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What Delta’s New COVID-Related Policies Mean for You

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As the novel coronavirus continues to disrupt air travel to an unprecedented degree, Delta and other airlines have hurried to adjust policies, schedules and communication to help customers. However, it can feel overwhelming to find answers to simple questions like "What is Delta’s cancellation policy?" in the face of these ever-changing conditions.

Here we’ll break down Delta’s coronavirus response, from change and cancellation policies to extensions for Medallion elite members. We’ll also explain what these new rules mean for you — and how to make the most of them.

» Learn more: Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program: The complete guide

Change and cancellation policies

Delta has joined other airlines in permanently eliminating change fees on domestic flights, excluding basic economy fares. This means you can change your ticket to an earlier or later date without incurring a hefty fee, though you will still have to pay the fare difference if the new flight is more expensive.

In terms of canceling your ticket, Delta has generally been offering free cancellations on new bookings in 2020, though this policy is constantly changing. Check this page for the most recent updates.

Schedule changes

With fewer and fewer passengers, airlines have been cutting routes and canceling flights at a breakneck pace. If you have a flight planned in the short term (for some reason), there’s a good chance that Delta will change your schedule.

Generally, airlines will automatically rebook you on another flight (usually on the same day) and ask for your confirmation to accept the changes. If no other flights are available, Delta should refund your payment. Here’s the language from the Department of Transportation : "If your flight is canceled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation — even for nonrefundable tickets."

What does this mean? You’re not obligated to accept changes made to your itinerary because of a canceled flight. Call Delta and speak to a representative about finding an alternative schedule or canceling your itinerary altogether.

» Learn more: What to do if an airline changes or cancels your flight

Medallion elite member extensions and benefits

Delta has joined other U.S. airlines in extending 2020 Medallion elite status through 2021, regardless of how much you fly in 2020. So if you earned Silver Medallion status for 2020 (by flying in 2019), you’ll keep this status through Jan. 31, 2022. No action is required — this extension will automatically be applied for all current elites.

Adding another interesting wrinkle to this offer, Delta will allow Medallion Qualification Miles earned in 2020 to roll over to your 2021 qualification year. So if you earn 10,000 MQMs in 2020, you’ll start 2021 with those 10,000 already applied to earning 2022 status.

Note, however, that Medallion Qualification Dollars don't roll over, making this offer less appealing and generous than it first seems, since for many, MQD thresholds are harder to hit than MQMs.

Finally, unused Medallion drink vouchers will be extended for six months. We might not mention such a small change under normal circumstances, but we could all use a few extra vouchers once this is over.

Overall, these changes are only positive for Delta elites, who won’t have to worry about weighing the benefits of earning status with the risks of flying in 2020.

Inflight service changes

If you do find yourself needing to fly this year, Delta has made many changes to the inflight experience to reduce risk and increase comfort. These include:

Suspending most food and beverage service to reduce contact for crew and passengers.

Blocking middle seats to improve social distancing.

Managing premium cabin upgrades at the gate to ensure that "getting upgraded" doesn’t mean "sitting closer to someone."

Reducing service at SkyClub lounges.

These changes are not unique to Delta, but it can be comforting to see the airline do what it can to make flying at least somewhat less risky. It will be interesting to see how these policies change if the pandemic threat diminishes and planes begin filling again.

Travel credits and other expiring benefits

Delta has extended the expiration on currently held eCredit travel vouchers through the end of 2023 for travel through 2024. This is a great move by Delta to ensure none of its customers feel pressure to book travel in the near future.

Other extended benefits include:

Benefits from Delta’s co-branded American Express cards , including companion certificates, flight credits and Sky Club guest passes are all automatically extended through the end of January 2023.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Want to learn more? Check out these articles for more inspiration and advice:

A beginner’s guide to points and miles Ask a Points Nerd: What positive travel trends could come from coronavirus? Complete guide to the Delta Air Lines SkyMiles program

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75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Home            travel requirements           flexibility            travel planning, new u.s. entry requirements.

The United States is now open for travel to those who are fully vaccinated. COVID-19 testing is no longer required for all travelers entering or connecting through the U.S . Be sure to review the  updated entry requirements  for everyone entering the U.S. 

For specific travel requirements, please visit our  Delta Discover Map . 

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U.S. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Updated June 15, 2022

Here’s an overview of the main entry requirements for customers travelling to the U.S.:

BEFORE TRAVELLING TO THE UNITED STATES:

1.       TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants must have a passport that is valid at least six months beyond their period of stay in the U.S.
• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants must have a valid VISA or ESTA to enter the U.S. Some visitors may be eligible for a visa on arrival and should verify before departure.

2.       PROOF OF VACCINATION

• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrants traveling to the United States by air are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Only limited exceptions apply, including children under 18 years of age.
• Unvaccinated customers are not allowed to board a flight to the U.S. unless they meet the criteria for an exception .

3.       COVID-19 TESTING

• COVID-19 testing is no longer required for all travelers entering or connecting through the U.S.

4.       ATTESTATION FORM

• An attestation form must be completed for all passengers aged 2 years and above before boarding.

5.       CONTACT INFORMATION

• All passengers are required to provide contact information before boarding their flight.
• This strengthens the existing travel process to rapidly identify and contact people in the U.S. who may have been exposed to a communicable disease, such as COVID-19.

DURING TRAVEL

6.       MASKS

• Masks are optional for Delta customers and employees for all U.S. domestic flights. 
• Masks are now optional for Delta customers and employees for international travel, except where masks are required by applicable governments for international travel. 
• Advise customers to continue to bring a mask with them for international travel, because it may be required for some destinations based on their laws and requirements.

Applies to NON-FULLY VACCINATED PASSENGERS allowed to travel to the United States by air through an exception, including non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant children under the age of 18:

7.       POST ARRIVAL TESTING

• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant passengers must take a viral test 3-5 days after arrival unless they have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

8.       QUARANTINE REQUIREMENTS

• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant passengers 18 years of age and older must stay at home or in their hotel room and self-quarantine for a full 7 days, even if they test negative, unless they have documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days.

9.       VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS

• All non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant passengers intending to stay in the United States for 60 days or longer, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within 60 days of arriving in the United States or as soon as medically appropriate, unless they are medically exempt or are too young to be vaccinated (i.e., under 18 years of age).

For additional information including Vaccine & Testing Requirements, Approved Vaccines, Proof of Vaccination, What Qualifies as Fully Vaccinated and Vaccine Exemptions please visit “ U.S. Entry Requirements for Foreign Nationals ”.

For specific information and international travel requirements for U.S. Citizens, U.S. Nationals, U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents, and Immigrants please visit CDC .

Please visit the  Latest Travel Requirements & Restrictions Map    on delta.com for most current information.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Travel Information
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Proof of Vaccination
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Proof of Testing and FAQ’s
• White House Proclamation 

RESOURCES FOR INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Some countries have imposed temporary entry requirements, such as limiting entry to citizens, permanent residents, and select visa holders, or restricting to essential travel. Delta recommends that customers check directly with the embassy or immigrations office for their destination to confirm whether they are currently eligible to travel.

Timatic and IATA Travel Centre Sites

Travel Agencies should use Timatic and the  IATA Travel Centre   as a reference to answer travel-related questions such as travel restrictions and documentation, entry requirements or health and quarantine requirements, etc.

IATA Timatic is used by airlines and travel agents to verify passenger travel document requirements for their destination and any transit points. Timatic delivers personalized information based on the passenger's destination, transit points, nationality, travel document, residence country etc.

Latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) Travel Regulations

The IATA Timatic team is in constant communication with governments and airlines around the world to ensure all travel documentation as well as health restriction checks requirements and rules are kept up to date in real-time.  Learn more  See the latest travel restrictions per country via the  IATA TravelCentre. 

Please note:  Delta is not responsible for the accuracy of the information on either site and suggests that if customers have additional questions, they should check with the respective embassy or consulate and visa office of the country involved with their travel itinerary, for further details.

Contact IATA   if you would like to integrate Timatic into your operations.

Contact Delta Sales Support or  Delta Reservations   for any additional assistance. 

June 15, 2022

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5 things to know about airline travel alerts

If you've had trips booked to or from Florida or other destinations on the East Coast this past week, there's a good chance you've dealt with an airline travel alert as Hurricane Ian made its way north .

These alerts are common during hurricanes as well as winter snowstorms and particularly disruptive rounds of summer thunderstorms, and often cause airlines to relax their policies surrounding itinerary changes. While they may be called something different from airline to airline — travel notice, advisory, etc. — the idea behind these alerts issued by airlines is that they give passengers improved flexibility in getting on new flights, postponing travel or avoiding cities with bad weather.

In the past, I have used the leniency offered by travel alerts to depart for a trip 24 hours early to beat a snowstorm and to avoid a connecting city where stormy weather was in the forecast. I've also canceled a trip affected by an alert and claimed travel credits I was then able to use for a future flight.

Since airlines have generally relaxed many of their cancellation and change policies compared to before the pandemic, it's much easier to change a trip for free now, even under normal circumstances, than it was a few years ago. Today, how critical a travel alert is for your itinerary often depends on the type of ticket you booked, and how flexible it was to begin with.

At the same time, these alerts can give any traveler an early heads-up about impending bad weather, prompt you to change your itinerary and help with providing added flexibility. So, knowing what a travel alert means and how to take advantage of it will help you have the smoothest and cheapest trip possible — whether it's now, in a couple of days or months down the road.

A travel alert is a good heads-up

I often add my destination city — and even connecting cities — to my iPhone's weather app in the days before a flight, but a travel alert from an airline can likewise be a good way to notice if your itinerary could be affected by bad weather.

Say you're planning to fly from Providence, Rhode Island, to Cancun, Mexico, with a connection in Atlanta. If you get a winter weather travel alert for Atlanta, that might warn you that the likelihood of a delay or cancellation due to snow or ice is high.

These alerts are often based on weather forecasts. They can be an early sign that the weather somewhere along your itinerary is looking dicey and may cause your trip to be disrupted.

Anyone should be able to change a trip

The largest U.S. airlines have relaxed change fees in recent years, allowing passengers in most ticket classes to at least cancel and get flight credit for future trips, or change a ticket and, at worst, pay a fare difference. The big exception, though, is that under normal circumstances, basic economy passengers aboard American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines don't have trip-changing flexibility.

That's where a travel alert comes in: If your trip is affected by one of these advisories, even if you booked basic economy, you'll generally be allowed to change your trip with no fees.

There's frequently no need to stand in line or call the airline's customer service number. Check the airline's app ; you may be able to quickly rebook right there.

Rebook the same trip or get flight credit

Some of the specific terms will differ from airline to airline when it comes to travel alert policies, and can also change from one specific alert to the next. However, on the three domestic legacy carriers, travel alerts often carry two general rebooking options.

If your travels are affected by the alert, you can typically rebook your trip for the near future — often directly after the weather event subsides. If you decide on this option, you may be able to rebook the same trip without paying any difference in fare, as long as you travel in the same cabin. Read the alert carefully: It should specify what the acceptable travel dates are for this option. You'll probably have to book the same origin and destination cities you had planned on your original itinerary.

Alternatively, you can often claim flight credit to use in booking a future flight. This is a good choice if you no longer want to travel to the same destination, or if that specified window of dates no longer works for you. The airlines will typically give you an option to claim flight credits for the value of your ticket. American, Delta and United often allow you a year to use these credits. One thing to watch for: Double-check the alert to see whether you have a year from when you claim the credits or a year from when the original ticket was booked; you'd hate to see those credits expire .

On Southwest Airlines, you can always cancel and rebook your trip with future flight credit, even outside of a travel alert; in fact, certain higher-fare tickets are always eligible for refunds.

Again, these are just general rules of thumb, and specific policies can vary from airline to airline and from one weather event to the next. So, be sure to check the particular alert that applies to your trip.

Not covered by the alert? Keep checking

If you're not covered by a travel alert but are concerned about impending weather, keep checking the airline's website, the app and your email inbox. As weather forecasts change, cities included in travel alerts change.

For instance, as Hurricane Ian began to form as a tropical storm over the Caribbean, airlines issued alerts for destinations like Jamaica, Grand Cayman and some Florida airports. Carriers added dozens more airports to the alerts as Ian strengthened and then moved north, though.

Changing forecasts can also greatly affect the dates listed as part of an alert, so be sure to bookmark the alert page and watch for subsequent updates.

Don't forget about refunds

Keep in mind that whether a cancellation or delay is "the airline's fault," or not, affects reimbursement for things like an extra hotel night or a meal while you wait out a delay. Generally, during bad weather — which is a common cause of travel alerts — you won't be eligible for those types of reimbursements if your trip is disrupted.

On the other hand, if your flight is canceled or significantly delayed and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a timely refund under U.S. Department of Transportation policies. That goes even for weather-related disruptions.

Keep in mind, if you take the airline up on its offer to rebook you, or accept credits for future travel, you're not eligible for a refund.

If the airline cancels your trip due to the weather though, and you'd like your money back rather than putting it toward future travel, asking the airline for a refund is certainly an option at your disposal.

Bottom line

Plenty of travelers have had to contend with travel alerts over the last couple of weeks as hurricane season threw a wrench in many fall travel plans. Knowing how these advisories work and how they can affect your trips can be crucial. This is especially true as Mother Nature is sure to intervene in itineraries in the form of snow and ice storms within the next few months.

• What to do when your flight is delayed or canceled
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• 10 lessons summer 2022 air travel meltdowns taught us

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Should you travel during the delta surge? Here's what experts say.

As Covid-19 cases surge across the United States due to the delta variant, many people are considering whether to cancel their late summer travel plans. According to public health experts and epidemiologists, the decision should depend on where you're going and what circumstances are like there.

How much worse will the 'delta surge' get? Watch these 7 factors.

How the delta variant has impacted travel plans

According to the Transportation Security Administration , the daily number of passengers screened at airports has decreased by around 30,000 since July, the New York Times reports. However, travel advisers and hospitality companies said the recent decrease in travel bookings is still relatively small compared with the dramatic decline seen last year.

And TripActions , a travel management company, said cancelations for same-week travel have been at 26% over the last month, up from an 18% average before the delta variant increased cases across the country. However, new bookings for domestic travel have remained strong.

The airfare app Hopper has also seen a 33% increase in demand for flexible booking since July, which would allow passengers to cancel their tickets for any reason.

Separately, Scott's Cheap Flights , a travel site that notifies subscribers of airfare deals, recently surveyed its members and found that 74% said the delta variant impacted their travel plans. In addition, 35% said they were not currently booking any new trips, and 24% said they were booking only domestic trips.

"Of those who are booking new international trips, the vast majority are booking for 2022," Andrew Hickey, senior public relations manager for Scott's Cheap Flights, said. "People are also determining where they'll go based on Covid."

However, Zeta Global , a marketing technology company that tracks Americans' travel behavior, found that people's vaccination status has also affected their travel plans. For instance, while travel to Covid-19 hotpots, like Florida, has decreased among those who are vaccinated, it has increased among those who are not.   

What some experts say they would do

STAT News spoke to 28 infectious disease experts about what they personally believe is safe to do this summer, including traveling both domestically and internationally. Overall, the experts said their decision to travel would depend on where they were going and what circumstances were like there.

When asked whether they would travel to a U.S. location experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases or go on a nonessential international trip, the experts as a group were "slightly more" willing to travel internationally than domestically to areas with high cases, STAT News reports.

Carlos del Rio, a professor of epidemiology and global health at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University , lives in Atlanta but frequently travels to Miami to visit his family. "I am very careful when I travel," he said.

In addition, del Rio said that although he visited his mother, who lives in Mexico, twice during the pandemic, he would not do so "at this point," adding that he "[m]ay go later in the year."

Separately, Carl Bergstrom, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Washington , said he wouldn't travel abroad right now—but not necessarily because of Covid-19. Instead, he worried he might get stuck in another country if travel restrictions were put back in place.

Similarly, William Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard University 's T.H. Chan School of Public Health , said he and his family vacationed at Cape Cod instead of taking a planned trip to Iceland for the same reason.

In contrast, Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy & Research at Boston University , said she would not travel to a domestic destination with a high number of Covid-19 cases but would consider traveling internationally if the area she was going had a low transmission rate and a high vaccination rate.

Angela Rasmussen, a coronavirus virologist at the University of Saskatchewan 's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization , said she would visit a U.S. Covid-19 hotspot but would take precautions while she was there. Regarding international travel, she said it "depends where" and that she would be masked.

And Naor Ber-Zeev, a statistical epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said his behavior—including whether he would travel domestically or internationally—depended on the specific circumstances at a location.

"In a place where most people are unvaccinated, or otherwise at high risk, and where there is active transmission, I should act more conservatively and with greater caution, even though I am protected from disease," he said. "In a place where most people are vaccinated, and there is low transmission, one can be more permissive." (Kamin, New York Times , 8/20; Branswell, STAT News , 8/17)

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Posted on August 24, 2021

Updated on March 20, 2023

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Airlines Issue Travel Alerts Ahead of Predicted Winter Storm in the Northeast

Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines each issued travel alerts.

Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

A winter storm is preparing to pelt the East Coast with snow, ice, and rain this weekend, and airlines are preparing by issuing travel alerts.

The worst of the storm is likely to hit north of New York City with areas into the Hudson Valley and along the Connecticut coast expected to receive up to 10 inches of snow, CNN reported . In Boston, residents may see 4 to 7 inches of snow from late Saturday through Sunday night, and areas like Worcester, Massachusetts, may see as much as 6 to 12 inches.

Several airlines were preparing for the storm by proactively issuing travel advisories for large swaths of the Northeast. Delta Air Lines issued an alert for cities as far south as Roanoke, Virginia, and as far north as Maine for travel on Saturday and Sunday. Similarly, United Airlines , American Airlines , JetBlue , and Spirit Airlines each issued weekend alerts for states including New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and beyond.

Airlines that issue these travel alerts waive change fees and fare differences so passengers can reschedule their flights around the storm.

Flight disruptions were possible over the weekend, but travel on Friday was relatively smooth with about 700 delays within, into, or out of the United States as of Friday morning and about 30 cancellations recorded, according to flight tracker FlightAware .

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement the state was monitoring the forecast, but urged people “to be vigilant” as she expected “heavy, wet snowfall across various regions, potentially causing power outages and hazardous travel.”

While winter storms present travel challenges, one group was ready to welcome the snow: New York’s snow-starved ski resorts . Belleayre Mountain in New York’s Catskill Mountains wrote it was “intently” watching the forecast, and Hunter Mountain wrote it was “gearing up” for the storm.

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The New Reality of a European Trip: ‘Things Are Going to Change’

Curfews, vaccine requirements, conflicting advice. As variants like Delta spread, rules and restrictions are popping up across the continent and staying informed can feel like a job.

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By Ceylan Yeginsu

When Europe reopened its borders to Americans in mid-June, it seemed to promise a summer of relative normality, with U.S. tourists boarding trans-Atlantic flights and once again freely strolling the plazas of the continent’s cities.

The American visitors are back, but, driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, so are the restrictions.

In Greece and Spain, some regions have brought back nighttime curfews and rules on socializing to contain a sharp rise in coronavirus infections among young people . France, which is battling a fourth wave of the virus, is requiring people to show proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test to access restaurants, bars, shopping malls and public transport. Italy will introduce a similar mandate in August, requiring at least one dose of the vaccine or a negative test result for social activities, including visiting museums.

“This is not your usual Europe summer trip where you can just hop between countries carefree without preparation and planning,” said Adrian Kelsey, a market research analyst from New York, who went to Greece last month with a group of friends to celebrate his 40th birthday.

“Chances are things are going to change or something is going to go wrong, and you need to be OK with that reality before you decide to travel internationally,” he added.

For Mr. Kelsey, the issues began before he boarded his flight from New York to Athens. He had been so focused on finalizing details of his itinerary in the Greek islands that he forgot to fill out a passenger locator form that must be submitted before midnight a day before a passenger’s scheduled arrival in Greece.

“They wouldn’t let me on the plane,” he said with an embarrassed laugh. “All my buddies got through and I was left behind and had to pay 600 bucks to change my flight to the next day. It was like a bad joke,” he recalled.

As Mr. Kelsey found, documenting your vaccination or negative test results has become a key part of the experience. Increasingly, countries across Europe, including France and Italy, are extending the use of their digital health passes to allow entry into restaurants, bars and cultural sites.

Getting into the Louvre, for instance, requires not only a reservation, but also proof that you’ve been vaccinated or that you’ve tested negative for the virus within the last 48 hours or that you’ve had the coronavirus and have recovered. Europeans can show their digital health passes, while Americans must bring their vaccination cards or test results.

Making things even more complex is the fact that the rules frequently change. In Spain, nighttime curfews banning people from being outside between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. were reintroduced in some spots last week, including Barcelona.

“If you’ve come here to party then it could be disappointing, but if you are here for the food, beaches and cultural activities then the restrictions don’t really affect you,” said Mallory Hill, 37, a banker from Seattle, who is traveling around the Catalonian region for the next two weeks with family.

“What’s scary is how quickly the cases are going up here and the trend of vaccinated people getting sick. But there’s also a lot of misinformation and conflicting advice so it’s hard to decide whether we should stay or go all the way back home,” she said. “It looks pretty bad everywhere.”

Even some official advice can be contradictory. On July 26, the U.S. State Department issued a series of “do not travel” advisories for Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Britain because of a rising number of coronavirus cases in those countries, raising the warning level to a 4, the highest. But just days after that warning, the British government announced that fully vaccinated Americans could visit without having to quarantine.

Visiting Britain can also be challenging, because it uses a complex “traffic light” system that determines restrictions based on which country you are traveling from. The list also changes every three weeks, or earlier, depending on the status of the coronavirus in each destination.

So while Americans coming straight from the United States don’t have to quarantine, if they first visit France, they would be required to quarantine for 10 days and take multiple tests because of concerns over the prevalence of the Beta variant in that country.

Going from Britain to the countries of the European Union isn’t any easier. A growing number of countries in the bloc have imposed additional measures for travelers from Britain, including PCR tests and quarantine, because of the high rate of the Delta variant in Britain. All visitors traveling from Britain to Italy must present a negative Covid-19 test before departure, quarantine for five days upon arrival, and present another negative test at the end of their isolation period.

“Before when I visited Europe, I would visit multiple countries to make the long trip worthwhile,” Ms. Hill said. “But now I think it’s smart to just pick one place and stick to it because restrictions are being reintroduced everywhere, even between European countries.”

Figuring all this out can be head spinning and the American Society of Travel Advisors says it has seen an 81 percent increase in interest from potential travelers seeking advice about the constantly changing rules.

“We are telling our clients to pack their patience because the rules are constantly changing and there is a lot of misinformation, so patience is really key,” said Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, a co-president of Valerie Wilson Travel, a New York-based travel consulting company.

“We don’t want people to overreact, we want them to have the facts,” Ms. Wilson-Buttigieg continued. “This is a global health crisis and it’s not just about looking at infection rates in each country, it’s about recognizing that you might get sick and it’s really important to have a conversation with an adviser to determine what your risk tolerance is and the best choices for you.”

Jennifer Collett, 38, a therapist from Boston, dreamed of visiting seven countries in Europe this summer. Then she reached out to a travel adviser for tips.

“It was the best thing I did because she gave me the reality check I needed,” she said. “The pandemic is not over and traveling over a long time is complicated and risky. She told me to pick one place and I chose Paris and went in June.”

At the time Ms. Collett said she did not face any restrictions, but found it useful to be prepped about capacity restrictions at museums and types of insurance that would pay to repatriate her if she got sick.

“Everything is so unpredictable with this pandemic that it really helps to have a guide, even if they aren’t physically with you during your trip,” she said.

Mr. Kelsey, who went to Greece with his friends, feels lucky that he managed to take the trip before cases started going up in Europe and new restrictions were put in place, particularly on the island of Mykonos, known for its party atmosphere, which they visited weeks before music was banned, and a nighttime curfew was reinstated. (The restrictions have since been lifted.)

“We had a great time, and we didn’t get Covid, which is all you can ask for,” he said. “But things are different now and it’s much harder to figure out where to go that isn’t suddenly going to become restricted.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a London-based reporter. She joined The Times in 2013, and was previously a correspondent in Turkey covering politics, the migrant crisis, the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

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What travelers should know about FAA advisory on total solar eclipse before April 8

The total solar eclipse is nearing, so the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is offering guidance to commercial planes and private aircraft ahead of the phenomenon .

The "Great North American Eclipse" will occur on April 8 . During this cosmic event, the Moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun and travel " a narrow path of totality from southwest to northeast across thirteen U.S. states," the government agency said.

Millions of people will want to view it from the ground . But what about those who are airborne?

For many passengers, the impact should be limited to the types of delays associated with high-travel days.

"Due to the high volume of traffic along the eclipse path, (airport) arrivals can expect lengthy delays during peak traffic periods," the FAA said.

The eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and cross North America, passing over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, according to the FAA. The eclipse's path will affect the U.S. from 2:30 p.m. EST to 3:40 p.m. EST, the agency said.

Airports in Texas, Vermont, Maine, Canada, New Hampshire, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri will be primarily affected by the eclipse , the FAA said.

"The purpose of this notice is to inform airmen of the possible impacts to air traffic and airports along the eclipse path during the period April 7, 2024, (6 a.m. EST) through April 10, 2024, (midnight EST)," the FAA said.

When is the 2024 total solar eclipse? Your guide to glasses, forecast, where to watch.

What the FAA is saying about aircraft ahead of the eclipse

In preparation for the eclipse, aircraft should be ready for potential airborne holding (circling in the air to delay landing), rerouting and FAA-indicated take-off times for all domestic arrivals and departures that abide by instrument flight rules, according to the agency.

Traffic management initiatives , including alternative routing, parking guidance strategies and the slowing down and speeding up of air traffic could be implemented during the total eclipse, according to the FAA.

"There may be a higher traffic volume than normal anticipated at airports along the path of the eclipse," the government agency said. "Traffic should anticipate delays during peak traffic periods."

Parking for aircraft could be limited, particularly at the smaller and uncontrolled airports, the FAA said. Departures could be a challenge for certain aircraft depending on their level of clearance, the agency said.

Remember the 2017 total solar eclipse? Here's why the 2024 event will be bigger and better.

Pilots could find some restrictions at airports on April 8, FAA says

Pilot training operations at airports will be "extremely limited" and "possibly prohibited" as the eclipse passes, according to the FAA.

Pilots are advised to "carefully" check the Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs), a notice to help prepare for changes in procedure and service and against hazards, the FAA said.

"Specific NOTAM procedures may be revised, and arrivals to some airports possibly restricted so please review NOTAMs frequently to verify you have the current information," according to the agency.

Special security provisions may be in effect during the eclipse, including temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), two-way radio communications and discrete transponder requirements , the FAA said.

TFRs are normally announced through NOTAM about three to five days before the event, the agency said.

Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

NYC snow storm: Flight status, travel advisories for today

Snow storm begins in nyc.

FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods shows us where the storm is headed as NYC braces for heavy snow.

NEW YORK - A major snow storm is pummeling the NYC area , making for a messy morning commute and leading to widespread flight cancelations.

As of 9:30 a.m., 43% of flights in and out of LaGuardia Airport were canceled, according to Flight Aware . At Newark, 26% of flights were canceled, and at JFK, 18% of flights were canceled.

JUMP TO: ALTERNATE SIDE PARKING l FLIGHT STATUS l MTA SCHEDULE | SCHOOL CLOSINGS

New York City has issued a travel advisory through Tuesday, and officials are urging New Yorkers to stay off the roads.

"If you do not have to be on the roads tomorrow, please stay home, and, if you’re a property owner, remember to clear your sidewalks," NYC Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.

MORE: How much snow has to fall for the subway to shut down?

Here's everything you need to know about traveling during the snow storm Tuesday.

Flight Status

Check the status of each airport below:

LaGuardia Airport status 

• Flights canceled: 226 (43%)
• Flights delayed: 39 (7%)
• For more information from the FAA, click HERE .

Newark Airport status

• Flights canceled: 142 (26%)
• Flights delayed: 36 (6%)

JFK Airport status

• Flights canceled: 104 (18%)
• Flights delayed: 57 (9%)

Will NYC alternate side parking be in effect?

New York City alternate side parking will be suspended Tuesday due to "winter storm operations," according to the NYC Mayor's Office .

Meanwhile, parking meters will remain in effect.

For updates, click HERE .

MTA snow storm prep, delays

Mta update on winter storm preparations.

MTA officials provided an update on winter storm preparations for Tuesday.

The MTA announced normal service on bus, subways and the Long Island Railroad for Tuesday, but a slightly modified schedule for Metro-North.

Track road closures

Ny roads closed.

• Click HERE to track road closures in real time on 511NY.

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SpaceX Rocket Launch Doubleheader on Tap as Delta IV Heavy delays farewell

W hile the wait to say farewell to the Delta IV Heavy continues , locals and spring breakers are in for a possible double rocket launch show on Saturday.

If all goes according to plan, two Falcon 9 rockets could take to the skies over Florida in back-to-back evening launches — still something of a novelty.

Check out our live coverage at this link .

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

SpaceX confirmed both launches Friday night, following behind a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency advisory and Federal Aviation Administration listing.

Upcoming launches: Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX, NASA in Florida

On Saturday, March 30, Eutelsat 36D, a telecommunications satellite for Africa and Eurasia, is targeted for potential launch from Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A on a Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite is designed to provide television broadcasting and government services over Africa, Europe and eastern countries for more than 15 years, an Airbus press release said.

Launch is currently expected for 5:52 p.m. it’s a three-hour and 58-minute window if needed, with a backup opportunity Sunday.

Later that evening, Space wilk attempt to launch another batch of 23 satellites from Launch Complex 40 on another Falcon 9 rocket. This launch is currently targeting a liftoff at 9:02 p.m. with the window extending until 10 p.m. Backup opportunities exist starting at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Weather is forecast to be ideal for both launches with a less than 5 percent chance of violations that would prevent liftoff, according to the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron. The only concern: thick clouds.

The last time the Space Coast saw a double-header was February 14-15 , when SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Intuitive Machines moon lander from KSC Pad 39A, just over seven hours after a Falcon 9 rocket launched a secretive USSF-124 national security mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Odysseus moon lander did make it to the moon albeit with a tipped-over landing, becoming the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.

Valentine's Day Double-Header: SpaceX rockets launch moon lander, military satellites in Valentine's doubleheader from Cape

Meanwhile, the long-anticipated wait for United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy to make its final flight looks likely to stretch through the weekend. The planned 2:45 p.m. Thursday launch went into a hold when winds exceeded the acceptable limit on Thursday, and that's when teams noticed a gaseous nitrogen pipeline ground pump failed, according to a post on X by ULA CEO and President Tory Bruno.

The pump provides pneumatic pressure to the launch vehicle systems.

ULA said they would do a 24-hour turnaround, and the launch was then planned for 1:37 p.m. Friday. But Bruno later posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the "pump failed again ... Stand by."

Just before 8 p.m., ULA said they'd be standing down to continue to work on the pipeline.

"The team continues to troubleshoot the pipeline and more time is needed to instill confidence in the system," the company said in a statement. "We will continue to work with our customer to confirm our next launch attempt and a new date will be provided upon resolution."

The Federal Aviation Administration shows that ULA does have a 1:25 p.m. launch window opportunity on Monday. The launch window has been four hours. ULA has not said yet, though, whether they'll be ready for a Monday launch. When it launches, it will be the 16th flight of the Delta IV Heavy and the 389th and final flight of the Delta rocket program.

ULA is replacing the retiring rocket with the next-generation Vulcan, which logged a successful maiden flight in January from Cape Canaveral.

Marvin and Shelly Kendall from New York were at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Thursday, hoping to see the final flight of the powerful triple-core Delta IV Heavy. Marvin works as an IT System engineer while Shelly works in the pharmaceutical field. Both said they understand the importance of STEM so when they heard about the launch, they wanted to be there.

Their children, Marvin Kendall III, 10, Alexander Solomon, 11, and Harper Kendall, 8, stood disappointed with their parents toward the front of the Visitor Complex. “Let down,” Alexander Solomon said when asked how he felt about the scrub.

Saturday's double-header, if it launches as scheduled, could be an eye-popping sky delight for those in town.

Contact Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX Rocket Launch Doubleheader on Tap as Delta IV Heavy delays farewell

Morning Rundown: Alabama killer asks to be executed, Diddy’s son accused in sexual assault lawsuit, thousands of salmon swim to safety after accident

Deadly April storm batters Northeast, snarling travel and knocking out power to half a million

A powerful April storm is hitting the Northeast on Thursday, dumping rain and snow with howling tropical force winds, prompting major airport delays and whiteout road conditions, and knocking out power to over half a million customers.

The strong storm system has been crawling across the U.S. since the weekend — and has already led to several weather-related deaths.

In Pennsylvania, two people died in separate incidents in which a tree fell on the car they were in during Wednesday’s storms. An elderly man died in Delaware County, and an elderly woman , described as in her early 80s, was also killed in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, NBC Philadelphia reported.

Another death was reported in Armonk, New York, Wednesday evening after a tree fell onto a car, killing the operator, North Castle police said. 

As of Thursday morning, the system is making its way out of the Northeast, with 5 million people under wind alerts across New England and 8 million under winter alerts.

The system will produce heavy, wet snow over north-central New England and northeast New York and pass through Maine on Thursday, the National Weather Service Prediction Center forecast. An additional 12 inches of snowfall is possible through Friday.

The system will create “significant impacts from heavy snow and wind,” and perilous travel due to whiteout conditions, snow-covered roads, tree damage and power outages, the NWS said.

Disrupted travel, crashes and power outages

Air travel has already been affected, with over 1,200 delays and over 300 cancellations inside, into or out of the U.S. reported, according to Flight Aware data — all amid a week of busy spring break bookings.

The storm system has also wreaked havoc on roads.

In New Hampshire, state troopers responded to three tractor-trailer rollover crashes in less than seven hours by late Wednesday. State police urged locals “to avoid unnecessary travel.” Massachusetts State Police also responded to multiple crashes Wednesday evening, describing road conditions as “poor.”

Powerful winds have whipped through the region since Wednesday, downing power lines and trees.

Nationally, over 500,000 customers are without power — including over 235,000 in Maine, 53,000 in West Virginia and over 51,000 in New York as of 8:30 a.m., according to PowerOutage.us.

By 2:30 p.m. ET, more than 640,000 were without power with over 334,000 out in Maine and over 173,000 out in New Hampshire.

In New Hampshire as of early Thursday, more than 100,000 customers were without power, the state’s division of homeland security and emergency management said. The agency’s State Emergency Operations Center has been activated in response to the storm.

New York State Electric and Gas, which serves the upstate region, said Wednesday’s severe weather led to 180 downed wires and more than 30 broken poles.

“NYSEG pre-staged more than 2,100 additional line workers and tree personnel across its service areas in preparation for the storm and are currently shifting resources to support its hardest hit areas,” the company said.

Utility company National Grid said it was responding to stormy conditions in upstate New York by increasing staffing, extending overnight shifts, bringing in additional resources from other states and Canada, and pre-staging crews in areas anticipated to be “most severely impacted.”

In Brookfield, Connecticut, a mother and her three kids narrowly escaped injury Wednesday when stormy winds caused a tree to fall on their car, completely crushing it.

In Maine, where heavy snow is forecast, Gov. Janet Mills directed all state offices to be closed Thursday and urged locals to “take proper precautions and to prepare for possible power outages.”

More wind, rain and snow

The storm has already drenched much of the Northeast, with a daily record of 1.75 inches recorded at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday, 1.55 inches in Central Park, 1.49 inches in Philadelphia, and 1.84 inches in Newark, New Jersey.

Even Lady Liberty was hit by rumbling thunderstorms, struck by a bolt of lightning Wednesday evening around 6 p.m. in a stunning moment captured by a photographer from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

The system has also brought with it dangerously high winds, with a gust of 67 mph reported Wednesday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, 64 mph in Stamford, Connecticut, 59 mph in Manhattan and 54 mph in Boston.

Winds are forecast to stay strong through Thursday, with isolated wind gusts of 50-60 mph possible especially for coastal New England.

Alerts for minor to moderate coastal flooding also remain in effect through Thursday evening for 26 million from the Delmarva Peninsula to the Maine coast.

The system will slowly move off the Northeast coast by Saturday.

Breaking News Reporter

Kathryn Prociv is a senior meteorologist and producer for NBC News. 

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Taiwan earthquake: search for survivors continues into night after nine people killed in quake – as it happened

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report below:

• Nine dead and hundreds injured amid landslides and collapsed buildings
• 2d ago Closing summary
• 2d ago Rescue operations continue into the night, with more than 100 people still trapped
• 2d ago Summary
• 2d ago Nine die and nearly 900 injured in quake, say fire agency
• 2d ago Death toll rises to nine
• 2d ago Death toll rises to seven
• 2d ago Summary of events so far
• 2d ago At least four killed in earthquake
• 2d ago 26 buildings reported "to tilt or collapse"
• 2d ago Philippines cancels tsunami warning
• 2d ago Key points
• 2d ago Japan lifts all tsunami advisories
• 2d ago Reports of 1 dead, 50 injured - Taiwan fire department
• 2d ago Pacific tsunami warning centre says threat passed
• 2d ago Japan tsunami alert downgraded to advisory
• 2d ago 87,000 in Taiwan without power
• 2d ago Aftershocks reported in Taipei
• 2d ago Worst quake since 1999 - Taiwan central weather bureau
• 2d ago Philippines tsunami warning relates to coastal areas
• 2d ago Magnitude revised up - JMA
• 2d ago 10,000 households without power - reports
• 2d ago Epicentre reported as 25km southeast of Hualien
• 2d ago Reports computer chip factory partially evacuated
• 2d ago Reports of damage to houses and water towers - Taiwan
• 2d ago Internet outages reported in Taiwan
• 2d ago Taiwan reports people trapped in buildings - local media
• 2d ago Philippines warns of high tsunami waves
• 2d ago Japan's national broadcaster issues evacuation warning
• 2d ago First images out of Taiwan emerge
• 2d ago Earthquake felt in China - reports
• 2d ago Taiwan reports collapsed buildings
• 2d ago Philippines issues tsunami warning
• 2d ago Japan issues tsunami advisory
• 2d ago Welcome and opening summary

Rescue operations continue into the night, with more than 100 people still trapped

Rescue operations continue into the night as more than 100 people remain trapped in tunnels and in collapsed buildings around Hualien county, near the epicentre of the 7.2-magnitude quake.

About 70 people trapped in tunnels near Hualien city have been evacuated, Taiwan’s national fire agency said.

But authorities lost contact with 50 workers aboard our minibuses heading to a hotel in the Taroko Gorge national park, it said.

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry, and six in another, the fire agency said.

Closing summary

It’s 1am in Taipei. Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

At least nine people have been killed and more than 900 injured in Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years, which caused buildings to collapse, power outages and landslides on the island.

The quake, which started at 7.58am on Wednesday, struck about 18km south-southwest of Hualien , a city popular with tourists on Taiwan’s eastern coast, and was given a magnitude of 7.2 by Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring agency and 7.4 by the US.

More than 100 people remain trapped in tunnels and in collapsed buildings. The fire agency said 64 people were trapped in one coalmine, and six in another, while rescue workers had lost contact with 50 people who were travelling in minibuses through a national park as the earthquake wiped out phone networks.

Nearly 1,000 tourists and staff were stranded in mountains of Taroko national park in Hualien. Local media reported that three hikers and one driver died after rockslides in the park.

In Hualien city, all residents and businesses in buildings that were in a dangerous state had been evacuated, the mayor Hsu Chen-wei said. Rescuers worked across Hualien county, looking for people who may be trapped and using excavators to stabilize damaged buildings.

In the capital, Taipei, several people were rescued from a partly collapsed warehouse . Strong tremors forced the city’s subway system to close briefly, and damage was visible on some buildings in central Taipei. Aftershocks could still be felt in the capital, with more than 50 recorded, weather officials said.

The quake triggered initial tsunami warnings in southern Japan and the Philippines, but forecasts were later downgraded and lifted. Japan’s meteorological agency warned that aftershocks, with a similar intensity to those felt in Taiwan, may be likely over the next week.

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Taiwan on Wednesday was captured by the cameras in a newsroom during a live broadcast.

As the quake hit, anchors on air carried on delivering the news while the studio was visibly shaken and lights swayed violently overhead.

Taiwan’s president-elect and vice-president, Lai Ching-te, has thanked the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, for his support and condolences.

Posting to social media, Lai wrote:

Taiwan draws strength from your solidarity & friendship during this difficult time and deeply appreciates the support from the EU.

Thank you, @CharlesMichel , for your generous support and condolences. Taiwan draws strength from your solidarity & friendship during this difficult time and deeply appreciates the support from the EU. https://t.co/udxdZ6cHE1 — 賴清德Lai Ching-te (@ChingteLai) April 3, 2024

The US is monitoring the earthquake in Taiwan and is “ready to provide any necessary assistance”, a US national security council spokesperson has said.

A statement from NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson reads:

We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan. The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers.

One reporter in Taiwan who was heading north towards Hualien after dark on Wednesday evening local time, came across huge holes in the road caused by the earthquake from that morning.

Nathaniel Taplin posted footage moments ago.

Road into #Hualien getting knarlier as we get closer from Taitung pic.twitter.com/8iNs3KK2jK — Nathaniel Taplin (@nate_taplin) April 3, 2024

Meanwhile TV channel TVBS posted a clip of rescue workers trying to clear debris in Hualien, where the earthquake hit hardest.

🚨🇹🇼 Rescue efforts continue following 7.2 quake in #Hualien , #Taiwan : 9 dead, 946 injured, 137 trapped in mountainous regions. #TaiwanEarthquake 💔🙏 pic.twitter.com/gahRjpN359 — TVBS World Taiwan (@tvbsworldtaiwan) April 3, 2024

One person caught up in the earthquake described watching a warehouse crumple like a house of cards on Wednesday and told the Agence France-Presse agency it “was like a mountain collapsed”.

And that was in New Taipei City, near the capital, Taipei, almost 190 miles (300km) from the hardest hit area of Hualien in east central Taiwan .

The witness, named by AFP only as Liu, watched intently as rescuers carefully picked their way through the remains of the warehouse.

Propping ladders against the debris, the rescue workers managed to pluck more than 50 survivors from the destroyed building in New Taipei City. The building was about 60 years old and had housed a printing press, said Liu, who lived next door.

Residents of nearby buildings appeared to be unaffected, though they felt the intense shaking from the morning quake.

Many of the decorations at home fell on the floor, but people were safe. We were very lucky,” said Chang, who lives near the printing press.

New Taipei City mayor Hou Yu-ih surveyed the scene with rescue workers, and told reporters that all 57 people in the building had made it out - with just one injured.

It has just passed 11pm in Taipei and Hualien.

Here is a quick summary of some of the key events so far today:

At least nine people are now reported to have been killed in Taiwan’s earthquake. At least another 900 have been injured.

The earthquake struck at 7:58 am local time , about 18km south-southwest of Hualien. It was about 35 km (21 miles) deep, according to Associated Press

Taiwan’s electricity operator – Taipower- has said more than 87,000 people across the country are now without power, according to the Reuters news agency.

People are trapped in collapsed buildings in Taiwan’s city of Hualien according to local media and the local government has suspended schools and classes in the region.

A witness has told the Reuters news agency that the earthquake was also felt in Shanghai, China. Chinese state media also reported that it was felt in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Ningde in China’s Fujian province.

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry , not a coalmine as was previously reported, and six in another, the fire agency said.

Authorities also lost contact with 50 people in minibuses after a powerful earthquake quake downed phone networks, Taiwan’s national fire agency said.

The Philippines seismology agency has issued a tsunami warning as well after that strong Taiwan quake, with Philippine coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean expected to experience “high tsunami waves”, according to the Reuters news agency. The tsunami warning issued by the Philippine authorities relates to people in coastal areas of the following provinces: the Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and Isabela.

The Philippines’ seismology agency later cancelled its tsunami warning, saying “based on available data of our sea level monitoring stations facing the epicentral area , no significant sea level disturbances have been recorded since 07:58am up until this cancellation.”

Japan’s national broadcaster has issued an evacuation order – broadcasting warnings such as “Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” an anchor on NHK said. “Do not stop. Do not go back”. This was later downgraded to advisory as the tsunami waves that had arrived by late morning were not as high as forecast.

A tsunami advisory has been issued in southern Japan after a powerful earthquake struck near Taiwan on Wednesday morning, according to Japan’s meteorological agency (JMA). This was later lifted.

Here are some more pictures showing the damage caused by the earthquake:

At least 64 people were trapped in one rock quarry, not a coalmine as was previously reported, and six in another, the fire agency said. The quake and aftershocks also caused 24 landslides and damage to 35 roads, bridges and tunnels, AP reports.

Here is the latest report from our video team on the earthquake in Taiwan . Footage released by the fire department there shows emergency personnel walking through dark corridors while going door to door and calling out to residents.

According to a report from Associated Press, Taiwan’s national fire agency appears to have confirmed that 70 miners are trapped in two coalmines in Hualien County after the earthquake.

Sixty-four people were trapped in one coalmine, and six people were in a different mine, AP reports the agency said.

More details soon …

Here is a clip of CCTV footage which shows a multi-storey building collapsing on a busy street in Hualien as Taiwan was hit by its strongest earthquake in 25 years.

• Earthquakes
• Asia Pacific

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‘People were screaming’: Hualien residents in shock after Taiwan earthquake

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Japan lifts tsunami advisory after strong quake hits Taiwan

Japan lifted a tsunami advisory issued for Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon, after earlier warning of the potential for large waves hitting parts of the prefecture, following a powerful earthquake that rocked Taiwan.

Tsunami measuring at least 30 centimeters were observed at Yonaguni and Miyako islands, while waves as high as 20 cm also reached Ishigaki Island.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in the southern prefecture, the government’s top spokesman told a news conference, but people were still urged to stay away from the coast.

“There haven’t been reports of casualties or buildings damaged so far (from Okinawa). Besides that, we are aware of emergency calls regarding traffic in the prefecture,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said.

“We ask that everyone in the area stay alert to information from local authorities and the Meteorological Agency, as well as from television and radio, and act calmly, without being misled by uncertain information — please do not panic. Help each other and remain calm,” he added.

The massive quake — the largest to hit Taiwan in 25 years — prompted tsunami warnings for the island and knocked out power in some areas of the island’s east, with television footage showing collapsed buildings. Media reports said at least nine people were believed to have been killed and more than 900 injured.

Two buildings were tilted in the city of Hualien and one factory building collapsed in New Taipei City, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported. Stones and bricks fell off in multiple places, including at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, and landslides occurred on highways.

​​A hotel reception staff at OLAH Poshtel in Hualien, who only gave her last name as Ou, said there were buildings in the city center that were tilted or collapsed. The hotel also offered a free-cancellation option for reservations until Friday.

China’s state media reported that the quake was felt in multiple cities in Fujian and Guangdong provinces across the Taiwan Strait, as well as in Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi.

Tsunami warnings were also issued in the coastal areas of several provinces of the Philippines, though these were lifted hours later.

This was the first time a tsunami had been detected in Japan since a powerful earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula area in Ishikawa Prefecture on New Year’s Day, with NHK warning viewers earlier via a large banner reading “Evacuate! Run!”

According to Japan’s Meteorological Agency, Wednesday’s quake was as big as — if not bigger — than the Noto temblor, registering a magnitude 7.7. The quake had also been recorded as high as a 4 on the 7-point Japanese shindo seismic intensity scale in Yonaguni, which sits just 110 kilometers (70 miles) from Taiwan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake , which struck at 8:58 a.m., had registered a magnitude 7.4, originating 18 km south southwest of Hualien, Taiwan, at a depth of 34.8 km, while Japan’s meteorological agency said the quake had a magnitude of 7.7 and occurred at a depth of 23 km.

Even after the tsunami advisory was lifted, people were still urged to continue to stay away from the coast, with the continued likelihood of waves rushing the shore multiple times and the height increasing suddenly, a Meteorological Agency official told a news conference Wednesday morning.

People were urged to stay vigilant , given that the tsunami that resulted from the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake also began with waves that were just a couple of centimeters high.

Given that Okinawa is a tourism hub, and many visitors — both foreign and domestic alike — are unfamiliar with the area and tsunami protocol, Okinawa residents were being asked to help them, if necessary.

At Naha Airport, commercial flights resumed after an earlier suspension Wednesday morning, although throngs of passengers crowded the airport due to delays, NHK reported.

The weather agency also warned that aftershocks — possibly as strong as the initial quake — could continue over several days.

Agency officials noted that there had been a 10% to 20% possibility that a tremor of the same scale could occur within the week, citing past major earthquakes. They said the chances were “especially high” over the first two to three days, and urged residents to stay alert.

Regarding the earthquake in Taiwan, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his condolences and intention to offer support.

"We are truly grateful for the heartwarming support we received from our dear friends in Taiwan during the Great East Japan Earthquake and the recent Noto Peninsula Earthquake," he wrote on X. "Japan is ready to provide necessary support to Taiwan, our neighbor across the sea, in its time of need."

Staff writer Francis Tang contributed to the report.

More information:

• Detailed information about the latest earthquakes, from the Japan Meteorological Agency website
• An explanation of shindo, Japan's earthquake intensity scale
• A guide to what to before, during and after an earthquake
• Our portal for disaster-related information

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