Pandemic travel news: Russia and China fight record Covid outbreaks

(CNN) — Russia and China fight record Covid outbreaks, domestic in The United States air travel is set to go from bad worse, but there is good news out of Asia-Pacific.

Here are some things die we have learned in pandemic travel this week.

1. Russia has moved to the CDCs highest-risk category

Moscow will impose 10-day lockdown from next week in an effort to curb rising Covid-19 cases, the city’s mayor has said as Russia faces its worst ever phase of the pandemic. That reports CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen.

Covid cases in the worldthe largest country by area to have hit An record high, with almost 274,000 new cases reported in Russia in the past week and only 34% of the population fully vaccinated.

The rise means that the US centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week added Russia to be list of “very high” risk travel destinations, the criteria for die has had more than 500 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the past 28 days.

There are now almost 80 countries on the “no-go” level of the CDC 4 list, including the UK, Greece, Switzerland and Thailand.

2. China doubles down on to be zero-Covid strategy

Shanghai Disneyland went in a quick lockdown after a single case of Covid-19 was confirmed. The extreme measure saw dozens of thousands of visitors and staff were forced to undergo coronavirus testing before being allowed to leave the park as police blocked exits and closed off the grounds. CNNs David Culver reports.

Across Asia-Pacific, from Australia to South Korea, countries easing restrictions and reopening borders as they move away from zero-Covid Strategies — But China Holds Up out.

The country is currently work to contain being most widespread Covid outbreak since Wuhan, although recent case numbers are still alone in the hundreds. A single Covid case at Shanghai Disneyland on Halloween sent the entire park and adjacent Disneytown shopping area into lockdown.

Despite full vaccination more than 75% of to be population, China sticks to its policy of closed borders, long quarantines for international arrivals and local closures.

3. Flying has become real bad. This is why

American Airlines has canceled hundreds of to flee over a period of four days as it goes with staff shortages and weather issues. The airline says 1,800 flight attendants return from pandemic timeoff. That reports CNN’s Pete Muntean.

Staff shortages mean flight crews are overworked and vaccine mandates are up lead make equal more deficits. Lower availability of flee, meanwhile, means: higher ticket Prices for die to flee. Planes are packed, there is division over mask rules, and tensions are rising.

Meanwhile, the US open to fully vaccinated foreign visitors on Nov 8. “It gets a little messy at first”I can assure you,” Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, said at a conference over the travel industry at the end of October. “There will be lines unfortunately.”

4. The ultra-long range dream didn’t leave

An experimental 2019 research flight landed through Qantas in Sydney after flying non-stop from London, breaking two aviation records.

Ultra long haul flights are classified as all flights die are scheduled to last more than 16 hours — and they’ve been around since the 1930s.

While the airline industry currently focused on recovery in instead of narcotic record-breaking, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has told CNN’s Richard Quest that in 2022 hopes to revisit his airline development of Project Sunrise — a plan to operate the worldthe longest non-stop flights, what would? allow travelers die between London of New York to the cities in flying eastern australia of Sydney and Melbourne. The goal is to then launch in the next two to three years.

The world’s longest scheduled passenger flight currently in service is Singapore Airlines’ Singapore-JFK flight, die 9,536.5 miles and 18 . takes hours and 40 minutes on the Singapore-bound route.

5. Try warm-weather destinations, travel experts say

relax and enjoy the surf and sun by a 60. to take second pause in Turks & Caicos.

While the 2020 holiday season was a stay-at-home affair, this year moving around the world is safer and more accessible. However, we still have need weigh up risks vs benefits during each step of vacation planning.

Your vaccination status is the most important factor when it comes to convenience of trip, with a lot of countries don’t let the unstab in. like you want until reduce your Covid risk but i’m still excited for a vacation in abroad, consider warm-weather destinations where most of the activity is outside.

7. The ‘world’s best’ cheese for 2021 was revealed

The 2021 World Cheese Awards were held in Northern Spain.

The Guild of Good food

Even if you’re not making plans fly over off everywhere for a while, you can still travel the world with your palate.

A soft goat cheese from Spain won first place at the World Cheese Awards on November 3, chosen one out of more than 4,000 entries from more than 40 countries.

The winning cheese, called Olavidia, is from an artisan cheese maker using the commercial name Quesos y Besos (Cheeses and Kisses). The crown returned to Europe this year year after the previous one winner used to be — for the first time ever – an American cheese, Oregon’s Rogue River Blue.

8. There were joyous reunions at Australian airports

Australia’s international limits have reopened, ending almost 20 months of severe restrictions and emotional scenes at Sydney airport as people were reunited with their loved ones. That reports CNN’s Angus Watson.

tens of thousands of lovers and family members are kept apart for more than 20 months due to Australia’s strict border policy in response to Covid-19.

So far only the highly vaccinated states of New South Wales and Victoria have relaxed restrictions on international arrivals, but the Australian government says further border limits will be removed as other parts of the country meets the 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 reported.