Coronavirus Special Report
November 6-12, 2021
Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll passes 758,000. The national vaccination rate hits 59%. British Airlines expect to be back to 90% of 2019 transatlantic capacity by next summer. But few senior travel executives expect 2022 to match 2019 volume. Extended-stay hotels are recovering faster than other types of lodging. Canadians wait up to seven hours to cross U.S. land borders on the first day they reopened. Hong Kong says it will not reopen to travelers until the middle of next year. Covid spikes and Coronavirus restrictions are back in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Norway. Ryanair is already operating more flights than in 2019. Read up from the bottom for context.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, November 12, 2021

Others are promoting a roaring recovery, but the European Travel Commission, the official promotion arm of EC tourism, is not so sure. Its latest report says pre-Coronavirus volume won't return until 2024. Here are today's other developments:
        Titanic Thursday   The TSA says 2,064,753 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Thursday. It represents 87.3% of 2019 volume on a similar day. That's an eye-popping ten points better than last Thursday, November 4.
        It goes how it goes   Average hotel occupancy in the United States was 59.8% for the week ended November 6. San Francisco/San Mateo and Honolulu continue to lag the market. Miami and Virginia Beach are the best performers.
        Europe locks down again   The Netherlands said today it would return to "hard" Coronavirus curbs for the next three weeks. Starting Saturday (local time), restaurants and shops must close early and spectators are barred from major sporting events. Meanwhile, Norway is reintroducing a Covid passport system. Heath care workers who refuse to vaccinate must wear masks and test twice a week. And Austria is expected to impose lockdown restrictions on millions of unvaccinated people in the coming days. These should be promulgated by local regions starting on Sunday.
        Here we go again   After weeks of plunging Coronavirus cases in the United States, the decline in infections and deaths has stalled out. Hospitals are filling up again, too. CNBC has the details.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, November 11, 2021

Germany has recorded a record number of new Covid cases for the fourth consecutive day. (Reuters has the details.) The same is true in the Netherlands, which recorded a record high number of cases today (local time). Agence France-Presse has those details. Here are today's other developments:
        Wednesday wonder   The TSA says 1,691,526 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Wednesday. It represents 81.6% of 2019 volume on a similar day. That's substantially stronger traffic than last Wednesday, November 3.
        Ryanair record   Eurocontrol, which operates Europe's air travel control system, says Ryanair flew 6% more flights during the week ended November 10 than a similar period in 2019. The other nine largest European carriers registered declines of as much as 45%.
        Texas turmoil   A federal judge ordered Attorney General Ken Paxton not to enforce Governor Greg Abbott's ban on mask mandates in schools. Politico.com has the details. Separately, unvaccinated Texans were 20 times more likely to die from Covid and 13 times more likely to get infected, according to a study released by the Texas Health Department. Fox News has those details.
        Belgian benefit   Belgium says it will now accept rapid antigen tests from travelers seeking to enter the country without quarantine. Until now, only PCR tests were accepted.
        Berlin's bad 2021   The number of travelers to Berlin during the first nine months of 2021 fell 20.6% compared to the first nine months of 2020. That's right, 2020. Not 2019, the last Covid-free year.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021

President Ronald Reagan fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers 40 years ago when they went on strike. Naturally, Reagan's party cheered the move. But two GOP Congressmen now are wringing their hands over the possibility that a few controllers might be dismissed if they do not get vaccinated. Fox News has the details. Here are today's other developments:
        Look out below   The TSA says 1,456,657 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Tuesday. It represents 67.8% of 2019 volume. That's the lowest total of passengers in about 30 days.
        No insurance for you   Singapore says that it will stop paying medical bills of citizens who are unvaccinated by choice. Agence France-Presse has details.
        Hong Kong's horror   Government officials say Hong Kong will not open to outsiders until the middle of next year. It's your choice as to whether it is part of China's campaign to humiliate the city. Bloomberg News has the details.
        There'll always be a vaccine mandate   Frontline workers in the National Health Service (NHS) in England will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from April 1 or lose their jobs, Health Minister Sajid Javid said Tuesday. About 90% of NHS staff already has been fully vaccinated.
        Unmasked mandate   Two large Florida school districts--Miami and Broward--have lifted their mask mandates for students. Students are "strongly recommended, but not required" to wear masks. The Miami Herald has details.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Your daily legal briefing: A Texas federal judge upheld the United Airlines vaccine mandate, issued in August before the White House announced OSHA would issue vaccine rules for all large companies. Meanwhile, the White House urged firms to continue vaccinating employees as the issue is litigated. And government lawyers told a federal court that its temporary restraining order on OSHA vaccine rules was incorrect and should be overturned. Here are today's other developments:
        Big fall, little fall   The TSA says 1,955,530 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints on Monday. It represents 79.3% of 2019 volume. The raw total is only about 40,000 less than last Monday (November 1), but is a multi-point week-over-week decline in percentage volume.
        Snowbird sightings   Canadians yesterday waited as long as seven hours to cross the newly reopened land borders with the United States. Many were eventually headed for Florida and other warm climates. Agence France-Presse has details.
        Action in the North Atlantic   There were longish lines at airports yesterday where flights from Europe brought the first tourists in about 20 months to the United States. USA Today has the details. Meanwhile, Eurocontrol says it noted only a 1% rise in aircraft traffic across the North Atlantic compared to recent weeks. However, it figures westbound flights from Europe to the United States rose 9%.
        Train talk   Amtrak said its traffic fell by 95% during the early months of the pandemic last year, but passenger volume is now back to 70% of 2019 levels. The Washington Post has details.
        But placebo is a Latin word ...   Some anti-vax Greeks paid doctors to inject them with water instead of Coronavirus vaccines. But it turns out the doctors administered the vaccines and pocketed the placebo payments. An English-language Greek site has details.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, November 8, 2021

The U.S. today reopened borders to visitors from nearly three dozen countries, most of them in Europe. A travel ban was in effect for about 20 months. The early-morning highlight: simultaneous departures to New York/JFK of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flights from London/Heathrow's two runways. The Virgin flight arrived at Kennedy first. Here are today's other developments:
        Weekend wonder  About 5.7 million people passed through TSA security checkpoints at U.S. airports over the weekend (Friday-Sunday). That represents 83.9% of 2019 traffic on a similar weekend. Both numbers are up notably from last weekend.
        The high plateau   There were 503,769 new Coronavirus cases in the United States during the last week, according to Johns Hopkins. The death toll was 8,063. Both numbers are about the same as last week although the mortality rate did drop a little more noticeably.
        Short slide   Eurocontrol says aircraft traffic in European skies fell to 79% of 2019 levels for the week ended November 7, a slight decline from the previous week's volume. That's a daily average of around 21,500 flights.
        A bad backslide   Germany's "incidence rate" measuring new Covid infections per 100,000 people over last seven days soared to a record 201.1. The previous high was 197.6, on December 22, 2020. The numbers were reported by Agence France-Presse.
        Extended recovery   The extended-stay hotel segment continues to recover at a faster rate than the overall lodging industry, according to new data from the Highland Group research and consulting organization. "Extended-stay hotels' occupancy premium above the overall hotel industry widened to 16 points in September and is expected to widen further" in the months ahead, says Mark Skinner, a Highland Group partner.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, November 6-7, 2021

A U.S. appeals court issued a temporary restraining order against OSHA's new vaccine rules. It cited "grave statutory and constitutional issues" raised by plaintiffs, a cadre of red-state attorneys general. It asked the federal government to respond by the end of day on Monday. The test-or-vaccinate OSHA rules are due to be effective on January 4. The Associated Press has the details. Here are this weekend's other developments:
        No tourists, high prices   Tourism to Hawaii has slumped during the Coronavirus partially because the state's aggressive (and bureaucratic) attempt to rein in the Covid virus. But while tourists have stayed away, well-to-do digital nomads haven't. There's been a boom in housing prices, especially notable since Hawaii already had extraordinarily high housing rates. The New York Times has details.
        Flying (almost) like it's 2019   Carriers that are part of the IAG Group are rushing to restore transatlantic capacity. British Airways says its fourth-quarter capacity wil be 60% of 2019 volume. BA aims to fly 90% of its 2019 capacity by the third quarter of 2022. Aer Lingus hopes to be at 90% of 2019 capacity by the summer of 2022.
        Smells like teen spirit   More than 250 students at the University of New Mexico have failed to comply with a vaccine mandate that required them to be fully inoculated by Friday. TheHill.com has the details.
        Same time next year   Fewer than half of senior travel executives polled believe volume in the industry next year will match or exceed 2019 levels. Travel News Asia has details.

Daily Coronavirus Updates October 30-November 5

Read all about it! The U.S. Coronavirus death toll passes a landmark 750,000 while the global fatalities pass five million. The national vaccination rate nears 59%. U.S. passenger volume in October was just shy of 80% of 2019 totals. The Netherlands, Germany and Austria reinstate some Covid rules. Shanghai Disneyland locks down for days when a Covid case is detected. Maine had a smashing summer as wary visitors sought out "safe" places. Vaccine mandates earn judicial approval. South Korea, Australia and Thailand relax a few Covid restrictions, but Tonga locks down. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates October 23-October 29

Read all about it! The Coronavirus death toll passes 743,000 as the national vaccination rate finally reaches 58%. The international traffic surge predicted for the global reopening hasn't happened, but one day this week U.S. passenger volume reached 94% of 2019 volume. Israel okays fully vaccinated travelers to visit, but requires a booster shot, too. Sweden reopens to U.S. visitors. European traffic across the South Atlantic is picking up. Spain expects a good winter. WestJet restores many flights to its winter schedule. The CDC extends Covid cruise rules. Alabama, Arizona and Florida aren't doing great battling Covid in 2021. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates October 16-October 22

Read all about it! Coronavirus death toll passes 733,000 while the national vaccination rate remains below 58%. American and Alaska airlines expect a full traffic and revenue recovery next year. Despite the summer travel "boom" because it opened earlier than most of Europe, Greek year-to-date traffic is down 49% compared to 2019. Hong Kong Airport and flag carrier Cathay Pacific each handled just 5% of 2019 traffic during September. Bali reopens to overseas visitors, but tourists and flights are scarce. How's the Missouri Compromise working out for us now? And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates October 9-October 15

Read all about it! Coronavirus deaths march past 721,000. The national vaccination rate nudges past 57%. About 40% of TSA agents are still not vaccinated. Business travel to Orlando is off around 80%. Singapore opens to U.S. travelers, but rules about proof-of-vaccination are problematic. Australia will now allow all citizens to return, but opening to visitors remains off the board. Thailand and Malaysia begin opening to vaccinated travelers. The Delta variant is retarding the recovery of business travel and the hotel industry. Boeing imposes a vaccine mandate on employees. France says Covid tests for travel are no longer free. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates October 2-October 8

Read all about it! Coronavirus deaths race past 710,000. The national vaccination rate crawls to 56.8%. Most major U.S. carriers confirm that they will require staff vaccinations after White House declares airlines to be federal contractors. United Airlines, which mandated vaccines in August, says only 200 employees haven't complied. Canada says air and rail passengers must be vaccinated starting October 30. JPMorgan Chase says unvaccinated staffers can't travel on business or attend in-person meetings. Australia says visitors barred until next year. Bali and India reopen to tourists later this month. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates Sept. 25-October 1

Read all about it! Coronavirus deaths pass 697,000, but the national vaccination rate barely cracks 56%. Sea-Tac requires all employees be vaccinated. International travel in the Asia-Pacific region was just 4% of 2019 levels in August. International traffic worldwide was down 68%. Transatlantic carriers reduce capacity in December even though Europeans can visit the United States again starting in November. Montserrat opens to vaccinated travelers, with a quarantine requirement. The Cayman Islands will continue to require quarantines for all arriving visitors. Thailand removes restrictions on vaccinated travelers headed to Bangkok and major leisure destinations. Florida's governor says that we should reassess our relationship with Australia because the country's Coronavirus policies are too restrictive. (PS: Around 1,300 have died in Australia while 55,000 have died in Florida.) And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for September 18-24

Read all about it! Coronavirus deaths pass 684,000, but the national vaccination rate barely cracks 55.5%. Global airline capacity through the end of the year remains down by one third compared to 2019. American hotels claim they will lose $59 billion in business travel revenue this year, even more than in 2020. United Airlines says 97% of employees are now vaccinated. Delta says its vax rate is now 82%. A vaccine mandate for Italy's workers leads to a boom in vaccinations. London/Gatwick is losing nearly $600 per passenger. Cathay Pacific in August flew just 13% of its 2019 capacity. Delta wants all airlines to have a common list of passengers who have been banned from flying due to masking issues. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for September 11-17

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 670,000 while the national vaccination rate remains below 55%. Starting in October, Thailand will reopen Bangkok and Chiang Mai to visitors and Vietnam will reopen its first tourist destination. Delta Air Lines says that 4,000 employees got vaccinated after the carrier announced a $200 monthly surcharge on health coverage for unvaccinated workers. United Airlines says 90% of employees are vaccinated. Travel is falling after the Labor Day weekend. KLM won't require cabin crews to vaccinate and Dutch government says vaccinated American visitors won't have to quarantine. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for September 4-10

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 654,000 while the national vaccination rate hits 54%. More European nations, including France, close their doors to some U.S. visitors. U.S. and Canadian carriers tighten staff vaccine policies. Some Hawaii hotels will require proof of vaccination. Flights between Europe and North America are down 46% compared to 2019. Overflowing with Covid cases, hospitals in Texas, Florida and Idaho are in crisis. And much more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for August 28-Sept. 3

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 643,000. Hospitalizations in the United States return to winter highs. The national vaccination rate inches past 53%. Global airlines continue issuing vaccine mandates for employees and passengers. More jurisdictions worldwide require proof of vaccination to dine out. The Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and Bulgaria limit travel after the EU moves the United States off its safe list. KLM drops flights to Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas after the Dutch restrict U.S. travel. A big summer for Las Vegas casinos. Mask mandates and vaccine requirements spread to destinations worldwide. And much more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for August 21-August 27

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 633,000 and new infections again soar to 150,000 cases a day. The average daily death toll is once again above 1,000. The national vaccine rate now has inched past 52%. Tourists are slow to return to Paris, but they are overwhelming Maine. No one seems to be policing the mask mandate at Myrtle Beach Airport. Hawaii's governor tells visitors to stay away. More airlines impose employee vaccine mandates. Ten million flights have not operated in Europe since the pandemic began. U.S. daily travel falls to the lowest levels in three months. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for August 14-August 20

Read all about it! Covid deaths pass 625,000 and new infections in the United States again soar past 100,000 cases a day. National vaccination rate inches past 51%. Germany again requires unvaccinated American visitors to quarantine on arrival. Japan and Australia widen their lockdowns. Global airline capacity is flat. Two NFL teams and the Consumer Electronics Show will require vaccines for in-person attendance. Three more major airlines order their staffers to be vaccinated. Hong Kong International Airport passenger traffic is down 98%. And more. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for August 7-August 13

Read all about it! Covid deaths pass 619,000 as new infections in the United States once again soar past 100,000 a day. The national vaccination rate inches toward 51%. U.S. airline traffic seems to be slowing. Global carriers reduce seat capacity again. Amtrak and Frontier and Hawaiian airlines join United and require employees to be vaccinated; Delta, American and Southwest demur. Puerto Rico lodgings will require proof of vaccination. Federal court halts Florida rules barring cruise lines from requiring crews and passengers be vaccinated. Canada will require all air travelers and interprovincial rail passengers be vaccinated. Martinique closes beaches, hotels and vacation rentals and tourists are told to leave. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for July 31-August 6

Read all about it! U.S. Covid deaths pass 615,000. The vaccination rate inches past 50%. Europe records its best month of aircraft traffic since the pandemic began. Tokyo hotels are below 50% occupancy even with the Olympics in town. China, Thailand and Australia battle new Covid outbreaks and impose new restrictions. Bars and restaurants in several U.S. cities now require proof of vaccination. One in three new Coronavirus infections comes from just two states, Texas and Florida. Americans traveling to Israel will again be required to quarantine on entry. The Delta variant causes the cancellation of major events. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for July 24-July 30

Read all about it! The U.S. Covid death toll passes 612,000 and the vaccination rate remains below 50%. The United States says it will not loosen restrictions on visitors from Europe, China, Brazil and other countries while the CDC slaps a "do not travel" warning on several more nations. Hotels in locked-down Sydney, Australia, are less than 2% occupied. Florida is the epicenter of the Coronavirus and accounts for one in five new infections in the United States. England opens to vaccinated U.S. travelers without quarantine. Las Vegas, Reno and Washington impose indoor mask mandates. Transatlantic summer traffic collapses. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for July 17-July 23

Read all about it! The U.S. Covid death toll passes 610,000, but the vaccination rate slows and remains below 50%. Canada opens to fully vaccinated U.S. visitors next month, but the United States says land borders remain closed for at least another 30 days. American Airlines claims domestic business travel will return to 2019 norms next year. Many places advise wearing a mask in public and some reimpose nightly curfews. The Australia-New Zealand "travel bubble" collapses. The CDC and State Department slap "do not travel" warning on the United Kingdom. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for July 10-July 16

Read all about it! The U.S. death toll from Covid passes 608,000, but the vaccination rate has slowed and remains below 49%. United Airlines does not expect business travel to return until 2023. Malta bars unvaccinated travelers. France, the Netherlands and Los Angeles impose new virus restrictions. Ireland won't require quarantine for American visitors beginning July 19 and Aer Lingus celebrates with a $100 flight discount. London will maintain its mask mandate on public transportation. Who knew? "Gangnam Style" may spread Covid. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for July 3-July 9

Read all about it! More than 48% of the nation has been fully vaccinated, but the U.S. death toll from Coronavirus passes 606,000 and new infections of the Delta variant are surging. England plans to lift its last Coronavirus restrictions on July 19, but there are critics. Ryanair and EasyJet will continue to impose their mask mandates. Traffic at Copenhagen, Paris and Athens airports remains well below 2019 levels. Canada cracks the travel door open, but Australia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Spain, Thailand and South Korea reimpose some restrictions. Tokyo bars spectators from Olympic events. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for June 26-July 2

Read all about it! Nearly 48% of the nation is fully vaccinated, but the U.S. death toll from Coronavirus has passed 605,000. After passing the 2-million traveler mark ten times in June, the Fourth of July also starts with a bang. Average U.S. hotel occupancy rates are the highest since October, 2019. Thailand, South Africa, Bangladesh and Indonesia add new Coronavirus restrictions. Australia now says only 3,000 travelers a week may enter the country. International traffic on Asia/Pacific carriers is just 4.3% of 2019 levels. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for June 19-June 25

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 Australia international traffic 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 not to Canadians. Click here for the week's updates.

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.