US - Restrictions - Minnesota
Reed & Mackay Travel Update Service 19 November 2020, 2:36 PM
Incident: COVID-19 restrictions
Location(s): Minnesota (map)
Time Frame: Indefinite
Impact: Business disruptions likely
Summary
Officials in Minnesota issued orders to further tighten restrictions statewide, starting Nov. 20, due to continuous increases in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) activity. The orders are stricter than the ones imposed Nov. 13.
Under the new directives, which will be in place until at least Dec. 18, social gatherings are prohibited. Weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies can continue, with up to 50 percent of the venue's capacity or a maximum of 250 people, but receptions associated with these ceremonies are not allowed. Outdoor recreational activities must be limited to individual exercise or activities only with members of the same household.
Additionally, restaurants, bars, cafes, and other food and drink establishments cannot offer in-person services; they may continue operating for delivery and pickup services. Public pools, gyms, fitness and recreation centers, event venues, theaters, cinemas, concert halls, stadiums, museums, and other indoor entertainment businesses must also close, as well as outdoor entertainment venues and businesses, such as racetracks, festivals, and mini-golf. Professional and collegiate teams may continue in their competitions but without fans in attendance; youth sports activities must be canceled. Parks, hikes, lakes, golf courses, ski areas, shooting ranges, and other similar outdoor recreational areas may remain open but must adhere to social distancing and gathering restrictions. Personal care businesses, such as barber shops and hair salons, may also continue operating at 50-percent capacity; childcare centers may remain open. In all businesses, all workers who can work from home must do so.
Authorities in Minnesota have also issued a travel advisory, strongly encouraging travelers entering the state from other US states or territories, or from an international destination, to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Minnesota residents are also encouraged to avoid all unnecessary travel, especially to other states or countries.
Protective facemasks must be worn in all indoor businesses and indoor public spaces. Local authorities may enforce stricter measures within their jurisdictions if they consider it necessary. Essential businesses such as grocery stores, pharmacies, banks, and shelters, as well as media, energy, transport, security, and critical manufacturing companies, may continue operating. All businesses allowed to operate must comply with certain mandates, such as adhering to social-distancing guidelines, enhancing sanitation procedures, requiring the use of protective face coverings, and ensuring sick employees remain home, among other requirements.
Officials could amend the orders at short notice, depending on disease activity in the coming weeks.
Resources
WHO Coronavirus Knowledge Base
Government of Minnesota - COVID-19 Updates
Government of Minnesota - Order Requiring Additional Restrictions
Government of Minnesota - Guidelines for Businesses Reopening
Israel - Restrictions - Nationwide
Reed & Mackay Travel Update Service 20 November 2020, 6:10 AM
Incident: COVID-19 restrictions
Location(s): Nationwide (map)
Time Frame: Indefinite
Impact: Travel, transport, and business disruptions, heightened security
Summary
Authorities in Israel reopened the tourist areas of Eilat along the Red Sea and Ein Bokek along the Dead Sea to domestic travelers from Nov. 18 as part of a gradual easing of the country's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions. Hotels, restaurants, strip malls, zoos, and other attractions in these areas are permitted to resume operations. All visitors to these areas must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival; local residents and workers must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within a week of entry or undergo a free, rapid test at one of the city's entrances. Other tourist sites throughout the country will remain closed until further notice.
Open-air shopping centers in so-called "green" areas, i.e. locations denoted as experiencing low COVID-19 infection rates, have been open since Nov. 17. Standalone shops in green areas have also reopened; however, malls remain closed nationwide until further notice. Shops in "red" (high infection rate) areas remain closed. Schools are scheduled to reopen for students in grades 5-6 in both green and "yellow" (medium COVID-19 infection rate) areas from Nov. 24. Grades 11-12 are slated to return to school on Dec. 1.
Most public transportation in Israel has returned to regular operating hours. Israel Railway services will continue operating 0500-2200 Sunday-Thursday until further notice. Railway lines to Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), Jerusalem, Raanana, Hod Hasharon, and Kfar Saba remain suspended. Facemasks are required on public transportation.
Places of worship, bed and breakfasts, hair and beauty salons, and other establishments that receive one patron at a time have been allowed to reopen amid a decrease in daily infections. Schools for students in grades 1-4 have reopened for at least four days per week. Authorities have lifted movement restrictions, and businesses that do not serve customers in person, as well as nurseries, kindergartens, public parks, and beaches, have been allowed to reopen. Restaurants can provide carryout services. Restrictions on outgoing air travel at TLV have been lifted.
Israel's ban on entry by nonresident foreign nationals remains in effect. However, there are currently no restrictions on citizens and permanent residents returning to the country. Cargo and emergency flights remain unaffected. Israeli citizens and residents returning from certain pre-approved countries with low COVID-19 infection rates are exempt from the nation's mandatory 12-day quarantine. However, Israeli citizens and legal residents returning from other destinations are subject to the quarantine requirement. Arriving travelers who cannot demonstrate that they can self-quarantine at home will be isolated at a government-established facility.
Gatherings remain limited to 20 people outdoors and 10 people indoors. The government reserves the authority to shut down any establishments that fail to comply with mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as compulsory use of facemasks, daily temperature checks of employees, and regular sanitization of communal surfaces, among other requirements. Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.
Resources
Israel Government Coronavirus Response Website (Hebrew)
Israel Ministry of Health (Hebrew)
El Al Airlines
World Health Organization
UK - Entry Restrictions - Nationwide
Reed & Mackay Travel Update Service 19 November 2020, 7:49 PM
Incident: COVID-19 entry restrictions
Location(s): Nationwide (map)
Time Frame: Indefinite
Impact: Travel disruptions
Summary
Authorities in the UK have updated the list of international locations from which travelers do not need to self-isolate upon arrival. Effective 0400 Nov. 21, due to a decrease in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) activity, travelers from Israel, Namibia, Rwanda, Uruguay, Sri Lanka, Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands will no longer be required to self-isolate upon entry.
Authorities had previously extended the travel restrictions regarding persons arriving from Denmark until at least Nov. 26. Visitors from Denmark remain barred from entry; freight transporters and haulers are exempt. British nationals, visa holders, and permanent residents who have traveled to Denmark in the last 14 days and who are returning home must self-isolate along with their households. The self-isolation period runs for at least two weeks from the time the individual left Denmark.
Other international entry restrictions remain in force. Although more than 30 countries and overseas territories - including Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, and South Korea - are exempt from the self-isolation requirement, international passengers of any nationality arriving from nonexempt locations must self-isolate for 14 days upon entry into the UK. Health officials could perform spot checks to ensure compliance. Persons without suitable accommodations are required to stay in facilities arranged by the government at their own expense. Freight drivers and healthcare workers are typically exempt from the requirement. All international travelers entering the UK must fill out a passenger locator form providing contact details and their travel history over the previous 14 days. Officials review the measures every week or on a need-driven basis in response to significant changes in disease activity abroad. The government claims that improved COVID-19 data now allows a more targeted approach to imposing quarantine requirements on international arrivals, partly removing the necessity for national-level restrictions.
Authorities could reimpose, extend, further ease, or otherwise amend any restrictions with little-to-no notice depending on disease activity over the coming weeks.
Advice
Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Arrive at the airport early to prevent your seat from being reallocated to a standby passenger. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.
Emphasize basic health precautions, especially frequent handwashing with soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable. Practice good coughing/sneezing etiquette (i.e., covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue, maintaining distance from others, and washing hands). There is no evidence that the influenza vaccine, antibiotics, or antiviral medications will prevent this disease, highlighting the importance of diligent basic health precautions.
Resources
UK Passenger Locator Form
Department of Transport
Quarantine Exempted Countries List Scotland
Quarantine Exempted Countries List England
Quarantine Exempted Countries List Northern Ireland
Quarantine Exempted Countries List Wales