Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass the one-million mark and Europe's toll passes two million. The European Union lifts its airport and in-flight mask mandate next week, but Spain and Italy will maintain their restrictions. United Airlines predicts "unprecedented" leisure travel demand for Memorial Day and Fourth of July. New Zealand says it will open to flights and cruises on July 31. The busiest day of the year for global airline capacity? OAG says it will be August 12 with 16 million seats available. France drops mask mandate on all forms of transportation. Europe is at 85% of 2019 flights--but Germany is doing much worse as Istanbul passes 2019 levels. SAS cuts summer schedules by 5%. Revival of U.S. rail services continues to lag. And more.

Coronavirus Update: Friday, May 13, 2022

The country is awash in "excess" vaccines since fewer than two-thirds of the nation's eligible residents have received the shots and boosters. But the scandal at Emergent BioSolutions’ Baltimore facility remains shocking. Now a new Congressional report claims Emergent spoiled 400 million doses at the height of the pandemic. WJZ Television in Baltimore has details. Here are today's other developments:
        Last moments   The TSA says that 2,327,671 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 89.1% of comparative volume on a similar day in 2019 as we approach the last days before Memorial Day weekend, which is the unofficial launch of the summer travel season.
        Italy also begs to differ   Italy joined Spain in maintaining an in-flight mask mandate despite guidance from European Union officials. Italian officials say its mask mandate on flights and other public transportation will continue until June 15.
        Big talk for the holidays   United Airlines says it sees "an unprecedented demand for leisure travel" and expects Memorial Day and Fourth of July travel to set post-pandemic records. It predicts Fourth of July traffic to be around 94% of 2019 volume.
        Welcome back to Xanadu   Hearst Castle has reopened to visitors after two years closed by Coronavirus pandemic measures. The iconic Central California attraction is the basis for Xanadu, the mythical retreat of Citizen Kane, who, of course, was a thinly disguised version of William Randolph Hearst.
        Another day and another record   The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.432, according to the AAA. That's another record, around 1.5 cents higher than yesterday. Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, was trading around $111 a barrel today, up $4 from yesterday's settlement of $107.45.
        Here comes trouble   North Korea has now admitted to its first six Covid deaths and admits the virus is spreading "explosively." More than 175,000 North Koreans are now in quarantine. The New York Times has details.

Coronavirus Update: Thursday, May 12, 2022

A somber day indeed. The White House confirms that one million Americans have now died from Covid. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization says two million Europeans are dead. Here are today's other developments:
        Flying in circles   The TSA says that 2,025,161 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 86.4% of comparative volume on a similar day in 2019 and almost exactly the same as last Wednesday.
        Spain begs to differ   The European Union is planning to lift the airport and in-flight mask mandate on Monday, but Spain won't be following the EU advice. Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias today reaffirmed the mask rules for passengers on board planes and other means of public transport. She says the situation is unlikely to change in the coming days.
        Righ-t-t-t-t ...   North Korea says it confirmed its first case ever of Coronavirus. The country's dictator, Kim Jong Un, ordered nationwide lockdowns and declared a "maximum emergency." None of North Korea's 25 million citizens have received a vaccination since the country refused foreign offers to supply vaccines.
        Another day and another record   The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.418, according to the AAA. That's another record high and 17 cents higher than just a week ago. Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, was trading around $108 a barrel today, down about three bucks from last Thursday.

Coronavirus Update: Wednesday, May 11, 2022

It's a monumental day in travel: All of the various European health and regulatory agencies now say the European Union's in-flight and airport mask mandates should end. It targets Monday as the day when passengers should be allowed to fly without masks. Most EU nations will probably follow the EU guidance--and, remember, it is only guidance. Each country can make its own rules. ABC News has details. Here are today's other developments:
        France goes further   France has acted quickly to unmask after the EU announcement. Besides removing the mask mandate on flights and at airports, all public transport mask mandates will end on Monday. "Wearing a mask remains recommended," said French health minister Olivier Veran.
        Tapping the brakes   The TSA says 1,900,738 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's 86.7% of comparative volume on a similar day in 2019 and several points better than last Tuesday.
        This is not good ...   The average price of regular gasoline in the United States today is $4.404, according to the AAA. That is a new record. Not a good record, but welcome to uncharted territory. Brent crude oil, which most closely tracks jet fuel prices, settled today at $$107.51, down more than $3 from last week.
        Welcome back--sooner   New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today (local time) that the country will fully reopen its borders on July 31. Cruise ships also be welcome at local ports on the same day. This is two months ahead of the government's previous schedule.

Coronavirus Update: Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Rail services are not bouncing back as fast as the airlines. For example, Amtrak says its summer schedule will be back to about 80% of 2019 capacity, well below what the airlines are planning for the summer. Meanwhile, Metrorail in the Washington area carried an average of 223,000 riders per day last week. That's just 35% of its pre-pandemic volume. In New York, where the subway system carried an average of 5.5 million riders before the pandemic, the system hit a Covid-era high of 3.497 million customers on May 5. Here are today's other developments:
        Manic Monday   The TSA says that 2,231,804 people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints yesterday. That's about 100,000 more flyers than last Monday and 88.8% of the comparative volume on a similar day in 2019.
        August will be busy   OAG, the airline industry schedule mavens, says August 12 should be the busiest day of the year for global capacity. It says 16.1 million seats are available for sale on that Friday.
        Who's losing the gas wars?   Where are average gasoline prices rising the fastest? According to AAA, Kentucky prices are up 28 cents in the lats week followed by Illinois and New York (25 cents); Indiana (24 cents); North Carolina (23 cents); and Florida and Ohio (22 cents).
        Tell us what to do   If you want any more proof that Hong Kong is now just a vassal of mainland China, take note: Hong Kong will ask the mainland government what the city must do in order to start quarantine-free travel, outgoing leader Carrie Lam says. Bloomberg News has details.

Coronavirus Update: Monday, May 9, 2022

Submitted for your approval: Without much statistical proof, Bloomberg News says businesses are abandoning Zoom and returning to offices, in-person meetings and business travel. Your mileage may vary, of course. Here are the details and here are today's other developments:
        Flying statis   The TSA says about 6.4 million people passed through U.S. airport checkpoints this weekend (Friday-Sunday), about the same as the previous weekend. It's also 91.3% of comparative volume in 2019, right where it's been in recent weekends.
        Roaring back   Eurocontrol says the flights in Europe's skies have reached 85% of 2019 volume. But the comeback is not been distributed evenly. Frankfurt (down 22%) and Munich (down 30%) are still dragging. But Istanbul and Palma de Mallorca airports are 6% ahead of 2019 volume.
        Oh, never mind   SAS says it will trim 4,000 flights from its schedule in coming months. That's about 5% of its planned schedule. The reason? Staffing and other issues. Airways magazine has details.

Coronavirus Update: Weekend, May 7-8, 2022

What would Emily Post say? Now that mandatory in-flight masks are a thing of the past, how would you ask someone seated next to you to mask up? Here's one set of suggestions for politely asking a flyer to go back to wearing a mask. Here are this weekend's other developments.
        Up in smoke   Here is one you probably did not have on your Coronavirus Bingo card: The pandemic halted France's progress in eradicating smoking. An English-language site about life in France has details.
        The empty spaces   The pandemic may be ending, but the depression in office space rentals in Washington's central business district has not. There is lots of office space going empty in the nation's capital. The Washington Post has details.
        Down a bit   Nationwide hotel occupancy in the United States was 66.6% for the week ended April 30, according to lodging statisticians STR. That's a slight dip--about 3.4 points--from a similar week in 2019. Phoenix was the strongest major market last week. Boston and Minneapolis trailed.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 30-May 6

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 996,000 while the national vaccination rate is stubbornly stalled below 67%. U.S. airline traffic is falling from the post-pandemic boom of mid-April. Italy has dropped some Covid-era paperwork for visitors. Greece has dropped all Coronavirus-related entry rules. Nationwide average gasoline prices rose 12 cents this week. Things are not going well at all in Shanghai, locked down since March 29. Europe nears 85% of pre-pandemic aircraft volume. Hilton and Marriott say hotel demand, even business travel, is getting back to something like normal. British Airways is cutting flights again. And more. Click here for the week's updates.

Daily Coronavirus Updates for April 23-April 29

Read all about Covid! U.S. Coronavirus deaths pass 993,000, but the national vaccination rate is stalled below 67%. Etihad Airways says 90% of 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. Click here for the week's updates.

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.