Australia to Reduce Incoming Int. Passenger Capacity from July 2021

[Pushka]

I wonder if they'll put that up on YouTube. I'd be interested to hear what his reply was.

Now you mention it, they stream to YouTube. The usual response of course but it's a start. I've been emailing him every couple of weeks. They can hide those but this one was rather public and removes the myth that it's PR's and dual citizens only who are impacted. The radio announcer followed it up with a story about his friend last year.

 

[Batterytraveller]

Karen Andrews, on RN breakfast, mentioned that her visa was at the request of a state. So I guess it was NSW, because she didn’t hesitate to paste Palaszczuk for going to Tokyo. (Funnily enough no problems with Richard Colbeck going to Tokyo)

 

[Pushka]

Karen Andrews, on RN breakfast, mentioned that her visa was at the request of a state. So I guess it was NSW, because she didn’t hesitate to paste Palaszczuk for going to Tokyo. (Funnily enough no problems with Richard Colbeck going to Tokyo)

I'm totally over the politics of all this. I just want a consistent approach from all politicians to have a common goal of getting Australia back to being Australia. Too much to ask?

 

[Batterytraveller]

I'm totally over the politics of all this. I just want a consistent approach from all politicians to have a common goal of getting Australia back to being Australia. Too much to ask?

Unfortunately way too much to ask and only going to get worse as the election approaches.

 

[mviy]

1 case in the community may be enough for a lockdown in a Labor state during the election campaign if they think the people will blame the Federal government.

Hard to see the government wanting to risk increased community transmission if that may happen.

 

[bcworld]

1 case in the community may be enough for a lockdown in a Labor state during the election campaign.

Assuming it can be suppressed this time around, it would be interesting to see how NSW would react if there was another delta breach in the near future.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I'm totally over the politics of all this. I just want a consistent approach from all politicians to have a common goal of getting Australia back to being Australia. Too much to ask?

Unfortunately, if anything, the pandemic has highlighted the fragile framework of the way the country works, both operationally and politically. The 'normal' we thought we had is actually something quite different to reality, for example the pandemic has shown we don't have fundamental rights such as the ability to leave the country, or come home. Or even move freely within our own country. We know governments have the ability to invoke seemingly open-ended 'emergency' powers. We know everyone doesn't have an equal and 'fair' go... the pandemic has entrenched that 'money talks' and if you are in business, a politician, or other high-profile individual you can operate outside the rules that apply to the rest of us

 

[Lat34]

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

Signed

 

[roogirl]

He's in the UK now and not sure when he's going to get home - zero sympathy here

I don’t know - being charitable, he’s on one side of the world with his kids on the other and tied by work to one location. Sure, he could pack up his life and move to fortress australi to ride this out, but isn’t that a version of the same thing we are all telling aussies not to demonise foreign resident aussies for? (“You should have come home by now.”) And yes it’s annoying he has the means to come and go but he didn’t create this stupid system. I’m actually glad he’s moaning publicly about it.

(caveat: I didn’t see what he actually said and can well imagine it was super annoying)

 

[RAM]

Unfortunately way too much to ask and only going to get worse as the election approaches.

Might not have too long to wait. Nine/Fairfax fired number 1 Morrison critic, John Hewson. over the weekend - reason improving gender balance.

So perhaps the long scheduled (back in February) Pfizer delivery ramp-up will be the trigger. NSW supposed to be having Council Elections Sept 4th. Otherwise the calendar is clear.

Perhaps not wanting the albatross of missing another Xmas going by without bringing all 'stranded Australians' home?

Something is not right currently with the international arrivals coming into NSW & what is going on behind the scenes.

Reported over the weekend, a major new additional capacity is about to be commissioned at Meriton Apartments North Ryde as a brand new medi-hotel due to 'reaching capacity' in existing medi-hotels.

Now 1 + 1 should = 2, so my figuring must be missing something. If you halve numbers allowed to arrive from July 14th & medi hotels still had 30% capacity as of June 25th, and recent daily '+ve' arrivals figures have not jumped - shouldn't that mean they're rolling in capacity for the next 4 months?

Given this Meriton North Ryde is between 28 & 30 km from Sydney Airport - does not seem to meet any of the Federal Govt's suggested considerations for use. Remember several proposed quarantine sites in Qld were rejected as being nearly 30km from airport.

Yes, this is a NSW Govt run venture but still inconsistent, especially given it is located within a 4 tower development. Two towers are for Meriton suites & two are rented out/sold as residential apartments - all located just along & over the road from Macquarie Centre & just a little longer walk to Macquarie University. Owners & renters reportedly just found out by social media, wondered why new gyprock walls were being built.

Sounds perfect.

 

[dajop]

Reported over the weekend, a major new additional capacity is about to be commissioned at Meriton Apartments North Ryde as a brand new medi-hotel due to 'reaching capacity' in existing medi-hotels.

Now 1 + 1 should = 2, so my figuring must be missing something. If you halve numbers allowed to arrive from July 14th & medi hotels still had 30% capacity as of June 25th, and recent daily '+ve' arrivals figures have not jumped - shouldn't that mean they're rolling in capacity for the next 4 months?

To be fair to the government, I think you are missing something. I had read (or maybe assumed) this wasn't about foreign arrivals, but rather about a place to secure those who had acquired the virus domestically. Foreign arrivals have been seeing 1-6 people test positive a day, which are moved to medi-hotels. Yet with 100+ new domestically acquired cases a day, the math must be changing.

 

[VPS]

I don’t know - being charitable, he’s on one side of the world with his kids on the other and tied by work to one location. Sure, he could pack up his life and move to fortress australi to ride this out, but isn’t that a version of the same thing we are all telling aussies not to demonise foreign resident aussies for? (“You should have come home by now.”) And yes it’s annoying he has the means to come and go but he didn’t create this stupid system. I’m actually glad he’s moaning publicly about it.

(caveat: I didn’t see what he actually said and can well imagine it was super annoying)

He moved back to Australia to live a couple of years ago. He has been back to the UK at least three times in the last 18 months and each time he comes back he takes away a seat and a hotel quarantine room that someone who wants to come back to live. He made the choice to go back again about 8 weeks ago so that's why him saying he won't see his kids until nearly Christmas elicits not a lot of sympathy from me

 

[RAM]

To be fair to the government, I think you are missing something. I had read (or maybe assumed) this wasn't about foreign arrivals, but rather about a place to secure those who had acquired the virus domestically. Foreign arrivals have been seeing 1-6 people test positive a day, which are moved to medi-hotels. Yet with 100+ new domestically acquired cases a day, the math must be changing.

I know SA offer (suggest) people in the community who test +ve the opportunity to go into hotel quarantine (which I think is a brilliant initiative & at no cost I think). Wish all States did that.

I did not know that NSW has the same offer.

This additional location is to be used as a 'Medi-hotel' - so only confirmed CV +ve cases & their travelling companion(s) if any. So far that number for domestic travellers is close to zero on a 7 day rolling average.

In the last fortnight there have been just 38 international travellers test positive in total (including travel companions), 3,517 - 3,479. That should see hundreds of existing rooms empty in the current medi-hotels without adding a couple of hundred more at North Ryde.

Unless something was found to be massively lacking around 5 weeks ago (when the Meriton North Ryde started preparations) at one of the existing locations and it is about to be dropped as a medi-hotel. Did I miss something? Coincided with the Bondi outbreak coincidentally but given the reticence to shut Sydney down - I would not think it is related.

At that time there were no multi-state outbreaks that would suggest the need for HQ expansion for domestic arrivals. It is possible that a decision was made to house domestic +ve cases in a separate location as international arrivals - but again there are enough existing medi-hotels for that to be accomplished.

The lack of forward planning by NSW for all other aspects would make this 'forward looking' move for that requirement, quite doubtful.

 

[RAM]

Well another one bites the dust - American Airlines to cease flying to/from Australia completely - cargo included, for at least two months. There goes US/Australia mail times again, last year took 17 weeks for Australia Post International Registered Mail to US.

American Airlines has announced it will suspend all of its passenger and cargo services from LA into Sydney, its only route into the country, from September 1.

The airline said flights would not resume until at least late October, according to Nine News.

 

[aggie57]

Well another one bites the dust - American Airlines to cease flying to/from Australia completely - cargo included, for at least two months. There goes US/Australia mail times again, last year took 17 weeks for Australia Post International Registered Mail to US.

American Airlines has announced it will suspend all of its passenger and cargo services from LA into Sydney, its only route into the country, from September 1.

The airline said flights would not resume until at least late October, according to Nine News.

No way American will start again in October. More like 2022, they’ve got real staffing issues across the US as travel gets back to normal plus Europe and Canada aren’t far away.

 

[Flashback]

No way American will start again in October. More like 2022, they’ve got real staffing issues across the US as travel gets back to normal plus Europe and Canada aren’t far away.

While Europe may not be far away, their much bigger market of the UK seems further away, given the recent revision of category of the UK by the CDC. That's where a good chunk of their planes end up globally.

 

[aggie57]

While Europe may not be far away, their much bigger market of the UK seems further away, given the recent revision of category of the UK by the CDC. That's where a good chunk of their planes end up globally.

Either way, Australia will not be on their priority list of destinations for some time now.

 

[Flashback]

Either way, Australia will not be on their priority list of destinations for some time now.

From a commercial perspective could you blame them?

 

[aggie57]

From a commercial perspective could you blame them?

Not at all, that's my point.

 

[RAM]

Why is it that Q gets guaranteed all their costs (& overheads) will be covered by the Federal Govt for the repatriation flights yet the overseas airlines that are keeping Australia supplied & bringing some (very small proportion though) standed Australians home - get nothing?

Several airlines, early on, said they'd be happy to fly into Darwin before continuing on to elsewhere within Australia with their cargo load.

Yet they are left to wither on the vine whilst Q creams off taxpayers' funds. All the more galling with this morning's announcement that Q is standing down thousands of staff again without pay.

So much pull in Canberra for Q obviously to the detriment of Australia.