The CEO of Delta Air Lines said Thursday that the surge of coronavirus cases in the Sun Belt and quarantine restrictions in northern states make the airline more cautious about adding flights. Ed Bastian told employees the recovery in air travel “is likely to be lengthy and slow,” and he encouraged them to take buyouts and early retirement to limit the need for furloughs as the airline shrinks. This month, Delta is operating about 30% of the flights it flew last July.
• Carnival Corp.’s AIDA Cruises will restart sailings next month. The German cruise line will have three ships making trips: the AIDAperla will be the first to set sail on Aug. 5 from Hamburg; the AIDAmar will depart from Rostock-Warnemunde on Aug. 12 and AIDAblu will leave from Kiel on Aug. 16. Bookings are now available for interested travellers.The first cruises will take place with an adjusted passenger capacity and without calling at another port.
• Motorcycle maker Harley Davidson will eliminate 700 jobs worldwide as part of a major restructuring plan. The job losses include 500 current employees and 200 unfilled positions. The restructuring will cost about $50 million, including $42 million this quarter.
• Churchill Downs is planning to reopen part of the Oxford Casino Hotel in Oxford, Maine on Thursday. Slot machines will be available upon reopening. Table games and food and beverage offerings as well as the hotel and event centre will be available at a later date.
• England has moved to further ease lockdown restrictions, announcing that the public can soon return to gyms, swimming pools and other sports facilities that have been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outdoor pools can begin re-opening beginning Saturday, with indoor pools, gyms and other sports facilities to follow on July 25.
The guidance will enable competitive grassroots team sports to resume, beginning with cricket this weekend. Outdoor arts performances – including theatres, opera, dance and music – can perform outside, though audiences will be subjected to social-distancing rules.
• Australia’s coronavirus hot spot Victoria recorded 288 new cases on Friday, the largest number of any state since the pandemic began, and authorities warned the spread could worsen.
Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state after neighbouring New South Wales, has been cut off with border closures by other states. All states and territories but New South Wales had eradicated community transmission of the virus, but Victoria-linked infections are spreading.
Australian states have banned people crossing their borders if they have been in Victoria in the past two weeks.
Victoria has banned international arrivals at Melbourne Airport after breaches of hotel quarantine in Melbourne were blamed for the country’s only widespread transmission of COVID-19.
Australia will more than halve the rate at which its citizens and permanent residents can return home on international flights to reduce numbers in hotel quarantine, the federal and state governments have agreed.
The number allowed to return to Australia each week would be reduced by more than 4,000 from next week.
Sydney, Australia’s largest city, has been carrying a disproportionate burden of hotel quarantine that is currently paid for by the New South Wales government.
Queensland, to the north, charges travellers AUS $2,800 ($2,648) for their two weeks in hotel quarantine, making Sydney are more attractive destination for Queenslanders to return from overseas.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison other states are moving to charge for hotel quarantine, given that Australia has been urging citizens for weeks to return as soon as possible. Outside Victoria, most of Australia’s COVID-19 cases are detected in overseas travellers quarantined in hotels.
Victoria on Friday became the first state to recommend its residents wear masks.
Residents are advised to wear masks if they can’t maintain 1.5 metres (5 feet) social distancing such as when they’re on public transport or in supermarkets.
Australia has recorded more than 9,000 COVID-19 cases and 106 patients have died.