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COVID-19 restrictions are shrinking worldwide. This week, more destinations have ended COVID-19 restrictions.
Here are some of the best stories for travelers from this week:
The Cayman Islands Allow Cruise Ships Once Again
After two years of zero cruise ships, the Cayman Islands have allowed cruise ships to return from March 21, 2022. The island group confirmed they’ve been busy creating different procedures all cruise lines will need to follow.
The islands will begin welcoming cruise ships through a Phase 1 system, such as a maximum of 75,000 passengers on vessels and a maximum capacity of 40% per ship. If Phase 1 is successful, the islands will remove the cruise ship capacity limit.
The Cayman Islands Minister of Tourism—Honorary Kenneth Bryan—stated: “The PACT Administration does not take the decision to reintroduce cruise tourism lightly; the fact remains that while the pandemic persists, all travel, whether by air or sea, presents a certain degree of risk,”
“However, as we are seeing with stayover arrivals, our Island’s high vaccination rate, coupled with having the right safety protocols in place, is allowing our tourism industry to recover.”
South Africa Removes Testing For Vaccinated Tourists
South Africa has scrapped testing requirements for all vaccinated tourists. Prior to this announcement, all travelers—regardless of vaccination—had to take tests before arrival. However, unvaccinated arrivals still have to take a PCR test 72 hours before departure.
Children under five don’t have to follow the testing guidelines. Although entry restrictions are easing, South Africa still has some internal COVID-19 restrictions, such as mandatory masks in certain areas. Canada, The Netherlands, and the Maldives all recently removed pre-departure testing.
EasyJet Removes Masks On Many European Flights
Many airlines are now removing the use of mandatory masks on flights, such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and TUI. EasyJet has joined the list and become the 7th airline to scrap mandatory masks on flights.
The new rules will apply to all UK domestic flights; they’ll also apply to flights to Iceland, Denmark, and Hungary. EasyJet said they would: “not mandate customers and crew to wear masks onboard the flight”
“Any customers or crew who wish to continue wearing a mask will of course have their personal choice respected. As a pan-European airline operating between over 30 countries, we must continue to ensure that we and our customers follow the legal requirements of all the countries we fly to,” they added.
Hawaii Stops Safe Travels Program March 25
Hawaii was one of the last U.S. states to remove COVID-19 restrictions. However, as of tomorrow, Hawaii will finally end all entry requirements for all American domestic tourists. Hawaii was the only remaining U.S. state to implement a quarantine system.
However, international travelers will have to wait for Hawaii to scrap entry requirements. Governor Ige said: “It is important to remember that we’re talking about domestic travel only, this does not apply to international travelers which have different requirements set by the federal government. It’s also equally important to note that all Safe Travels requirements must be met by incoming domestic passengers prior to March 25.”
The Netherlands Scraps Almost All Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions
After two years of relatively strict COVID-10 restrictions, The Netherlands has joined its European neighbors in scrapping most restrictions.
People who enter the Netherlands from other EU nations no longer need to provide proof of vaccination, a negative test, or proof of recovery. The nation has also removed mandatory masks on public transport.
Singapore Scraps Quarantine For All Vaccinated Tourists
Singapore has scrapped all quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated tourists today as Asia looks to ‘live with COVID-19'.
Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien, said the nation's “fight against COVID-19 has reached a major turning point,” with fully vaccinated tourists from all countries welcome to visit in April.
The nation will also lift its outdoor mask mandate, and groups of up to ten people can meet again.
India Restores 5 Year Visas For All Travelers And 10 Year Visas For U.S. Travelers
The Indian government has restored its 5-year tourist E-visa, which they suspended in March 2020. India will restart its ten-year visa for U.S. tourists. They will also allow Japanese tourists to apply for a ten-year tourist visa.
Read More:
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
Jan
Monday 28th of March 2022
I have a 5 year paper Indian visa in my passport. Still valid till end of September 2022. I am from the Netherlands. Does anyone know if this is also restored?
James
Friday 25th of March 2022
The Asian countries are very anti freedom with their forced vaccination entry requirements
Jonathan
Friday 25th of March 2022
Does India restoring previously issued 10yr visas imply that visits can now be longer than 30 days?
Jessie
Saturday 26th of March 2022
@James, Only for 156 nationalities so far and this does not include Canada or the UK. So some of us are still left out.
James
Friday 25th of March 2022
@Jonathan, Why not? AFAIK it's back to normal i.e. 180 days for US and Japanese citizens and 90 days for everyone else.