People rush to the ski resort, drink, and party after the easing of some COVID-19 restrictions in Poland
WARSAW (Reuters) – Dancing, drinking, and fighting marked the easing of some COVID-19 restrictions in Poland over the weekend as tourists, many without masks, let off steam in the ski resort of Zakopane. Poland allowed ski slopes to reopen from Friday for a two-week trial interval, with cinemas, theatres, and hotels also allowed to open […]
COVID-19: Czech government agrees on last-minute lockdown deal
PRAGUE: The Czech government reached a last-minute deal with regional governors on Sunday to call a new state of emergency for 14 days and avert a chaotic end to coronavirus lockdown measures. Without extraordinary powers, Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s minority government would be unable to keep nationwide restrictions such as curfews, bans on public gatherings, […]
As Auckland goes into lockdown, Australia suspends travel ‘bubble’ with New Zealand
WELLINGTON (Reuters) – Australia has suspended quarantine-free travel with neighboring New Zealand after three new community cases of COVID-19 were detected in Auckland over the weekend. New Zealand mentioned on Sunday it was locking down its largest city after new cases emerged within the nation, which has been credited with nearly eliminating the virus inside […]
Israel likely to reopen restaurants in March, resume tourism with Cyprus
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel plans to reopen restaurants around March 9 and restart tourism with Cyprus as part of a gradual return to normality because of a COVID-19 vaccination campaign, officials mentioned on Sunday. With more than 41% of Israelis have received at least one shot of Pfizer Inc’s vaccine, Israel has mentioned it will […]
Covid-19: Drop-in China holiday train travel by nearly 70 percent amid restrictions
BEIJING: Railway journeys in China during the usually frenetic Lunar New Yr vacation travel rush are down by almost 70 percent amid calls for individuals to stay where they’re to avoid a new outbreak of COVID-19. The China State Railway Group on Saturday reported 52.33 million passenger trips from Jan 28 to Feb 11 – a decline of […]
UK’s Johnson optimistic COVID lockdown can be eased soon
LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated on Saturday he was optimistic he could announce the easing of some lockdown measures soon as the government nears its target of offering vaccines to 15 million individuals in priority groups. The government says it’s on track to have offered an injection by Monday to everyone […]
More snow, ice, and rain across much of the U.S. On Valentine’s Day
(Reuters) – Snow, ice, and teeth-chattering temperatures will sock much of the United States on Valentine’s Day through the early next week, with more than 100 million Americans under winter-related watches and warnings coast to coast. The shivering weather is blasting from Portland, Oregon, throughout the U.S. Plains, dipping by way of Texas to New […]
A strong earthquake of 7.1 magnitude hits off Japan coast, triggering blackouts
IWAKI, Japan (Reuters) – A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 hits off the coast of eastern Japan on Saturday, shaking buildings and triggering widespread blackouts, however there appeared to be no major damage, and no tsunami warning was issued. The epicenter was off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of […]
Europe’s air travelers numbers ‘at lowest level since 1995’ last year
Air passenger numbers in Europe have fallen to their lowest levels in 25 years during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found. The study by the European airport trade association (ACI Europe), found that passenger traffic at airports fell by 70.4% in 2020. The loss of 1.72 billion passengers last yr meant levels were […]
White House meets with airline CEOs on travel issues due to COVID-19
WASHINGTON: The chief executives of major US airways, including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, met virtually with the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator on Friday (Feb 12) amid airline concerns that new restrictions could be imposed on domestic air travel. “We had a very positive, constructive conversation focused on our shared commitment to science-based […]
