter of 2020.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for June 12-June 18

Read all about it! At least 44% 45% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but the total U.S. death toll from Coronavirus has now passed 600,000. The TSA says more than two million people flew on three separate days in the last week, the most since March 6, 2020. Denmark, Spain, France and Switzerland drop mask mandates and France opens to visitors on Monday. Britain delays its reopening for another month. Surging infection rates force Moscow, Lisbon and the Chilean capital of Santiago to shut all or most services. Canada and the United States keep land borders closed for another month. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for June 5-June 11

Read all about it! At least 43% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but more than 598,000 have died from the virus. The TSA says nearly two million people flew on two separate days this week, the most since early March, 2020. Two cruise ships report passengers tested positive for Coronavirus. Florida stops reporting daily virus or vaccination data. Mississippi's governor shrugs off 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. Click here for the week's updates.

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.