Pandemic travel news: Australia, Thailand and Madagascar are all opening up

(CNN) — The people of Melbourne have spent 260 days under lockdown, but that ended this week. Locals celebrated the lifting of restrictions on October 21 by going to bars, hugging their friends and dancing in the streets.

Let that be the same energy you take into this weekend, whether your plans involve taking in fall weather, scrambling to figure out a Halloween costume that doesn’t involve “Squid Game,” or just enjoying doing absolutely nothing.

Here’s all the pandemic-related travel news that you may have missed this week.

1. Madagascar is the latest destination to reopen to tourism

The African island nation has announced that it will slowly begin welcoming back flights from nearby Mauritius and Réunion beginning October 23 and then from Europe November 6. Cruise ships can also return.

Travelers must show proof of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding their flight…