News

Tokyo eases guidelines, offers travel subsidies

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has decided to allow groups of up to eight people to visit certified restaurants and bars. The new guidelines will be in effect between December 1 and January 16. The group size will be doubled from the current limit of four. Establishments must be certified as having anti-infection measures in place. The metropolitan government also plans to provide trip subsidies to support the tourism industry. It will provide 5,000 yen or about 43 dollars per overnight stay, and 2,500 yen or about 21 dollars per day trip to local residents who travel within Tokyo. The central government will resume its "Go To Travel" subsidy program. An expert panel gave its latest assessment of the capital's infection situation and medical services on Thursday. Tokyo Medical Association Vice President Inokuchi Masataka said, "The panel concluded that medical services for COVID-19 patients can be provided stably without straining regular services." Panel members lowered the medical service alert level to the lowest of four stages. The alert levels for the infection situation and medical services are both at the lowest stage for the first time. But experts stressed the need to prepare in case winter brings another surge. Officials reported 119 new cases and two deaths across the country on Thursday. The number of seriously ill patients was unchanged from the day before at 58.

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Resumption of Kolkata-Bangkok flight services likely to boost international tourism

Air India and Thai Smile Airways are all set to resume flight services between Kolkata and Bangkok after a long Covid break of 20 months. Reportedly, this came soon after Singapore Airlines announced the resumption of daily flight services between Kolkata and Singapore from November 29. According to a report published in the Times of India (TOI), Air India will resume its flight services to Bangkok from December 8, 2021. In the initial stage, flights will be operating two times a week, on Wednesday and Sunday afternoons. Meanwhile, Thai Smile Airways has also announced flight operations between Kolkata and Bangkok from January 1 on the ticket reservation platforms. As per reports, in the initial stage, the airlines will operate on a three-day-a-week and late-night schedule. Under this schedule, flights will arrive in the city on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and depart post-midnight on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. However, a set of guidelines has been issued before opening the services for the common people. As per the latest guidelines, travellers flying to Thailand must need to be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to their travel date. Also, tourists and visitors will have to undergo an RT-PCR test on their arrival in Bangkok. The reports will be supplied to the visitors within 24 hours. Till then, they will be required to check only into one of the listed hotels in Bangkok, TOI revealed in its report. Meanwhile, the chairman of Travel Agents Federation of India (east), Anil Punjabi said that the resumption of international flights after the Covid break will revive and boost the international tourism sector.

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Covid-19: Malaysia, Singapore set to reopen borders to some travel

Malaysia and Singapore said on Wednesday they will partially reopen their borders next week to fully vaccinated citizens and some others. The news comes after nearly two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic that had stranded many Malaysian workers in the neighbouring city-state away from their families. Leaders from both countries said limited travel will be allowed across the land border from Monday, with plans to gradually relax restrictions. Air travel will reopen on the same day to fully vaccinated passengers, allowing quarantine-free travel between the two countries, with fewer restrictions. Travellers crossing the Causeway Bridge that connects the island of Singapore with the Malaysian peninsula must be citizens, permanent residents or long-term pass holders, according to separate statements from the leaders of both governments. In the first phase, the number of travellers crossing the land border per day will be limited to 2,880 and required to travel on designated bus services, the statements said. The Causeway was one of the world’s busiest land borders before the pandemic struck. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the partial border reopening would give priority to workers in either country who have not been able to visit their families since the land crossing was shut in March 2020. Lee said the reopening of the border will be a “big step towards reconnecting our people and economies.” A second land link will also subsequently be restored, he added. Limits on land border crossings will progressively be relaxed to include general travelers and other modes of transportation than the bus services, the statements added.

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Shillong all set to host the famous Cherry Blossom Festival from 25 November

Shillong’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival is back this year after being cancelled due to COVID outbreak last year. Meghalaya’s capital city, Shillong has turned into a live painting with beautiful shades of purples and pinks. The annual Cherry Blossom Festival was cancelled and this year the event is planned between November 25 and 27. Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Cornad Sangma took to Twitter and announced the news about the festival. He tweeted: “Some beautiful #cherryblossoms around #Shillong in the past years. It’s almost Cherry Blossom season and the #Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival is back! Join us from the 25th-27th November, 2021.” As per the official website of the Meghalaya Tourism, the festival will see a number of varied events and several artists and authors. A literature festival is also scheduled with some award-winning authors attending the event. The three-day festival will also see a number of interesting competitions, including singing and dancing along with fashion shows. Things to remember: Dates: 25 to 27 November, 2021 Venue: Ward’s Lake Timings: 10 AM to 6 PM

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Air Astana to return to New Delhi next month

Air Astana will resume flights from Almaty to New Delhi, the capital of India, on December 16th, with three services a week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. Departure from Almaty on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays is scheduled for 07:50 and arrival in New Delhi at 11:10, with return flight at 12:20 and arrival in Almaty at 16:40. All times local, with a flight time of three hours and 50 minutes in each direction. Air Astana offers convenient connections for passengers travelling from Kyiv, Bishkek, Istanbul, Tbilisi and Baku. All passengers travelling to New Delhi, including children, need to fill in an online form. Passengers over five years of age additionally need to upload results of PCR test with a negative result obtained within 72 hours before arrival. Prior to boarding on departure and again after arrival, passengers will undergo a thermometric test procedure. In the case of any symptoms of coronavirus being detected, passengers will be sent to a medical facility. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated passengers are required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and repeat it at the end of a seven-day home quarantine period. Fully vaccinated passengers are exempted from PCR test on arrival and from home quarantine.

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Grenada drops quarantine requirement for vaccinated travellers

As the holiday travel season begins and with global vaccinations on the rise, Grenada has updated its visitor protocols. All travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 entering Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, with a WHO-approved vaccination and a negative PCR test, taken no more than 72-hours before travel, will no longer be required to quarantine for 48-hours upon arrival in the country. This is the first major update to the health and safety protocols since July 31st, when the destination instituted a policy requiring all non-nationals be fully vaccinated to be granted entry. Along with the 48-hour quarantine removal, Grenada has made several other updates to its protocols. For example, persons traveling to Grenada will no longer be required to fill out a Pure Safe Travel Authorisation Certificate. They will now be required to fill out a health declaration form, which can be accessed here. A physical copy of the certificate must be presented upon arrival to Grenada.

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