(CNN) — Russia and China are combating file Covid outbreaks, US home air journey is about to go from unhealthy to worse, however there’s excellent news out of Asia-Pacific.
Listed here are some issues we discovered in pandemic journey this week.
1. Russia has moved to the CDC’s highest-risk class
Moscow will impose a 10-day lockdown from subsequent week in an effort to curb hovering Covid-19 circumstances, town’s mayor has mentioned, as Russia endures its worst-ever section of the pandemic. CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen stories.
There are actually almost 80 international locations on the CDC’s “no-go” Degree 4 checklist, together with the UK, Greece, Switzerland and Thailand.
2. China is doubling down on its zero-Covid technique
All throughout Asia Pacific, from Australia to South Korea, international locations are easing restrictions and reopening borders as they transfer away from zero-Covid methods — however China is holding out.
Regardless of totally vaccinating greater than 75% of its inhabitants, China is sticking to its coverage of closed borders, prolonged quarantines for worldwide arrivals and localized lockdowns.
3. Flying has gotten actually unhealthy. This is why
American Airways has canceled lots of of flights over a 4 day interval because it offers with staffing shortages and climate points. The airline says 1,800 flight attendants are getting back from pandemic time-off. CNN’s Pete Muntean stories.
Staffing shortages imply flight crews are overworked and vaccine mandates might result in much more shortages. Decrease availability of flights, in the meantime, means greater ticket costs for these flights. Planes are packed, there’s division over masks guidelines, and tensions are rising.
4. The extremely long-haul dream hasn’t gone away
An experimental 2019 analysis flight by Qantas landed in Sydney after flying nonstop from London, breaking two aviation information.
Extremely long-haul flights are classed as any which can be scheduled to final greater than 16 hours — and so they’ve truly been round for the reason that Thirties.
5. Strive warm-weather locations, say journey specialists
Loosen up and benefit from the surf and solar by taking a 60 second break in Turks & Caicos.
Whereas the 2020 vacation season was a stay-at-home affair, this yr transferring all over the world is safer and extra accessible. Nonetheless, we nonetheless want weigh up dangers versus advantages throughout each step of vacation-planning.
Your vaccination standing is crucial issue in relation to ease of journey, with many international locations not letting the unjabbed enter. If you wish to cut back your Covid threat however are nonetheless eager for a trip overseas, contemplate warm-weather locations the place many of the exercise is open air.
7. The ‘world’s greatest’ cheese for 2021 was revealed
The World Cheese Awards 2021 have been held in northern Spain.
The Guild of Tremendous Meals
Even in the event you’re not planning to jet off wherever for some time, you possibly can nonetheless journey the world together with your palate.
The profitable cheese, known as Olavidia, is from an artisan cheesemaker utilizing the industrial title Quesos y Besos (Cheeses and Kisses). The crown returned to Europe this yr after the earlier winner was — for the primary time ever — an American cheese, Oregon’s Rogue River Blue.
8. There have been joyful reunions at Australian airports
Tens of hundreds of family members and relations have been saved aside for greater than 20 months attributable to Australia’s strict border coverage in response to Covid-19.
To this point, solely the extremely vaccinated states of New South Wales and Victoria have relaxed restrictions on worldwide arrivals, however the Australian authorities says additional border limits will likely be eliminated as different elements of the nation meet their 80% vaccination targets.
CNN’s Forrest Brown, Karla Cripps, Nectar Gan, Steve George, Al Goodman, Marnie Hunter, Chris Isidore, Angus Watson, Ben Westcott and Jessie Yeung contributed reporting.
