Australia to Reduce Incoming Int. Passenger Capacity from July 2021

[mviy]

Real risk now that all international arrivals canned until purpose built quarantine facilities are up & running.

If that happens surely it must force another legal challenge. It’d also send freight prices much higher which would be a disaster for many businesses.

 

[Lynda2475]

Surely we are better than this?

Gladys is better than that. She has consistently shown compassion for Australians wanting to get home and did not support the recent 50% arrival reductions, so would not be calling for further reductions now.

We now have hundreds of extra empty hotel rooms every week, a large contingent of HQ staff with no work to do, and too many Aussies still unable to get home.

Any call to cut arrivals even further is disgusting.

 

[RAM]

During the NSW Press Conference today, one of the reporters (didn't catch his name) asked Gladys if, as a result of the latest leak in HQ, all international arrivals should be suspended. It was pretty obvious that the reporter was in favour of no arrivals.

Surely we are better than this?

When NSW was not being locked down - hell yeah!

Now that we are, well, what can you say, NIMBYism is alive and well.

All the intra-state finger pointing really seems to have created an upsurge in tribalism coupled with the existing self-absorbed, self-centered & selfish trends seen so often with social media (AFF excepted).

 

[RAM]

Gladys is better than that. She has consistently shown compassion for Australians wanting to get home and did not support the recent 50% arrival reductions, so would not be calling for further reductions now.

We now have hundreds of extra empty hotel rooms every week, a large contingent of HQ staff with no work to do, and too many Aussies still unable to get home.

Any call to cut arrivals even further is disgusting.

Well, she didn't have to cut the numbers by 50%. Previously she didn't when other states did - as with any politician do not listen to what they say but watch what they do.

 

[mviy]

There is a petition calling on the government to reverse the caps: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia

 

[Pushka]

Well, she didn't have to cut the numbers by 50%. Previously she didn't when other states did - as with any politician do not listen to what they say but watch what they do.

This time it had to be agreed to by all states and I understand NSW was the only state holding out.

 

[Flying mermaid]

There is a petition calling on the government to reverse the caps: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia

Signed

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This time it had to be agreed to by all states and I understand NSW was the only state holding out.

National Cabinet has no legal status. The decisions of the 'cabinet' are not binding in and of themselves: they have to be enacted by each state individually and the Cth. I can't see why the decision to cut caps had to be unanimous, unless the Cth was pushing for it? Another option would have been for NSW to maintain its caps but fill the spare half with NSW residents only, lowering the chance of an infected person travelling to another state.

 

[Pushka]

National Cabinet has no legal status. The decisions of the 'cabinet' are not binding in and of themselves: they have to be enacted by each state individually and the Cth. I can't see why the decision to cut caps had to be unanimous, unless the Cth was pushing for it? Another option would have been for NSW to maintain its caps but fill the spare half with NSW residents only, lowering the chance of an infected person travelling to another state.

Just telling it like it was reported. Supposed to be the first step towards a national plan.

 

[drron]

There is a petition calling on the government to reverse the caps: e-petitions – Parliament of Australia

signed.

 

[louie-m]

I haven't and won't be signing the petition. Most of it I agree with. But there are plenty of people on temporary visas who have made a life here who may need to travel abroad for compassionate reasons. Should they be denied the opportunity to return to their home and their job to benefit an Aussie resident abroad who chooses to come back for a holiday or even multiple holidays? Reminds me of the early days of the pandemic when McGowan was pushing away the stranded cruise ships; basically saying eff off and die, we don't care because you are not Aussies.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I haven't and won't be signing the petition. Most of it I agree with. But there are plenty of people on temporary visas who have made a life here who may need to travel abroad for compassionate reasons. Should they be denied the opportunity to return to their home and their job to benefit an Aussie resident abroad who chooses to come back for a holiday or even multiple holidays? Reminds me of the early days of the pandemic when McGowan was pushing away the stranded cruise ships; basically saying eff off and die, we don't care because you are not Aussies.

Yes I saw that bit, but there is no way all the bits of the petition are going to be acted on. The main thrust - which is reinstating the caps and maybe home quarantine are the realistic outcome.

 

[mviy]

If one wants a petition that one 100% agrees with one would probably have to write the petition oneself. Several petitions aren't going to be as effective as 1 or 2 petitions.

 

[dajop]

But there are plenty of people on temporary visas who have made a life here who may need to travel abroad for compassionate reasons. Should they be denied the opportunity to return to their home and their job to benefit an Aussie resident abroad who chooses to come back for a holiday or even multiple holidays?

I agree with that, whether an Australian citizen or PR who is not currently residing in Australia, or any one who is non-citizen/non-PR but has a home and the right to live in Australia should have the right to return. Returning the caps to the previous levels would go a long way towards that.

But I've read these comments about overseas Aussies returning for "holidays" or multiple holidays a number of times on AFF. I suspect very few are returning just for holidays, so difficult getting flights, so expensive getting flights, and then there's the border closures and lockdown threat within Australia. There's a lot of bother for holidays. Most to come back for family reasons. I am (hopefully) travelling to Australia next month (got bumped off flights this month), but if I wanted to go for a holiday, I'd go to Greece in September instead - much cheaper and easier. It's actually disappointing, even cruel, that those in Australia with close families abroad (not just second or third cousins, they've only seen once in their life) don't have the opportunity to have similar family visits.

Heck, right now I a proper business class return from Singapore to New York right now is $400 cheaper than a one way LCC flight to Perth.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Yep - it’s costing Master FM in the order of $18k for a return business with Delta - he is not doing that for a holiday, but because he has to renew his visa and he hasn’t seen his ageing parents in nearly 2 years. The rate things are going we could be dead before he can freely travel to Australia.

 

[Pushka]

My son is being married in the UK tomorrow and I will be missing it. I'm one of those people who cry at weddings. The tears will be different this time. A mix of happiness and sadness. Never thought I'd miss a wedding of one of my kids other than from extreme illness on my part. Of course we are watching it being streamed but we can't be there to give him support prior and nor a hug after.

 

[RAM]

Yes I saw that bit, but there is no way all the bits of the petition are going to be acted on. The main thrust - which is reinstating the caps and maybe home quarantine are the realistic outcome.

Given the roughly 1% breach rate PER DAY of people who are supposed to be in home quarantine - it makes arguing for home quarantine, unless with ankle bracelets & daily random checks, hard to support. Even then there would be those who either 'knew better' or 'didn't think I was infected'.

The one major hole/fault/issue with home quarantine per se is that it cannot be used in any multi-unit dwellings - so not unit blocks etc. Equally in shared accomodation with aging parents or disability impacted people - would you want to risk infecting them?

The cost to-date of just this Sydney lockdown would have been sufficient to fully fund building more than 6,000 bed dedicated quarantine facilities & their running costs for 3 years. This gem came from UNSW - who knew there are so many online free-to-use quantity surveyor type cost calculators?

 

[mviy]

Passenger Arrivals are on the National Cabinet agenda for today apparently, so it will be interesting to see if any changes are announced.

My son is being married in the UK tomorrow and I will be missing it.

I am still feeling missing a wedding of an immediate family member last year. I was prepared to ignore a do not travel warning to be there unvaccinated (we didn't have vaccines 12 months ago), but with the travel ban I wasn't given that choice.

Have dinner with some friends beforehand (if not in lockdown) and try to enjoy the day.

 

[Pushka]

Passenger Arrivals are on the National Cabinet agenda for today apparently, so it will be interesting to see if any changes are announced.


I am still feeling missing a wedding of an immediate family member last year. I was prepared to ignore a do not travel warning to be there unvaccinated (we didn't have vaccines 12 months ago), but with the travel ban I wasn't given that choice.

Have dinner with some friends beforehand (if not in lockdown) and try to enjoy the day.

Thankyou for the idea but I’m the type who bunkers down when upset and while we will have champagne (7.30 pm our time) I’m not really feeling sociable right now.

 

[Lynda2475]

Passenger Arrivals are on the National Cabinet agenda for today apparently, so it will be interesting to see if any changes are announced.

Here's how declaring your COVID-19 vaccination will look next time you travel overseas

Have you ever had COVID-19? Where, when and what brand was your vaccination? And have you had a third dose? These are some of the questions you will have to answer when overseas travel resumes.

www.abc.net.au