Dubai will open borders to international travelers starting from July 7

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Millions of travelers who frequently journey to the UAE’s flagship tourist destination, Dubai can now resume travels as Dubai opens its borders to international travelers starting from July 7, 2020.

The stated rules for international travelers require international health insurance that provides verified information on their Covid-19 status, and a proof that they’ve undergone a test at their airport.

City Buildings during Sunset

In a statement confirming the news, Dubai’s government media office said the announcement will allow thousands of people across the world to resume their regular travels to any part of Dubai. The Emirates welcomes the latest air travel regulations and protocols that facilitate international travel for residents, UAE citizens, and tourists alike who would like to come for business and tourism purposes from July 7, 2020.

 

Read More: 

The travel industry: Rethinking the future of travel and tourism post-pandemic

 

There are measures in place to protect all visitors and other protocols to oblige to flatten the curve of the virus so as not to trigger new cases.

 

The Dubai government said it is confident that the current measures put in place across the city will serve effectively the purpose of protecting all residents as well as visitors.

 

Read More:

An Immunity Passport After COVID-19 And How Digital Health Can Support It

 

As one of the most reputable travel agencies recognized by Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Grandeur travels will handle all your travel processings with adequate knowledge of the new regulations and protocols without any hassles.

 

Grandeur travels have a record of more than 85% success rate with clients going to Dubai…….So, get in touch with us now on (+234) 803-348-7736, (+234) 909-700-0500, (+234) 909-700-0580!

The travel industry: Rethinking the future of travel and tourism post-pandemic

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Tourism is a very important aspect of the economic growth factor in Africa for the last two decades and this has drastically increased foreign direct investment especially in the tourism sector which has also translated into aggressive marketing and socio-political reforms.

Concept Of Covid-19 In Red Background

Based on some of the reports from the United World Tourism Organisation, one out of 20 jobs in most of sub-Saharan Africa has been in the travel and tourism industry, indicating that 67 million international tourists who visit the continent in 2018 have resulted in about $38 billion revenue for the travel industry in Africa. International tourist has given the African travel and tourism sector enough revenue to drive the industry into a phase of growth by increasing potential growth percentage to 3% – 4%!

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An Immunity Passport After COVID-19 And How Digital Health Can Support It

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If you’re reading this from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then you’re likely not the only one. Even at The Medical Futurist, we are working from home to bring you the latest digital health news in a timely manner. One of the latest trends of interest to governments is the immunity passport or some certified methods to ensure someone has antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in order to move around.

 

We have already discussed scenarios about how and when the pandemic will end, but we’ve also analyzed the ways that life will drastically changeOne of the major changes we could experience is the introduction of an immunity passport. This new health document is gaining attention as a means to slowly and safely get things back to “normal”; or what we will consider normal post-COVID-19.

However, despite being attractive, experts dispute its efficacy. Others are pointing out that such a document will only highlight inequality issues. Some are even evoking similarities from horrendous historical events.

So what to make out of this so-called immunity passport? Let’s see where the potential next travel document stands as of now, how effective it can be, and its digital health aspects.

 

What is an immunity passport?

This document will certify that someone is immune to SARS-CoV-2, by performing an antibody test and a virus test. The former will check whether the person has had a previous encounter with the virus and their immune system responded accordingly by producing antibodies. The latter will check if there’s any active infection going on, with the virus still present in the person. The person will get an immunity pass if the antibody test is positive (competent immune response) and a negative virus test (no longer carrying the virus).

Once issued, this document could be a requirement to allow the holder to go back to work, travel, or, like a recent Quartz article puts it, “participate in society”. Given that the person is proven immune to the disease, they cannot get infected again and won’t pose a public health risk; hence it could become a requirement by companies or even airlines.

Source: https://patriotrising.com/

A version of this concept is already in place. Emirates Airlines had conducted the first rapid Covid-19 blood tests on airline passengers in mid-April before they flew to Tunisia. “We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights,” reads a statement from the company. “This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers traveling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates.”

Tech-savvy passports

With all the talks about reducing contact with others, checking such a passport will benefit from the help of technology; there’s already an app for that. UK-based Bizagi released CoronaPass, an app that stores the user’s immune status data obtained from a healthcare authority. It presents a QR code that an official can then scan to check the user’s immunity status. This can limit contact with other forms of an immunity certificate like a hard copy.

Of course, privacy issues come to mind with apps dealing with such sensitive data. According to Gustavo Gómez, Bizagi ’s CEO, the company is HIPAA-compliant. They only store the immune status of patients in an encrypted database. This data will only be accessible to governments or companies with access to the “requesting” side of the app. But what about other competitors which will sprout if demand arises? Will they also securely store patients’ data?

Source: https://www.coronapass.org/

Another option would be to add blockchain in the mix. This is the approach of Vottun, a company specializing in the certification and traceability of data on the blockchain. The company’s CEO, Rohan Hall, explained that their immunity passport “can be verified at any time using cryptography by any mobile phone that can read a QR code”. They have already started to roll out their solution at the PwC firm in Spain. In the U.S., they’ve had ”early conversations” with the CDC and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, according to Cointelegraph.

Nonetheless, this concept raises further questions. Residents in China are questioning about leaks and how else such data might be used. Others are drawing comparisons with the need of an immunity pass to German soldiers demanding papers.

 

Is immunity passport the solution?

However, there are several issues pertaining to the validity of an immunity passport. First off, COVID-19 is caused by a new virus; new viruses, new problems, as you can probably attest to yourself. The outbreak has been ongoing for a couple of months and we don’t have a definite answer about how long immunity against the virus lasts.

We could get insights by analyzing other members of the coronavirus family, of which SARS-CoV-2 is a member. A study showed that immunity against SARS lasts an average of two years. But there have been reports of some recovered patients already testing positive again for COVID-19; although some could be attributed to testing errors. So for this specific virus, immunity could last for months or years; but we have no definite answer as of now.

Additionally, the timing of an immunity test is important. If someone is infected with the virus but their body hasn’t yet developed the antibodies the test checks, then the person will miss their immunity passport chance. Moreover, having antibodies can avert sickness but might not protect from an infection altogether. Again due to the novelty of the contagion, scientists don’t have enough data on the body’s immune responses for conclusive answers.

From a purely managerial perspective, an app with one’s immune status will prove to be a herculean task to control. To get a considerable chunk of society to use this software will be challenging. Only big tech companies like Facebook or Google have the resources and established user base to effectively implement it on such short notice.

 

When tests need testing

The issue with testing for immunity might very well be the tests themselves. Their accuracy needs to be verified via trials but given the speed of COVID-19’s spread, this has not been possible. This has resulted in unusable tests, like the 3.5 million ones that the U.K. government ordered.

Additionally, even if highly accurate tests are developed and tested, we are bound to see cases of false positives (people incorrectly identified as immune) and false negatives (people incorrectly identified as not immune). All it needs for a second outbreak is one infected individual. “Imagine the psychological state of a person who thought they were in the all clear and has gone back to work in a care home and ended up killing several people,” said Susan Michie, a professor of health psychology at University College London, who is also a member of the scientific group advising the U.K. government’s response to Covid-19. Such a prospect undermines the very purpose of an immunity pass.

Source: https://www.everlywell.com/

Things further complicate with testing for a new virus part of a larger family of viruses. “There may be cross-reactivity between the antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] and other circulating coronaviruses – including those that cause common colds – meaning a positive result might not indicate past exposure to SARS-CoV-2 but maybe another coronavirus instead,” said Claire Standley, an assistant professor at Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security.

It will take time, and a lot of trial and error before we can get a reliable test.  “It took several years to develop antibody tests for HIV with more than 99% specificity,” says Peter  Collignon, a physician and laboratory microbiologist at Australian National University in Canberra.

 

Yet another story of the haves and the have-nots?

The fact that such an initiative will highlight inequality issues cannot be ignored. A WHO report in late April showed that only a small fraction of the population, as few as 2% or 3%, have the antibodies to show a past infection with SARS-CoV-2. Only those privileged few will be allowed to go out? What about those who cannot afford to get tested?

“In an effort to return to work, or allow their children back to school, will the promise of an immunity passport make people behave less responsibly, and risk infection, in order to end up with a positive antibody test?” questioned Claire Standley.

While people are struggling to make the ends meet during a lockdown, if the only way to earn a living is with a pass, some might want to expose themselves to the virus so as to gain immunity. It could even sprout the need for forged immunity passports and a thriving black market. These will further put the population at risk, or lead to a second outbreak.

Source: https://cliqz.com/

In early April, Kathy Hall, the director of the testing strategy for COVID-19 in the U.K., said that “no country appeared to have a validated antibody test that can accurately determine whether an individual has had COVID-19”. This will mean traveling to other countries under an immunity passport requirement might require other tests or apps validated by that country. This further complicates matters by adding another layer of financial and possibly legal issues with the immunity passport.

 

Another option?

Debates around the efficacy and need for an immunity passport will continue for months, if not years to come. In the short term, an immunity passport could help those immune to go back to work and get things running in a country.

But there are still lots of uncertainties and unanswered questions around immunity passports. These will likely remain until we get more information about this disease. Given these issues, we should hope for an effective vaccine to hit the market sooner; this will provide a safer solution.

 

Source: https://medicalfuturist.com/an-immunity-passport-after-covid-19-and-how-digital-health-can-support-it/

What Africa’s tourism needs to survive Post-Pandemic effects.

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Tourism is an integral part of the economic sector of most African countries in the last two decades, which has seen increased investments in product development and enhancements, aggressive marketing with appropriate business-friendly socio-political reforms.

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Social distancing through summer: Here’s what we know about beaches, travel, camps and more

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Africa’s tourism industry has been hard hit by coronavirus lockdowns. Overnight, hotel bookings were canceled, safaris postponed and cultural tours abandoned. DW meets operators struggling to stay afloat.

An open-topped Land Rover with tourists in the Serengeti National Park (picture-alliance/dpa/F. von Poser)

At the beginning of 2020, Africa’s tourism sector looked set for a lucrative year. The continent had the world’s second-fastest-growing tourism industry and was projected to rake in billions of dollars. But when COVID-19 struck, tourists stopped coming and the industry ground to a sudden halt.

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9 Aspects To Consider Before Traveling Overseas Again

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We are all ready for things to return to normal. For many people, normal may involve going to restaurants and bars, having dinner with friends, or going to church. For me, “normal” involves living out of a backpack and traveling over 250,000 miles each year to countries all around the world. Suffice to say, my nomadic life is on hold for the foreseeable future.

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List of 72 countries you can now visit as Airports reopen across the world

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As the battle to flatten the Covid-19 curve across the world gradually eases, many countries are beginning to take positive steps trying to reopen their airspace for international flights to come in.

Although many still maintain very strict policies as to which country they would permit access, there are frameworks in place by each country’s independent airspace agency to ensure there are no factors that could lead to another pandemic breakout.

Below are the list of countries travelers can visit from June 10 as countries ease travel restrictions across the world.

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Coronavirus: Apple tracks changes in travel behaviour

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Apple has launched a tool that reveals changes in the travel behavior of people who use its Maps app.

The Mobility Trends Report produces three daily percentage figures, showing how many fewer people are driving, walking and using public transport compared with on 13 January, before the coronavirus lockdowns came into effect.

Apple data

It covers major cities and national figures for 63 countries. Hong Kong is included but not mainland China.

It follows a similar effort by Google.

Google’s Covid-19 Community Mobility reports are arguably more detailed – they cover 130 countries and also report on how busy different types of locations are – however, the search firm has only provided such data for two dates since its launch on 3 April.

Apple also provides a way to export its records as a spreadsheet, making it easy for researchers and the media to make use of the data within their own models.

The UK cities covered include London, Leeds, Manchester, and Birmingham.

The iPhone-maker does not believe that sharing the information compromises its users’ privacy.

“The information is generated by counting the number of requests made to Apple Maps for directions,” it blogged.

“Maps does not associate mobility data with a user’s Apple ID, and Apple does not keep a history of where a user has been.”

Even so, some privacy experts have noted that Google and Apple’s initiatives highlight the insights they are able to glean, but do not usually share, from people using their products.

“I wonder will ‘mobility data’ used and published by telecom networks, Google and now Apple, make any difference to how individuals view these companies and to their trustworthiness?” commented Pat Walshe, a consultant who was previously director of privacy at mobile industry trade body the GSMA.

Apple is a couple of weeks behind Google in publishing this data, and at first glance, it provides a less granular picture.

There are just three categories of activity – walking, driving, and transit – as opposed to Google’s measurement of visits to shops, grocery stores, parks, offices, and other locations.

But unlike Google, Apple allows you to export the raw data, and rather than just giving a snapshot, it provides daily readings from early January right up to last Sunday.

The story the two sets of figures tell is broadly consistent – France and Italy have bigger declines in activity than the UK, reflecting their tighter lockdowns, and the US is slightly further back.

And although there was a bit of a surge in activity in the UK on Good Friday, with driving up to 65% of normal levels, by Sunday it had sunk back again.

Just how good a picture this log of Apple Maps requests provides must be open to question, particularly when it comes to walking – how many of us are requesting directions for our short walks from home?

And Apple will have far less data than Google, which is using information from every Android user who has agreed to turn on location tracking as well as iPhones that have Google Maps installed.

But in general, this data will provide the government with more reassurance that people are complying with the lockdown restrictions.

 

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52286933

Dubai prepares to welcome tourists from July, with Emirates on 48-hour standby

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Hotels, malls, and restaurants reopen as Dubai completes sterilization drive – but when will its airline resume service?

Acrossroad between East and West, Dubai attracted 16.7 million visitors last year, while state-owned Emirates airline – the world’s fourth-largest carrier in terms of miles flown – transported close to 58 million passengers.

Dubai

 

Now, after the UAE canceled tourist visas in March, Dubai’s plans for a post-Covid-19 future are slowly unfolding. Its ambitious goal is to welcome tourists back by July. Since April 24, restaurants and retail outlets have been permitted to reopen under strict safety guidelines, and Emirates President, Sir Tim Clark has said that the airline is ready to resume service with just 48 hours’ notice.

 

Helal Al Marri, Director General of DTCM (Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing), says: “July would be the time we start to see the air open up.” However, in an interview with Bloomberg TV this week, he warned that the process could be delayed until September. “Many international airports remain closed and really it’s about the bilateral discussions underway to have a coordinated approach to reopening.”

 

Each country’s quarantine period, Covid-19 testing facilities, and social distancing laws will impact travelers’ ability to cross borders. Unless an effective vaccine becomes available, airline bosses fear that future travel plans may be foiled.

 

The close proximity of airplane seating will make social distancing tricky, and it remains to be seen how international airport protocols will be set – but Dubai and its state airline are braced for business returning.

 

Dragon Mart: Hotels, attractions, and malls have joined in the efforts to sanitize premises during the lockdown
Currently only operating one-way repatriation flights to five destinations, including London Heathrow, Emirates is providing a modified in-flight service that reduces the risk of infection. Meals are served in prepacked boxes and magazines are no longer supplied. Where possible, vacant seats are placed between groups of passengers, cabin baggage isn’t permitted, and carry-on items are limited to laptops, handbags or briefcases, and essential items for infants.

 

On the ground, Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management has completed its three-week around-the-clock sterilization drive, spraying the streets of Dubai with 75,000 liters of disinfectant a day while residents remained on lockdown. Hotels, attractions, and malls joined in the efforts, sanitizing premises in line with UAE requirements.

 

Omar Khoory, Managing Director, of Nakheel Malls, says: “We’re leaving no stone unturned in getting ready to welcome back our visitors. Customer safety – and confidence – is crucial, and we’re going the extra mile, following government guidance, with supplementary measures in place for added security.”

 

Nakheel Malls’ vigilant reopening strategy has included Covid-19 tests for all customer service desk staff, a 30 percent increase in security staff, customer temperature screening at mall entrances and strict pre- and post-opening disinfection regimes, with ‘high touch point sterilization’ – the cleaning of surfaces commonly touched, such as door handles – every 30 minutes.

Shahab Shayan, Senior Manager of DTCM’s UK & Ireland International Operations, says: “Our approach has been two-pronged: to manage the current situation we find ourselves in and to plan for the future when we welcome visitors back to Dubai.”

 

By then, travel trends will have changed, impacted by the pandemic. Analysts predict that holidaymakers will be drawn to open spaces, while extended families separated by periods of isolation will book holidays together, packing kids, parents, and grandparents into one trip.

 

“Families have always been an important segment of the market here,” says Shayan, “We have a huge variety of accommodation for extended family groups from private villas to hotels with four-bedroom suites. Those looking for peace and quiet can escape to Bab Al Shams in the desert or Hatta, nestled in the Hajar Mountains, where they can book their own Airstream trailer or a lodge overlooking the turquoise waters of Hatta Dam.”

 

Intensified sanitation measures will result in higher running costs for hotels, but the UAE government is supporting the industry by reducing other costs, such as municipality fees, which have been halved. Meanwhile, hotel managers are devising ways to offer better value amid economic uncertainty. Special deals will be available for those ready and able to enjoy Dubai’s five-star hotels sit alongside pristine beaches and dunes.

But, for now, like most countries, the UAE is being measured by its Covid-19 statistics – 12,481 confirmed cases, 2,429 recoveries, and 105 deaths; not by its miles of uninterrupted sand.

 

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/middle-east/united-arab-emirates/dubai/articles/when-will-dubai-open-tourists-post-covid-lockdown/

Virtual Reality Travel: How it will affect the travel and tour industry

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Have you ever imagined a situation where you can enjoy the amazing vacation experience of your dream destination without even flying? I mean, an experience that makes you travel to your dream destination, in a first-class flight, a four-course dinner, and a city tour — right from your seat on a stationary plane that never moved an inch.

Simply amazing right?

Woman Using Vr Goggles

Yes, I am talking about the future of air travel according to First Airlines, a Japanese company that has been able to capture the power of virtual reality to enable travelers to experience dream vacation come true!

This is an experience that saves you from the stress of enduring long queues at the airport, absolute no baggage expenses, or costly airport transfers.

 

Affordable
Hiroaki Abe, the First Airlines manager claimed that “it’s quite difficult to have a trip because of the cost of time and money”, but with virtual reality travel experience, a first-class ticket could cost as low as $56 while a business class could cost $46. “This is far more affordable than physical travel.” He said.

 

Read More: What the experts are saying about traveling Post-Covid.

Coronavirus: Nigeria’s travel industry shaky after N180 billion loss from pandemic

 

The two-hour flight experience will require guests to settle down into the state-of-the-art Airbus seat — surrounded by decorations that look exactly like the inside of an aircraft for maximum realism. Passengers will enjoy delicious meals alongside drinks and other snacks by the air hostess based on the menu peculiar to their destination. Guests will also get to enjoy upon arrival, a 360-degree tour of the destination via the effective projection mapping and video imaging devices.

 

Virtual travel is the future, and it is the reality of a stress-free vacation that does not limit the traveler’s health or budget.
Travelers can book their tickets from the website of First Airlines and enjoy the wonders of the world without leaving their houses.

 

While we wait a little bit more for the Covid-19 curve to flatten, we are enthusiastic about the future and the threshold of how things unfold. Many are waiting for brand new experiences Post-Covid. What are you waiting for?

 

Drop your comments in the box below…..Let’s hear from you.