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UK to Scrap Traffic Light System, US Updates Travel Restriction List & More: Wego Recaps Travel News

2021-09-20 15:22

Coronavirus-related news continues to make headlines around the world. From vaccine mandate debacle in the US to traffic light system shakeups in the UK, here are some of the major travel news highlights last week.

Germany removes Brazil and South Africa from its list of high-risk countries

Brazil and South Africa, two countries that have been subjected to the harshest of travel restrictions since the beginning of 2021, are no longer on Germany’s list of banned countries

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the government agency and research institute responsible for disease control and prevention in Germany, has announced that Brazil and South Africa have been removed from the high-risk list, accompanied by Bangladesh, Cyprus, India, and several other countries.

This means fully vaccinated and recovered travellers from Brazil and South Africa may now travel to Germany for tourism purposes without having to quarantine.

More island destinations added to the US Do Not Travel list

 

The Caribbean dual-island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis along with Mauritius in the Indian Ocean have been added to the CDC's “Level Four: Do Not Travel” advisory list. The inclusion of said destinations means that US travellers are advised to avoid travelling there and to only do so if they're fully vaccinated.

The CDC’s do not travel list is currently occupied by some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations the likes of Thailand, Spain, France, and the UK.

Vaccine mandate and certification continue to flame debates in the US

Meanwhile, efforts to implement rules and restrictions designed to encourage vaccinations have been met with pushback in the United States. Despite evidence pointing to the success of vaccine mandates, vaccine passports, health passes, and similar policies in Europe, many in America have rejected the same rules.

Since rolling out vaccine mandates earlier this month, the Biden administration expects to place more pressure on private corporations to implement vaccine mandates. 

The UK to remove 8 Countries from its red list

The UK is set to remove Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya, The Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Turkey from its red list on 22 September. Fully vaccinated travellers from the countries will no longer be expected to quarantine as well as taking a pre-departure test and day 8 COVID-19 test.

The authorities stated that starting October, destinations will now simply be ranked low or high risk, as opposed to red, amber and green. The decision is part of a bid to simplify the UK's travel restrictions.

No COVID test required to enter Abu Dhabi 

From 19 September, tourists or residents travelling to Abu Dhabi from Dubai as well as from other emirates will no longer be required to present a COVID-19 test result. The decision reflects the decreased COVID-19 infection rate in the emirate, at just 0.2 percent of total tests conducted. 

However, a green status on the Al Hosn app is still required to access a number of public places in Abu Dhabi, including Shopping malls, restaurants, bars and cafés, gyms and entertainment centres.

Source: Wego