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Can I go to Italy? The rules for travelling from the UK

International travel is officially back. Since Monday 17 May 2021, travelling abroad from the UK for non-essential reasons has been legal again, albeit with some rules in place. Italy is not on any UK travel red list , but what does that mean if you’ve booked a trip there for the coming weeks?

What rules are in place for those returning to the UK from Italy right now? 

As of 18 March 2022, all Covid travel rules in the UK have been lifted, which means that travellers do not need to test, quarantine or fill in a passenger locator form upon return from Italy, regardless of their vaccination status. 

What are the entry requirements for Italy?

On 1 June, all Covid rules for travel were lifted in Italy. This means that Italy does not require any proof of vaccination, a negative test result or a Covid-19 recovery certificate to enter the country, regardless of your vaccination status.

However, all passengers entering Italy by plane, ferry, train or coach must still wear an FFP2 mask in order to enter the country.

Since Sunday 1 May 2022, those visiting Italy no longer have to fill out a passenger locator form, or be in possession of a Health Pass in order to enter restaurants, bars and other venues. A Green Pass, showing proof of vaccination, a negative test result or recent Covid recovery, is still required in order to enter the country, as well as to access hospitals and other healthcare settings (children aged 11 and under are not required to present a Green Pass). The NHS Covid Pass digital certificate with QR code is accepted as a Green Pass. 

What type of mask do I need to fly to Italy?

Those who have flown to Italy recently will be aware that a specific type of mask is required before you can board a flight; an FFP2 mask . This will be required to fly until at least Wednesday 15 June 2022. 

Certified FFP2 masks come with instructions on how to wear them by the manufacturer and feature multiple layers of non-woven material and a nose wire to ensure a proper fit with no leaks. 

What are the restrictions in Italy right now?

Domestic and international travel is permitted in Italy. Since Sunday 1 May, a Super Green Pass is no longer required in order to enter services or businesses within Italy. Face masks are now only required in some settings, such as on public transport, in all health care facilities and in cinemas, until at least Wednesday 15 June 2022.

We recommend always checking the rules on the UK government website before travelling, sticking closely to health guidelines and being sure to buy travel insurance with Covid cover . 

Where to stay: For sunshine and beaches, a relaxing trip to Sicily can’t be beaten. If you’re looking for a city break, Milan ’s Hotel Principe di Savoia is an institution. What to do : How about a dreamy road trip around Italy ? Whether you want to cruise along the Amalfi Coast or travel cross-country through the Alps, these are the very best road trips in Italy to plan.

Italy Travel Restrictions

Traveler's COVID-19 vaccination status

Traveling from the United States to Italy

Open for vaccinated visitors

COVID-19 testing

Not required

Not required for vaccinated visitors

Restaurants

Not required in public spaces and public transportation.

Italy entry details and exceptions

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Can I travel to Italy from the United States?

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter Italy.

Can I travel to Italy if I am vaccinated?

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Italy without restrictions.

Can I travel to Italy without being vaccinated?

Unvaccinated visitors from the United States can enter Italy without restrictions.

Do I need a COVID test to enter Italy?

Visitors from the United States are not required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test or antigen result upon entering Italy.

Can I travel to Italy without quarantine?

Travelers from the United States are not required to quarantine.

Do I need to wear a mask in Italy?

Mask usage in Italy is not required in public spaces and public transportation.

Are the restaurants and bars open in Italy?

Restaurants in Italy are open. Bars in Italy are .

What you need to know about traveling to Italy right now

Aug 23, 2021 • 6 min read

Tourists return to the Teatro Antico in Taormina, Sicily as Italy relaxes border and domestic restrictions Fabrizio Villa/Getty Images

Italy has gradually relaxed border controls and most restrictions as travelers return to one of the world's most popular destinations. And while there are plenty of new attractions to enjoy, from newly-opened secret tunnels in the Colosseum to recent discoveries in Pompeii , it isn't business as usual. Italy is still in a state of emergency and some pandemic-related restrictions apply, including the requirement of a green pass to enter indoor venues and large events.

With the ongoing threat of the Delta variant, travelers are warned that increased measures could be enforced with little notice. If you're planning a trip to Italy this year, here's what you can expect.

Can I travel to Italy from the EU?

Italy has adopted the EU digital COVID certificate which facilitates the return of free movement across the bloc. It's a digital or paper certificate that indicates the holder meets the conditions for travel: is fully vaccinated (the last dose administered at least 14 days before departure), or has recovered from COVID-19, or holds a negative COVID-19 result from a PCR or antigen test taken within 48 hours of travel.

Read more: Planning your perfect trip to Italy's Amalfi Coast

You will need to present this cert to enter Italy, regardless of where you are traveling from in the EU. That's because Italy does not classify risk areas in accordance with the EU's recommendations and currently no country is classified as low risk. So even if you are coming from an EU country that is classified green (low risk) in the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control’s traffic light system, you are still required to present a digital COVID cert to travel to Italy.

Can I travel to Italy from a non-EU country?

Italy applies border restrictions on travelers depending on the COVID situation in the country they are departing from. Most countries are on the C and D list and quarantine restrictions apply to all of them except for the US, Canada, Japan and Israel . People arriving from those countries are permitted to skip quarantine provided they present proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19, or a negative result from a test taken no more than 72 hours before traveling to Italy, using official vaccination or medical documents issued in either of those countries.

Those arriving from the UK will have to undergo a five-day quarantine upon arrival with mandatory testing until at least August 30.

Entry restrictions for individual countries can be found here .

What vaccines does Italy accept?

Italy requires that travelers are fully vaccinated with both doses of an EMA-approved vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, or AstraZeneca; or with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Do children need to be vaccinated to enter Italy?

Children under six-years-old are exempt from all vaccine, testing or quarantine requirements in Italy. However, children between the age of six and 18 are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before arrival.

What else is required?

All arrivals are required to fill in a passenger locator form before arrival, regardless of their COVID status or point of departure.

Do I need a green pass in Italy?

Yes, if you want to enjoy most of Italy's cultural attractions, you'll need a green pass. The pass proves that the holder has been vaccinated, has recovered from COVID-19 or has recently tested negative for the virus. People need to present it to enter indoor spaces such as museums, football stadiums, gyms, theme parks, spas, swimming pools and theaters. It's also required to sit indoors at bars and restaurants; and from September 1, it will be required to board public transport in Italy.

Anyone traveling from another EU country, can present their EU digital COVID cert wherever the green pass is required. People traveling from a Schengen Zone country can present their official health documents too.

The Italian government confirmed that it will accept official COVID documents that were issued in Canada, the US, the UK, Japan and Israel from tourists too in place of a green pass. This was later extended to cover all official vaccination certificates that are compliant with Italian or EU guidelines. In order for it to be accepted in lieu of the green pass, the certificate must be in Italian, English, Spanish or French and contain the following information: type of vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J or AstraZeneca), date of doses and lot number, as well as the person's name and the name of the medical authority issuing the certificate.However, despite the guidelines, some tourists have reported difficulty with having their certificates accepted at venues.

If you're not vaccinated, you'll need to be tested via a PCR or antigen test within the previous 48 hours.

Read more: Italy has expanded the use of it 'green pass' - here's what travelers need to know

Can I get tested in Italy?

Many countries, including the US, require passengers to present a negative COVID-19 test result before boarding their flight home from an international trip. Fortunately, tests are widely available across Italy in pharmacies, labs and testing centers. Antigen tests cost approximately €20, while PCR tests are generally around €65.

The Red Cross has pop-up testing sites in train stations across Italy , including Roma Termini, Milano Centrale, Venice Santa Lucia and Florence Santa Maria Novella for antigen tests. On-site testing is available at Italy's major airports too, and most offer both antigen and PCR tests but check the website of the airport you are traveling through in advance for details.

Read more: Italy visa requirements

What's open in Italy?

Italy is home to many of the world's greatest works of art, architecture and gastronomy, and has more Unesco World Heritage cultural sites than any other country. Among its popular attractions are Pompeii , where visitors can walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans, and Ravenna , home to glittering Byzantine treasures. The gondolas of Venice take in the famous Rialto Bridge , while Rome is home to St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Colosseum, as well as the iconic Trevi Fountain.

Thankfully, you can experience these sites with relative ease as all Italian regions are now classified as "white zones". Italy classifies its regions into colored areas based on the epidemiological risk; different restrictions apply, depending on the color. White zones are very low-risk zones. Most restrictions have been lifted but social distancing guidelines remain in place in public areas, as do mask requirements in crowded outdoor places, on public transport and in indoor public spaces.

Indoor dining has returned to Italy's restaurants, cafes, bars, ice-cream parlours and pastry shops. Some capacity limits apply but the general rule is no more than six people per table. Anyone who wishes to eat inside will need to show proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a recent negative test. Hotels, spas and swimming pools are open, as well as beaches but visitors must keep at least one meter apart when setting up towels, deck chairs or umbrellas.

Museums and cultural attractions are open for walk-ins with capacity limits Monday to Friday and for those with pre-booked tickets on weekends. Cinemas, theaters and concert halls are generally open at 50% capacity. Again, remember to bring your vaccination card if you're planning to visit any museum or cultural attraction in Italy.

For a full breakdown of restrictions per region, see here .

This article was first published on May 5 and updated on August 23, 2021.

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Italy travel rules for UK tourists including vaccines, boosters and a Covid pass

You will need a 'Super Green Pass' to travel within Italy and visit venues like restaurants, there are two ways to get one

• 13:47, 3 FEB 2022

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Italy is famed for its culture, from Ancient Roman sights to romantic spots like Florence and Venice.

And if you want to see those, dine out or travel around the country in the next two months, you will need to be clued up on the vaccine rules required to get the Super Green Pass the Italian Government demands you use to access restaurants, bars, hotels, public transport, museums, ski slopes, and football stadia.

Getting a Super Green Pass should be relatively straightforward, even for families travelling with teens who have not been able to get fully vaccinated due to getting coronavirus in recent months.

Read more: Do I need a booster to go to France?

The pass system essentially bars unvaccinated people from activities and venues, unless they can prove they have recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months.

Do I need to be vaccinated and boosted to travel from UK to Italy?

To enter Italy as a tourist from the UK , you will need either a Green Pass or a Super Green Pass if you are over 12 years old.

The passes are proof of vaccination or recovery from Covid. The FCO says Italy will accept the NHS Covid Pass with a QR code.

To qualify for a pass that allows you to travel without quarantining, you must either be fully vaccinated or have recovered from coronavirus within the past six months.

Fully vaccinated in this case means it must be at least 14 days after your second jab for most vaccines, or first jab if you've had the Janssen one-shot vaccine. If your final jab of a one or two-shot vaccination course was more than 180 days ago, you will need a booster.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office says : "Italy will accept the UK’s proof of Covid-19 recovery and vaccination record as the equivalent to a Super Green Pass as long as it is in the form of a verifiable QR code.

Passengers heading to Italy must also show evidence "of a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours before entering Italy OR a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours before entering Italy" and fill in an EU Passenger Locator Form.

You can use either a Green Pass or a Super Green Pass to enter Italy.

Do I need to be vaccinated and a booster to eat, drink and visit venues in Italy?

Essentially, Italy currently requires people aged over 12 to be either fully vaccinated or have proof they have recovered from Covid, if they want to travel within the country, eat out, and visit museums and venues. A 'Super Green Pass' is used to verify people's vaccination or recovery status.

Italy's Super Green Pass can be used both to enter Italy from the UK and to access venues like bars, hotels, museums, restaurants, and use public transport.

Unlike the Green Pass, which can be accessed through testing alone (although that would require holders to quarantine upon entering Italy), the Super Green Pass only certifies full vaccination or recovery.

To get a Super Green Pass you can either be fully vaccinated or have recovered from coronavirus within six months of a positive test.

To qualify as fully vaccinated, you must have completed your vaccination course (through either a two-shot jab like Pfizer, Astrazeneca or Moderna, or a one-shot jab like Janssen) more than 14 days ago. Those whose final jab was more than 180 days ago must get a booster.

British tourists can use their Digital NHS Covid Pass as an equivalent of the Super Green Pass.

The Super Green Pass system will be in place until at least March 31.

Go here for the latest coronavirus updates and breaking Covid-19 news

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Covid-19: travel information

Considering the epidemiological situation, Italy has foreign travel restrictions in place depending on where you are travelling from/to. 

An interactive questionnaire is available from https://infocovid.viaggiaresicuri.it  to check the rules currently in force regarding travel to and from Italy.

Please find below a list of other useful web pages:

• Covid-19 Information for travellers  
• Information for Italian nationals returning to Italy and foreigners in Italy
• Information from Embassies and Consulates
• Useful information for travellers on the ‘Viaggiare sicuri’ website  

Revealed: The coronavirus outbreak plan ignored by the government during the pandemic

The Covid Inquiry publishes its first report into government failings over its handling of the pandemic today. The probe has reviewed how prepared the UK was to face the deadly outbreak in 2020 , with the findings set to be damning.

It comes after The Independent revealed in 2021 that a ready-made plan was drawn up to tackle a coronavirus outbreak . Despite being published in 2005, it was “lost” in Whitehall and never used during the Covid-19 pandemic .

The document recommended many similar measures to those the government eventually took during the pandemic which swept over the planet from 2020 to 2022.

This included building up infrastructure for virus testing and PPE stockpiling in case of an outbreak.

For the latest updates as the Covid Inquiry publishes its report, follow The Independent’s live coverage

Response measures also included travel restrictions, isolating and testing contacts with infections, and limiting “super-spreader” events.

The plan was drawn up in response to Sars, which was an epidemic less severe than Covid-19, lasting from 2002 to 2004. It was uncovered by The Independent three years ago following a Freedom of Information request.

A former government adviser said the framework could have saved “tens of thousands of lives” if it had been deployed to handle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, it sat in a drawer as the government scrambled to make a plan. One source said it went “missing” shortly after it was submitted, with a senior medical adviser who served in Downing Street throughout the last decade saying they were “totally surprised” to learn of the plan.

Another involved in the early response to Covid-19 said ministers had been “starting from scratch” in February and March 2020, as the outbreak in the UK grew, adding: “There was no awareness of this document.”

“It was overlooked,” said Sir David King, chief scientific adviser from 2000 to 2007, who was involved in developing the document.

“I believe tens of thousands of lives would have been saved. I think the economy would have been in a much better place too.”

The Covid Inquiry has heard from politicians and experts, including former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock.

In his evidence, Mr Hunt admitted to the inquiry that the government should have been paying more attention to countries in Asia who were managing to deal with the outbreak more effectively.

This was in part thanks to the lessons learned from the Sars outbreak which severely impacted countries like Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.

One senior medical adviser during the 2010s told The Independent that they had suggested running tabletop exercises for ministers on Sars, but Public Health England refused.

“I was told, ‘No, it won’t reach here,’” the source said. “This persisted with Covid. This belief that it won’t ever reach here and we don’t need to learn from the countries in Asia. We took a long time to wake up, even when it was in Italy.”

However, they too said the Sars plan could have played a key part in the Covid response.

“We would have known about airflow, we would have protected our staff better and thought about the co-morbidities more. And if we just followed this, maybe we’d have started planning earlier.”

As the Covid Inquiry overseen by Baroness Hallett publishes its first report, it is likely the government’s failure to learn from previous administrations and outbreaks past will form a key part of her findings.

From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here .

Airports fill with long lines and broken blue screens following cancellations and delays due to global IT outage

Airports devolved into scenes of chaos early Friday after ground stops were issued because of a massive IT outage felt across the globe.

Long lines, crowded gates and agitated passengers became common scenes at major airports. At John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Los Angeles International Airport, monitors usually displaying flight departure times were replaced with malfunctioning blue screens.

More than 7,300 flights were delayed within, to or out of the United States as of 2:30 p.m. ET, and over 2,400 were canceled, according to FlightAware data. Globally, there have been over 34,000 delays and more than 3,800 cancellations, according to the tracker.

In the U.S., the airports experiencing the greatest cancellations and delays are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, New York’s LaGuardia, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, according to FlightAware data based on origin airport.

Situation on the ground at U.S. airports

• U.S. delays: Over 7,300
• U.S. cancellations: Over 2,400
• Origin airports with most cancellations/delays: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, NYC’s LaGuardia Airport, Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.
• Airports with long average ground delays, according to the FAA: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (174 minutes), NYC’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (171 minutes), NYC’s LaGuardia Airport (129 minutes).
• All numbers as of 2:30 p.m. ET

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, the biggest carriers in the U.S., all issued ground stops early Friday.

Delta said in a statement, “All Delta flights are paused as we work through a vendor technology issue,” and by 8 a.m. said it “has resumed some flight departures.”

Meanwhile, United said flights resumed Friday morning after it paused all departures overnight. The airline said it will “carefully ramp-up our recovery over the course of the day,” adding, “we are working diligently to get our customers to their destinations.”

American said as of 5 a.m., “We have been able to safely re-establish our operation.”

JetBlue said its operations remain normal and its systems were not affected by the outage.

Delays in some areas were topping six hours around noon.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world, there was an average 374-minute ground delay, or a little over six hours, around noon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. That was later updated to 174 minutes at around 2:30 p.m., or about three hours.

In New York, JFK is experiencing an average ground delay time of 171 minutes and LaGuardia Airport an average 129-minute ground delay. Miami International airport was experiencing a departure delay time of 45 minutes as of 2:30 p.m. Meanwhile Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport had an average 104-minute ground delay around noon, which was later lowered to about 15 minutes by 2:30 p.m.

The FAA said Friday that it’s working with affected airlines and airports, noting that air traffic control computers are not affected by the outage.

The outage, affecting major businesses, police forces, public transportation and banks, was caused by an information technology glitch due to an issue with the Microsoft cloud. Microsoft said shortly before 7 a.m. that the underlying cause was fixed, but “residual impact is continuing to affect some Microsoft 365 apps and services.”

Microsoft said another issue is the “CrowdStrike Falcon agent,” a cybersecurity platform used by businesses globally that is separate from Microsoft. CrowdStrike Chief Executive George Kurtz said the company is working with customers “impacted by a defect found in a single content update for Windows hosts,” while noting “this is not a security incident or cyberattack.”

Airports also warned of flight delays and cancellations, including Tampa International Airport, Denver International Airport, and Belfast International Airport in Northern Ireland.

The outage is now a test of patience for passengers as airports fill with extremely long lines.

Colby Black, 45, took the delays at JFK Airport in stride, even though he wasn’t sure when his rescheduled flight to Los Angeles would take off.

“It says 8 a.m. on the board, but 9 a.m. on my app, so who knows,” he said of the flight, which was originally set to depart at 6 a.m.

“I’m just tired. I want to sleep,” said Black, who woke up at 3 a.m. “But otherwise, yeah, it happens. ... There’s not much I can do about it. If I can’t affect it, why bother?”

Samantha C., 35, who was at JFK with her infant son, said she hadn’t slept the night before.

“I’m still up, running on no sleep,” said the mother, who was seated at an airport bar stool beside a heavy pour of chilled white wine. She wasn’t originally planning to order a preflight drink.

“Hell no. I got to the airport at 4 o’clock this morning,” she said.

But her 7:05 a.m. flight to Florida was delayed three hours, causing major headaches for both her and the family members who were set to pick her up.

At Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, hundreds of people were seen packed in and waiting for information about their flights for hours. Kiosks were not working, boards were not properly updating, and some passengers were giving up and leaving the airport altogether, NBC correspondent Antonia Hylton said.

She observed seeing passengers fighting with desk agents and some even in tears.

“Chaos. Pure chaos. No one knew what was happening. No one was being told anything. Everyone was just really confused. Then all of a sudden we got an alert that globally everything is down, Microsoft has gone down, and still no one has really told us what that means, what that entails, where we’re going forward now,” one passenger told Hylton.

San Francisco International Airport said at 10 a.m. ET that its systems are “functioning and airline systems are coming back online” following the CrowdStrike outage.  The Chicago Department of Aviation is “closely monitoring” the “ongoing commercial software issue that is impacting air travel operations nationwide,” including the city’s bustling O’Hare and Midway airports.

In Paris, which sees a flurry of tourists this time of year and is expecting even more with the upcoming Olympics, the Paris Airport Authority, which manages the 14 civil airports and airfields in the area, said Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and Paris-Orly Airport were seeing slowdowns, delays and the suspension of some flights.

Porter Airlines of Canada said it was canceling all flights until 12 p.m. ET “due to a third-party systems outages affecting global industries.” KLM Royal Dutch Airlines of the Netherlands wrote on X , “KLM and other airlines and airports have been affected by a global computer outage, making flight handling impossible.”

In Spain, Spanish airport operator Aena reported a “computer systems incident” at all airports that could cause flight delays. As of 2:30 p.m. local time, its main systems were restored following the global IT incident after 105 cancellations were reported by airlines, Aena said on X .

Breaking News Reporter

Kevin Breuninger is national politics reporter for CNBC.

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Britain is seeing a summer of illness. Here’s what you can do to avoid getting sick

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Summer in the UK is seeing a rise in illness, new strains of Covid and whooping cough cases on the rise.

In the summer of bugs, many have already been hit by a nasty flu doing the rounds.

Many of us know a friend or family member who has come down with nasty cold-like symptoms over the last few weeks, and talk about the resurgence of Covid has started circulating. Some health experts have also suggested that FLiRT and LB.1 might be able evade immunity, which is why people who have been vaccinated are still getting ill.

So, is there anything we can do to boost our immune systems this season and stop ourselves from getting ill?

Colin Michie, associate dean for research and knowledge exchange at the University of Central Lancashire , says summer can be a challenging time for our health.

“Many summer activities, such as festivals, can put us at greater risk of infection as we interact with lots of different people in a crowded space,” says Michie. “The new [Covid] variants, collectively known as FLiRT variants, can evade our immune responses more effectively than previous variants. So in some individuals, their antibodies from previous infection or vaccination may not be completely protective.”

But before we start thinking about immune-boosting hacks, one of the most important things for preventing getting ill is to avoid spreading and catching bugs in the first place.

“Those with symptoms need to follow the same guidance, such as avoiding in-person visits to the GP. Taking time to rest at home when symptomatic, and avoiding those who are vulnerable is a good way to help prevent the spreading of the infection,” says Michie.

“Make sure to wash your hands regularly, and take precautionary measures if you do become unwell. Take care when visiting anyone who might be more vulnerable, such as the elderly or people with respiratory conditions.”

Some people may also want to consider wearing masks in busy public spaces if particularly concerned.

Eat a balanced diet

There are things we can do to give our immune systems a helping hand, however. The immune system is multifaceted and can be affected by the nutritional diversity of the food we eat.

Ana Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist at Pharmica , says: “Studies show that opting for a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins and whole grains can ensure the body has access to a variety of vitamins and minerals needed for the effective modulation of immune responses and to enhance the body’s ability to fight various pathogens.

“Some of the most important vitamins and minerals to bolster the immune system include, but are not limited to, vitamin C, which prevents unstable and highly reactive molecules from damaging various cells and tissues in the body, and supports a crucial component of the body’s immune system known as the epithelial barrier.

“Zinc contributes to the normal development and function of cells that mediate pathogen immunity and influences the production of cytokines (anti-inflammatory compounds that are critical for effective immune responses),” she adds. “Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent chronic inflammation and enhance the function of immune cells by modulating the production of signalling molecules that regulate immune responses.”

To get a good variety in summer, mix up colourful salads and pack in plenty of legumes, beans, whole grains and other fibre-rich veg to keep your gut microbiome happy.

Get plenty of sleep

Goncalves also says it’s vital to get high-quality sleep each day. “Sleep deprivation can impair the immune response by disrupting the production of anti-inflammatory proteins called cytokines, making the body more susceptible to infections,” she explains.

This can be trickier during summer, especially when you’re tossing and turning in the heat and your social calendar is a bit more packed than usual. But your immune system will thank you for trying to prioritise sleep.

“Sleep quality may be improved by sleeping in a room that is 17°C to 19°C, as these temperatures facilitate a drop in body temperature during the early NREM stage, allowing the body to enter deeper sleep more efficiently,” says Goncalves.

“Reducing potential sources of sleep disturbances at night by keeping phones on silent, face down, and away from arm’s reach. And even consulting a pharmacist or doctor about taking sleep treatments [if you’re struggling].”

Limit alcohol

Summer brings more sporting events, barbecues and drinking with friends in a pub garden. However excessive drinking can also have an impact on our immune system.

“Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption reduces the number and effectiveness of white blood cells, such as lymphocytes and neutrophils, essential for fighting infections,” says Goncalves.

“It also disrupts the gut microbiome, leading to dysbiosis, an imbalance of beneficial bacteria that weakens the immune system’s ability to combat infections.

Additionally, alcohol increases intestinal permeability, often called ‘leaky gut’,  allowing pathogens and toxins to enter the bloodstream more easily, heightening immune response and vulnerability to infections.

“Furthermore, excessive alcohol can impair the liver, crucial for detoxification and immune regulation, leading to alcoholic liver disease and significantly compromising the immune system.”

When should you get tested or see a doctor?

Although Covid testing hasn’t been compulsory for a while, Goncalves says rapid antigen tests to detect Covid-19 are now available at local community pharmacies for as little as £2 each, and suggests: “It is always advisable to use such tests if there is any indication that an individual may have Covid-19.”

With cold and flu symptoms, it’s usually not necessary to see a doctor. But seek advice if symptoms don’t get better or are particularly severe, or if pre-existing health conditions are a concern.

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Global tech outage hits airlines, banks, health care and public transit

In the u.s., hundreds of flights were canceled friday morning and some public transit systems reported impacts..

A defective update from U.S. cybersecurity software company CrowdStrike crashed Microsoft Windows systems around the globe Friday . The tech outage disrupted operations across industries such as banks, hospitals and 911 call centers, plus grounded flights and hampered public transit systems and. Although a fix was deployed to restore most systems by the afternoon to return to normal, ripple effects may be felt throughout the weekend, experts warn. 

CrowdStrike , which advertises being used by over half of Fortune 500 companies, said one of its recent content updates had a defect that impacted Microsoft's Windows Operating System, adding the incident was "not a security incident or cyberattack."

"Earlier today, a CrowdStrike update was responsible for bringing down a number of IT systems globally," a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement on Friday afternoon. "We are actively supporting customers to assist in their recovery."

The company's CEO, George Kurtz, apologized for the disruptions in a post on X, noting the issue has been identified and isolated and a fix has been deployed. CrowdStrike is "working with all impacted customers to ensure that systems are back up and they can deliver the services their customers are counting on." Meanwhile, Microsoft said, "the underlying cause has been fixed" and impacted Microsoft 365 apps and services have been recovered, though the company continues to monitor the issue.

Kurtz went on to warn in his statement, "We know that adversaries and bad actors will try to exploit events like this. I encourage everyone to remain vigilant and ensure that you’re engaging with official CrowdStrike representatives."

In the U.S., thousands of flights were canceled Friday morning . American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines were among those who grounded flights less than an hour after Microsoft said it resolved a cloud-services-related outage that impacted several low-cost carriers.

“Every line is long,” said Chance Ortego, 31, whose flight to New York was canceled Friday morning.

Public transit systems in the U.S. also reported temporary impacts, but for the most part, trains and buses were running as scheduled. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority in Washington, D.C., said its "website and some of our internal systems are currently down," but trip-planning applications were later restored. In New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority also said some of its MTA customer information systems were temporarily offline until around 5:30 p.m.

Around the world, the outages disrupted London's Stock Exchange, caused major train delays in the U.K., sent British broadcaster Sky News off air, forced medical facilities in Europe and the U.S. to cancel some services and caused disruptions at airports in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong and India.

Widespread economic impact from the outage is expected to be small, even though many companies were still trying to resume full operations by the time the stock market closed.

Travel disruptions: Over 2,000 US flights canceled amid global IT outage

Developments:

◾ More than 5,000 flights were canceled globally as of 3:30 p.m. Eastern, about 4.6% of all scheduled commercial flights for the day, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.

◾ Some U.S. border crossings saw impacts amid the outage: Traffic stalled on the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Detroit with Windsor, Ontario, Canada, as well as at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, the Detroit Free Press reported . CBP One, the Customs and Border Patrol app, and the agency’s border wait times website, each appeared to experience outages.

◾ U.S. stocks closed lower on Friday, in the wake of the outage. CrowdStrike shares closed down 11.1% at $304.96, with analysts predicting the outage would cost the company money to fix and restore trust with its customers. It was the lowest close for the shares since May 2. Microsoft shares fared better, closing down only 0.74% at $437.11.

◾ Krispy Kreme gave away free doughnuts  Friday due to the global tech outage.

◾ Some Starbucks locations were reportedly taking only cash Friday, and customers reported being unable to use the coffee chain's mobile app.

◾ Some had a sense of humor through it , with workers who had to muddle through expressing their wishes for a digital snow day from the office − "Knock Teams out" − as the outage didn't equate to a work stoppage for all.

◾ Dubai International Airport said on X it was operating normally following "a global system outage that affected the check-in process for some airlines." It added the affected airlines "promptly switched to an alternate system, allowing normal check-in operations to resume swiftly."

CrowdStrike impact: How a global IT outage unraveled the world's tech

How the CrowdStrike outage played out throughout the day:

Portland issues emergency declaration

Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an emergency declaration Friday over the tech outage, with a statement noting the outages are affecting city servers, employee computers and emergency communications.

Meanwhile, the Maryland Department of Emergency Management increased its state activation level from "normal" to "partial," citing the tech outage. A post on X says a "partial" activation is for incidents that require "significant monitoring or resources," with additional emergency operations staffing from other agencies, functions and supporting organizations.

- Bailey Schulz

What is CrowdStrike?

CrowdStrike is a popular cybersecurity software company created in 2012 by CEO George Kurtz, along with Dmitri Alperovitch, and Gregg Marston.

According to its website, CrowdStrike has the "world's most advanced cloud-native platform that protects and enables the people, processes and technologies that drive modern enterprise."

Alperovitch, CrowdStrike's former Chief Technology Officer, is a member of the Biden administration's Homeland Security Advisory Council , which is meant to provide advice and expertise to support decision-making "across the spectrum of homeland security operations."

- Gabe Hauari , Bailey Schulz

What caused the CrowdStrike outage?

According to an alert sent by CrowdStrike to its clients and reviewed by Reuters, the company's "Falcon Sensor" software caused Microsoft Windows to crash and display a blue screen, known informally as the "Blue Screen of Death." 

Kurtz said "there was an issue with a Falcon content update for Windows Hosts" but customers “remain fully protected,” according to a post on X . He also reiterated that Friday's outage "was not a security or cyber incident."

Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said she spoke to Kurtz Friday and confirmed the incident did not appear to be related to a cyber attack.

“At this point, we believe that it is an IT-related patch, an issue with that patch,” she said while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. "I think they're determining what went wrong there."

‘I’m just hoping to make it onto a flight’

Chance Ortego had reached the finish line of a nearly two-week work trip when he saw the news all air travelers dread: his flight was delayed. 

Ortego was in the AirTrain en route to his flight from San Francisco International Airport when he heard other travelers discussing the outage. After checking the status of his 7:05 a.m. Delta Air Lines flight to New York – which was pushed back nearly three hours – he rebooked another flight at 9:15 a.m. 

He later learned his original flight had been canceled. Ortego was among the thousands of passengers around the world facing delays, cancellations and problems checking in as airports and airlines were caught up in a massive IT outage that grounded U.S. flights early Friday. 

“I was already planning to sleep,” said Ortego, who works in health care. “Now I'm just hoping to make it onto a flight.” 

Inside the airport, there was more chaos than a typical travel day as airlines recovered from the outage. Many screens were blank except for an error message and airport personnel made announcements directing questions about flights to airlines.

All U.S. airlines issued travel waivers for those affected to easily rebook their plans. Those who opted to cancel can rest easy knowing the Department of Transportation classified the cancellations and delays as controllable, thus airlines are responsible for upholding the commitments they've made to customers when it comes to policies like rebooking or hotel and meal vouchers as the mess gets sorted out. 

- Nathan Diller

Impact on the economy

The outage isn’t expected to have any effect on the broader economy unless it persists for days.

“At this point, the IT outage is more a nuisance than an economic event,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. “If it drags on into early next week, the economic damage will begin to mount.”

If the outage is limited to a day or two, canceled flights can be rebooked and banking transactions can be completed later.

“There is plenty of time for activity to be recovered over the remainder of the month,” says Jonathan Miller, senior U.S. economist at Barclays.

- Paul Davidson

Outage impacts US public transit websites, ticketing

Major cities were generally able to keep trains and busses running, but tech issues have been causing problems with ticketing and other tech systems, leading to delays in some cases.

The Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reported website and other tech issues, but said trains and buses were running as scheduled.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City reported problems with "customer information systems" but said it's buses and trains were unaffected. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said it was not affected but urged riders who might be using public transit to any area airports to check with their airlines before traveling for updates.

New Jersey Transit said some of its ticketing machines may have been impacted but its buses and trains were, for the most part, running on time. Some trains were out of operation Friday due to repairs that had to be made because of the intense heat that blanketed the region all week.

The Chicago Tribune reported Friday morning that commuter rail lines were affected, though it noted traffic is typically lighter on Fridays than other days. Delays on some lines were as long as 45 minutes, the Tribune reported. Chicago Transit bus and rail service was not affected but some CTA customers were unable to add value to their payment cards via the app or machines overnight, but the issue has been resolved.

Some transit systems, including Metro Transit in Minneapolis and Cincinnati Metro reported temporary disruptions to websites, trip planners, social media and other applications but no impact to its bus or trains.

- Phaedra Trethan

Despite summer break, schools disrupted by IT issues

The CrowdStrike outage crashed some computers at colleges Friday and hampered a popular software for enrolling students in K-12 schools for the fall.

The University of Rochester, a private school in New York, told students to keep rebooting their systems until the problem was fixed. The University of Alabama’s technology office said its campus computers using Microsoft Windows crashed. Rutgers University and the University of Kentucky also reported disruptions. 

Despite the summer break, K-12 schools in Maryland and Kansas said they were having problems with PowerSchool, a widely used software for grading and student enrollment. An update posted to the company’s webpage Friday morning said the outage was impacting all its major products, including its enrollment feature. 

- Zachary Schermele

911 call centers disrupted

State and local law enforcement agencies across the country reported disruptions to 911 services after the outage hit.

National reports of 911 outages peaked at more than 100 on Friday just before 3 a.m. according to Downdetector .

Agencies in at least seven states reported temporary outages, including the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and Faribault Police Department in Minnesota, 911 systems New Hampshire , Fulton County, Indiana , and Middletown, Ohio . 

Non-emergency and 911 calls to multiple dispatch centers in Alaska "were not able to be answered" for around seven hours overnight, Austin McDaniel, communications director for the Alaska Department of Public Safety, told USA TODAY in an email.

"Dispatch centers switched to analog phone systems or to partner dispatch centers that were not impacted to continue taking calls," he wrote. Systems in the state were back up as of 4:23 a.m. local time.

The Phoenix Police Department was also impacted ‒ 911 call centers could take calls, but had to dispatch officers manually, the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported .

The Federal Communications Commission said in an email to USA TODAY that it was aware of reports of disruptions to 911.

"We’re closely working with other federal agencies to provide assistance and determine the extent of these service disruptions.”

- Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Biden briefed on global outage as federal agencies assess impacts

President Joe Biden has been briefed on the CrowdStrike outage and his team is in touch with the cybersecurity firm, as well as with impacted companies and agencies, according to the White House. Biden will receive "sector-by-sector updates throughout the day and is standing by to provide assistance as needed," the White House added.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it is working to "fully assess and address system outages."

DHS added it's working alongside the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as well as CrowdStrike, Microsoft and federal, state, local and critical infrastructure partners to get a grasp on the incident and its impacts.

Over 2K US flights canceled amid outage

Several U.S. carriers, including American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, issued ground stops for all their flights early on Friday due to communication problems, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA said operations were no longer impacted as of 10:53 a.m. ET, but it continues to monitor the situation and warned the global IT issue could continue to affect flights this weekend.

There were more than 2,500 U.S. flights canceled and more than 7,900 delays as of 3:25 p.m. EDT, according to flight-tracking website  FlightAware .

Most airlines were able to resume operations as the morning progressed, but many said they expected disruptions to continue throughout the day.

Read more about the outage's travel impacts

Hospitals cancel nonemergency services

Hospitals across the U.S. and overseas were impacted by the outage, which forced some to cancel elective surgeries and halt visitations as well as outpatient services.

Mass General Brigham in Boston canceled previously scheduled nonurgent surgeries, procedures and medical visits, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY. In the same area, Tufts Medical Center told media outlet WHDH it’s still assessing the outage’s effect on clinical and surgical operations.

In Texas, Ben Taub Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital suspended "hospital visitation and patient information," citing a "Microsoft Windows failure," according to a statement from Harris Health System . Cincinnati Children's Hospital said many of its Microsoft-based computer systems are down because of the outage, which forced the hospital to cancel early morning appointments.

"We are in touch with the hospital field and the federal government and monitoring the situation closely to better understand its scope and impact," said John Riggi, the American Hospital Association's national adviser for cybersecurity and risk. 

Two hospitals in northern German cities canceled elective operations scheduled for Friday but continued to provide patient care and emergency services.

Outages exposes fragility of internet infrastructure

While there were reports of companies gradually restoring their services, analysts weighed the potential of what one called the biggest-ever outage in the industry and the broader economy.

"This is a very, very uncomfortable illustration of the fragility of the world’s core Internet infrastructure," Ciaran Martin, Professor at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government and former head of the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre, told Reuters.

"IT security tools are all designed to ensure that companies can continue to operate in the worst-case scenario of a data breach, so to be the root cause of a global IT outage is an unmitigated disaster," said Ajay Unni, CEO of StickmanCyber, one of Australia's largest cybersecurity services companies.

Outages ripple far and wide

From the United Kingdom to Singapore, the effects of tech outages were far-reaching on Friday.

British broadcaster Sky News went off-air and train companies in the U.K. reported long delays. Departure boards at several U.K. airports appeared to freeze, according to passengers who posted reports on social media.

London's Stock Exchange reported experiencing disruptions. Some hospitals also reported difficulties processing appointments and several chain retail stores said they couldn't take payments. The soccer club Manchester United said on X that it had to postpone a scheduled release of tickets.

In Australia, media, banks and telecoms companies suffered outages.

There was no information to suggest the outage was a cybersecurity incident, the office of Australia's National Cyber Security Coordinator Michelle McGuinness said in a post on X.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said some of its systems were offline due to a worldwide technical outage, but have since been restored. It said MTA train and bus services were unaffected.

Spanish authorities reported a "computer incident" at all its airports.

Berlin's main airport said check-ins were delayed because of a "technical fault."

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, warned passengers of potential disruptions which it said would affect "all airlines operating across the Network." It did not specify the nature of the disruptions.

There were reports a shipping terminal in Gdansk on Poland's Baltic coast was not operating normally.

NetBlocks, a digital-connectivity watchdog, said that the outage reported by global airlines, corporates and infrastructure services firms and others was having "minimal" impact on global Internet connectivity.

Contributing: Reuters

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Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal holds meetings with counterparts at G7 Trade Ministers’ meet in Italy Shri Goyal discusses deeper economic ties and FTAs with EU and UK on sidelines of G7 meeting Shri Goyal calls for collaboration to reinforce global supply chains in critical minerals, semiconductors, pharma and green energy Shri Goyal highlights need for robust partnerships in the face of 3 Cs – Covid, Conflicts and Climate Change

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, attended the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting held at Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Italy. The meeting served as a pivotal platform for discussions on enhancing global trade relations and economic cooperation. On the sidelines of the meeting, Shri Goyal engaged in several high-level bilateral meetings with his international counterparts, reflecting India's commitment to fostering stronger economic partnerships globally.

During discussions with Antonio Tajani, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, both the Ministers agreed to enhance bilateral trade and investments, industrial co-production, and cooperation in clean technologies. Minister Goyal congratulated Mr. Tajani for hosting a productive G7 Trade Ministers' meeting.

Discussions with Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission focused on promoting India-EU trade and economic collaborations, including ongoing FTA negotiations. Both sides explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.

Shri Goyal in talks with New Zealand's Trade Minister, Mr. Todd McClay explored opportunities to enhance bilateral trade and investment ties for mutual growth. The discussions aimed at giving further impetus to the existing strong trade relationship between India and New Zealand.

Shri Goyal congratulated Mr. Jonathan Reynolds, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade on his appointment and discussed deepening bilateral economic relations. The conversation included plans to take forward the discussions on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK.

Shri Goyal in conversation with Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs & Climate Action, Germany discussed opportunities to elevate the growing Indo-German trade and economic partnership. The discussions focused on the upcoming Inter-Governmental Consultations and the Asia-Pacific Conference of German Businesses in Delhi.

These bilateral engagements are expected to pave the way for significant advancements in India's trade relations with key international partners.

Shri Goyal's participation in the G7 Trade Ministers' meeting underscores India's proactive approach in engaging with global economies to foster trade and economic cooperation.

During this session, Shri Goyal thanked Mr. Antonio Tajani for the invitation and highlighted the importance of analyzing global supply chains' robustness in times of crisis, referencing the Covid-19 pandemic, Ukraine-Russia conflict, and Red Sea crisis.

He emphasized the efforts of various countries to build resilient supply chains under platforms like the G20 Generic Framework for Mapping GVCs, the 14 Member IPEF association, Trilateral Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and India-EU TTC.

He discussed India’s initiatives with strategic partners such as the US, GCC countries, and the EU, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) to strengthen supply chains, and highlighted India's domestic measures to enhance multimodal connectivity for a seamless supply chain integrated with markets, distribution systems, and logistics.

The minister proposed collaboration among trusted partners to reinforce global supply chains in critical areas such as critical minerals, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and green energy; and advocated public-private partnerships, investments in critical infrastructure, innovation, and consistent regulatory frameworks across G7 countries and partner nations.

He addressed the impact of the 3 Cs - Covid, Conflicts, and Climate change - on global value chains, emphasizing the necessity for robust partnerships and cooperation. He also introduced the concept of the 3 Fs - fragmented, fragile, and fraught with uncertainties - characterizing the current global context and urged for greater alignment of investment, trade, environment, and energy policies to fortify global supply chains.

He emphasized the need for resilient supply chains that endure beyond the current generation.

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