Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 993,000 while the national vaccination rate has stalled below 67%. Etihad Airways says 90% of its business class passengers are now leisure flyers. BART in San Francisco reinstates a mask mandate. Europe flying passes 80% of 2019 levels. Israel drops indoor mask mandate and South Korea drops outdoor one. Covid was the third-leading cause of death in the United States last year. Asian airlines carried just 11% of 2019's international traffic in March. Italy and Germany extend some Covid regulations, but Malaysia is loosening up and Bulgaria and Lithuania end all Covid entry requirements. And more.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, April 29, 2022

What are your odds of catching Covid twice? And what happens if you do? The Wall Street Journal has details. Fair warning: There's some bad news with the (relatively) good. Here are today's other developments:
        Glass almost full   The TSA says 2,258,077 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 90.3% of the comparative volume on a similar Thursday in 2019. That surge toward normal--you know, if you consider 2019 "normal"--masks the fact that business travel is still far more depressed than leisure flying.
        BART's back   BART--the primary rail service in the San Francisco Bay Area--has reinstated a mask mandate for riding its trains. The new rule will continue until July 18.
        Go east, Europe traveler   Bulgaria and Lithuania have separately decided to end all Covid-related restrictions on entering their countries. Both nations lift the rules for all visitors on Sunday.
        Barrels and gallons   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, is trading flat today, in the $107-a-barrel range. The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.159, according to the AAA. That's up nearly two cents from yesterday.
        Masks off   Effective May 2 (Monday), South Korea ends its outdoor mask mandate. The only exception: attending an outdoor event with more than 50 people. Agence France-Presse has details.
        Work from home forever   Airbnb says employees may now work remotely in perpetuity. The New York Times has details.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, April 28, 2022

We probably haven't scratched the surface of Coronavirus-related fraud stemming from the various government bailout, loans and stimulus packages implemented during the pandemic. But it won't shock you to know that one of the first major cases involves a trucking company that received $700 million in iffy loans thanks to the direct intervention of top Trump Administration Cabinet members. The New York Times has details. Here are today's other developments:
        Slow-day strength II   The TSA says 1,996,601 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 88.4% of the comparative volume on a similar Wednesday in 2019 and about where we've been most of April. As I noted yesterday, there is now little difference between traditionally slow travel days (Tuesday, Wednesday) and heavy travel days (Friday, Sunday) as we crawl back to some semblance of "normal."
        Don't toss those masks yet   Italy today decided to keep some mask rules in place until at least June 15. Although masks will no longer be required at restaurants, bars or retail shops, the government extended the masking rules for all public transportation, movie houses and theaters as well as indoor concert and sporting events.
        Not so fast ...   Germany has extended until the end of May Coronavirus rules for entry to the country. If you fly in, you must show proof of vaccination (or illness recovery) before departure. Ditto for travelers connecting through hubs such as Frankfurt and Munich.
        Barrels and gallons   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, rose on world markets today and settled at $107.26 a barrel, up nearly $3 from yesterday. The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.141, according to the AAA. That's up nearly a penny from yesterday.
        Malaysia eases up   Effective May 1, Malaysia will remove the testing requirement for fully vaccinated travelers wishing to enter the country. Some mask mandates are also being dropped. The Straits Times has details.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, April 27, 2022

China's handling of the late stages of Coronavirus--mass testing, locking down tens of millions, a continued emphasis on "zero covid"--continues to unravel. The never-ending lockdown of Shanghai has caused widespread privation allayed only by local citizens banding together to help each other. And China's refusal to use Western-made mRNA vaccines is lengthening the crisis. Here are today's other developments:
        Slow-day strength   The TSA says 1,863,020 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 88.6% of the comparative volume on a similar Tuesday in 2019 and about where we've been most of April. In fact, there is now little difference between traditionally slow travel days (Tuesday, Wednesday) and heavy travel days (Friday, Sunday).
        Ouch, ouch, ouch   The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines says its member carriers served 3.5 million international passengers in March. The group trumpets the fact that the number is nearly triple the passenger count of March, 2021. But it's also just 10.8% of the 32.5 million passengers carried during March, 2019.
        No soup for you   With Congressional funding for Coronavirus programs stalled, low-income Americans are losing access to everything from testing and treatment to vaccines. Politico has details.
        Barrels and gallons   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, is flat on world markets today and selling around $104-$105 a barrel. The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.134, according to the AAA. That's essentially the same as yesterday.
        Bye, Felicia  Russia is withdrawing from the World Tourism Organization, the UN travel body. The country, which invaded Ukraine in February, was about to be expelled.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, April 26, 2022

About 60% of all Americans have contracted the original Covid-19 virus or one of its variants, according to new federal statistics released today. The Washington Post has details. So it will not surprise you that Vice President Kamala Harris also has tested positive. That news was released today by the White House. Here are today's other developments:
        Manic Monday   The TSA says that 2,182,717 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 90.4% of the comparative volume on a similar day in 2019 and right around where we've been most of April.
        Behind the great wall   Experts continue to be extremely skeptical about official Covid death tolls released by Chinese officials. The latest number to raise metaphoric eyebrows: China's claim that only 190 people have died in Shanghai during the last two months. Agence France-Presse has details.
        Barrels and gallons   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, rose on world markets today. It settled at $104.61, up about $2.50 from yesterday. The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.131, according to the AAA. That's about a penny more than yesterday.
        What were you expecting?   Tourism's contribution to the European Union GDP was just one billion euros in 2020. That's less than half the 2.1 billion euros registered in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. Details are here
        Now she tells us   Remember when President Trump promoted internal disinfectants or light treatments to cure Covid and his top medical advisor, Dr. Deborah Birx, sat nearby and said nothing? Now she says Trump's comments were a "tragedy on many levels" and claims she felt "paralyzed" as Trump blathered on in April, 2020. And, yes, of course, now she's hawking a book. Politico has details.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, April 25, 2022

More proof that those cheering on aircraft when the mask mandate was lifted are in the distinct minority. Politico reports that all the polls show majorities supporting in-flight masks. Here are today's other developments:
        Slow but strong   The TSA says 6.4 million people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints this weekend (Friday-Sunday). That's 91.4% of comparative volume in 2019 and (by just a tiny bit) the slowest weekend of the month.
        Ups and downs   There were 349,862 new Coronavirus cases in the United States during the last week, according to Johns Hopkins. That's up sharply from the previous week. The death toll was 2,591, down sharply from the previous week.
        Barrels and gallons   The price of Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks the price of jet fuel, fell on world markets today. It settled at $102.16, down about four bucks from the weekend. The average price of gasoline in the United States today is $4.123, about the same as recent days.
        Europe surprises again   Europe flights averaged 25,182 per day for the week ended April 24, says Eurocontrol, which operates the continent's air traffic control system. That's 2.6% higher from the previous week and represents 82.4% of 2019 aircraft volume, a continuing surprise given the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and subsequent airspace closures.
        Yes, tests   The Portuguese government has restated its entry rules: A negative PCR test no earlier than 72 hours before departure or (in some circumstances) a negative antigen test 42 hours before. The details are here.
        Business travelers? We don't need no stinkin' ...   Etihad Airways, the much-shrunken flag carrier of Abu Dhabi, says 90% of its business class cabins are filled with leisure flyers. That number was just 45% before the pandemic, chief executive officer Tony Douglas told Bloomberg Television over the weekend.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, April 23-24, 2022

China isn't handling its Covid lockdowns well even (or perhaps especially) by the standards of repressive governments. The never-ending Shanghai lockdown has prompted locals repeatedly posting videos that Chinese censors scrub from the Internet. And Beijing residents are panic-buying goods fearing the shortages as privations of the Shanghai lockdown. Here are this weekend's other developments.
        Israel unmasked   Israel has dropped its mask mandate for public indoor spaces. ABC News has details.
        Number Three tries harder   Covid was the third-leading cause of death in the United States during 2021, trailing only heart disease and cancer. CNN has details.
        The rate's the thing   Hotels nationwide registered an average room occupancy rate of 62% for the week ended April 16. That's a decline of more than five points from 2019. However, lodging wizard STR says the average daily rate was now more than 14% higher than the comparable pre-Covid week in 2019.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 16-April 22:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 990,000. National vaccination rate inches toward 67%. Florida judge's ruling against CDC travel mask mandate led U.S. airlines and Amtrak to drop mask rules, but some airports and local transit systems keep theirs. The Justice Department will appeal, but the CDC won't demand emergency legal action to reinstate mask rules. Canada says it won't drop its mask mandate. Air Canada tops 100,000 passengers in one day for the first time in more than two years. Uber and Lyft dump their mask mandate. Spain ends indoor masking policy after more than 700 days. Even as travel booms again, Italy and the Netherlands expect sharp declines in volume compared to 2019. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 9-April 15:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 988,000. The national vaccination rate still below 67%. The CDC that says the in-flight mask mandate will continue through May 3. JetBlue Airways has another weekend meltdown while airline traffic was close to 2019 "normal." The FAA proposes more than $150,000 in fines for two disruptive passengers. Philadelphia restores mask mandate for indoor public places. Thailand and Hong Kong are eliminating Covid rules. Vienna and South Korea loosen theirs. Traffic in Europe's skies nears 80% of 2019 volume, but travel in locked-down China plunges to 20% of normal. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 2-April 8:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 984,000. The national vaccination rate is mired below 67%. White House Covid czar says the test requirement for travelers returning to the United States stays. Another airline meltdown over the weekend did not stop travelers flying at 92% of 2019 levels. British carriers cancel hundreds of flights due to Covid sick-calls. Airlines jockey Australia and New Zealand routes and schedules as the countries reopen to travelers. Ryanair and Turkish Airlines now have more capacity than in 2019, but Lufthansa and SAS remain down more than 30%. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 26-April 1:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 980,000. The national vaccination rate is stuck around 66% and vaccinations have fallen to the lowest rate since December, 2020. A new passenger punch-up at Southwest Airlines. January passenger traffic in the United States remained a third below 2019 "norms," but 19 days in March surpassed 2 million travelers at U.S. airports. Europe aircraft traffic continues to climb despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Two late legal challenges to the mask mandate. Global airline capacity grows 3% during the first week of spring. Airline traffic in Asia was down more than 90% in February. Some flyers are still fighting for refunds on flights the airlines canceled during the pandemic. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 19-March 25:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 975,000. The national vaccination rate is stalled around 66%. Hong Kong and Singapore reopen to visitors in April. Austria reimposes a mask mandate as new infections rise again. Shanghai Disneyland closes again. China issues new stay-at-home orders for millions of residents. Spring Break traffic is near 2019 "norms" and is 11 times the volume of 2020, when Coronavirus first hit travel. A chain of Covid testing sites named O'Hare performed about how you'd expect. Hotel occupancy is bouncing back. South Africa drops testing for vaccinated travelers entering the country. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 12-March 18:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 970,000, but new cases have plunged since January peaks. The national vaccination rate finally reaches 66%. Canada drops testing requirement for fully vaccinated visitors starting on April 1. Flying for Spring break is roaring. Heathrow Airport and British airlines drop their mask mandates. New Zealand and South Korea welcome tourists again starting in April. Domestic airline traffic fell 27.3% in 2021. Global seat capacity remains 22% below pre-pandemic highs. Miami Airport reports busiest day in its history. Shenzhen locks down and China closes parts of Shanghai, too. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for March 5-March 11:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 965,000 and the global death toll has passed six million. The national vaccination rate is stalled below 66%. Hawaii and Ontario drop their indoor mask mandates. Ireland, Belgium, Romania and Hungary drop their entry restrictions, but Luxembourg says leisure travelers are still not welcome. Taiwan and Saudi Arabia loosen Covid restrictions. Malaysia reopens to vaccinated tourists on April 1. United Airlines says its unvaccinated employees may return to work. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for Feb. 26-March 4:

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 956,000 while national vaccination rate remains below 66%. Hotels are charging us lots more while they offer much less. Hawaii will drop entry tests and proof-of-vaccination rules before the end of the month and Bali ends mandatory quarantines on March 14. Philadelphia and Boston drop indoor mask mandates and New York City will end its proof-of-vaccine rules. Bad drivers created havoc on the nation's roads during the height of the pandemic. U.S. airline traffic during the last weekend of February reached 90% of 2020 volume. U.S. carriers operated 78% of pre-pandemic schedules in 2021. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 19-25

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 944,000 as the national vaccination rate stalls around 65%. Boston drops proof-of-vaccination rules and Los Angeles County ends mask mandate. England drops all Coronavirus restrictions. Ireland drops masking requirements. EU advises member nations to end Covid entry rules and testing and Italy drops them effective March 1. The DOT says 2021 air traffic was 27% below 2019's record total as passengers skewed more domestic than ever before. Washington-area airports were around 60% of 2019 volume. Atlanta/Hartsfield was about 68%. Notable exception? Austin/Bergstrom Airport. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 12-18

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 931,000. Washington ends proof-of-vaccine requirement for most businesses. Business travel flying continues to lag leisure numbers. France ends entry-testing requirement for fully vaccinated visitors. Flight volume between U.S. gateways and London/Heathrow remains down sharply. Two major cruise lines and Disneyland drop mask mandates. Germany, Austria and the Netherlands slowly lift national Covid restrictions. Switzerland ends all its Coronavirus entry requirements. Canada says it will accept some antigen tests to enter the country. Hawaii is last state to maintain all its mask mandates. Two years into the pandemic, Cathay Pacific is carrying fewer than 800 passengers a day and Hong Kong is turning hotel rooms into hospital space. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for February 5-11

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 915,000 as the national vaccination rate finally reaches 65%. Nevada abruptly lifts indoor mask mandate hours before bettors flood casinos on Super Bowl weekend. Australia opens it borders on February 21. Spain expects two-thirds of 2019's travel volume this year. Italy drops outdoor mask mandate and Finland ends testing for travelers entering the country. California, New York, Nevada and a slew of other states end some mask mandates. Hawaii won't require a booster shot to visit. Malaysia may open borders in March. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for Jan. 29-February 4

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 896,000. National vaccination rate remains below 65%. Denver is ending its mask and vaccine mandates, but New York State extends its mask rules. China's largest airlines may have lost US$7 billion in 2021. Iowa will end all Covid measures and data reporting. Dominican Republic now the most visited country in the Caribbean. Scandinavian countries dismantle their Covid restrictions. The U.S. Virgin Islands no longer requires entry tests for vaccinated travelers. New Zealand may welcome visitors from North America as early as spring. Winter storms play havoc with daily travel. Denver Airport traffic in December was down only about 7% compared to 2019. Spain retains, then scraps, its outdoor mask mandate. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 22-28

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 878,000. National vaccination rate stalls around 64%. U.S. flying in January plummets. European nations begin lifting or loosening Covid rules. Asia travel all but disappeared last year. Worldwide airline passenger traffic in 2021 was just 42% of 2019 levels. Four of the ten largest European airlines are operating at or below 50% of 2019 capacity. Major routes between Europe and the United States have as many as 44% fewer flights than in 2019. The United States and China continue war over seat capacity. Hong Kong cuts arrival quarantines to 14 days. Rio delays its Carnival parades. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 15-21

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths top 860,000. The national vaccination rate hangs below 64%. U.S. flying plunges while winter storm leads to thousands of cancellations over the King Day weekend. Two transatlantic flights return to departure airports after passengers disrupted operations. Europe aircraft traffic is at lowest rate since September and Eurostar passengers fell 85% last year compared to 2019. About 33 million seats disappear from worldwide winter schedules as airlines slash schedules to cope with Omicron. Sweden, Austria and Thailand loosen entry rules. Emirates Airline won't accept proctored antigen tests from U.S.-bound flyers even though they are accepted by the United States for re-entry. Amtrak cuts schedules through March. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 8-14

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 846,000. The national vaccination rate crawls past 63%. U.S. post-holiday flying numbers tumble. American Airlines says it won't fire vaccine holdouts. United says sick calls are extremely high while Delta threatens flight attendants over time off for positive tests. Qantas, Finnair and Virgin Australia slash schedules. Amtrak says fiscal 2022 revenue will be down 20% on pre-pandemic levels. New Orleans reinstates indoor mask mandate, but the Paris outdoor mask rule is overturned. Sweden orders restaurants and bars to close early. Heathrow Airport traffic plunges in December. The United States continues fighting with China over flights and schedules. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for January 1-7

Read all about it! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 834,000. The national vaccination rate reaches 63%. France clamps down on unvaccinated U.S. visitors while Cyprus demands negative PCR tests of all arrivals. Hong Kong and Macao ban all flights from the United States, Canada and other countries. England and Ireland ease testing rules for entry. Bad weather, Covid absentees and dreadful airline management lead to an end-of-the-year flying disaster that has dragged into this week. Global airline seat capacity was down 35% in 2021. Every cruise ship sailing in U.S. waters has reported Coronavirus cases and the CDC is investigating. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

2021 Daily Coronavirus Updates

The year began with hope and vaccines. It ended with Omicron, new lockdowns and restrictions that foiled plans for a return to the "normal" of travel. You can see everything we posted in bullet-point form, grouped into weekly segments, by clicking 2021's archives.

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.