Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[MEL_Traveller]

He has the example of Queensland where that Premier found keeping borders closed was a great way to cement a win in the recent election.

Surprise, McGowan in WA has an election in March 2021 so he's repeating the recipe.

Shame about how Christmas will be wrecked for thousands for no good reason! Mr McGowan is a grinch.

And what about QFd, JQd, VAd and other transport operators whose staff will either have fewer hours or in some cases perhaps no work? Same applies to hospitality industry staff as intrastate tourism in WA cannot replace the lost $ from interstate tourists such as New South Welshmen.

This decision must cost each airline (QF group especially, since it's the largest) a few lazy million dollars when all the costs are taken into account: more idle aircraft, less revenue, more refunds...

The flipside is that a few thousand have to be weighed against the holiday plans of millions. Economics can't come into that equation. Victorians are looking forward to the next couple of weeks with their families, heading to the beaches, cricket. The alternative is to allow open borders and we go into another 6-week lockdown?

 

[NSun]

Yup as soon as they whack 14 days quarantine on its essentially as good as closing the border, they will be lucky if NSW is reopened for Australia day long weekend as well now...

Look at South Australia, which quickly got on top of their outbreak and has gone 20 days without cases now. WA still is refusing to open to them.

 

[tgh]

Cancelled for the first time in it's 75 year history..we are indeed living in interesting times…..

 

[jakeseven7]

Sydney to Hobart cancelled for first time in 76 years​

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, organisers have confirmed.The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia confirmed the news tonight.“We are bitterly disappointed to cancel the Race this year”.

States respond to Sydney outbreak

Sydney Airport was packed with travellers on Sunday as people rushed to flee the city.

www.news.com.au

 

[antycbr]

Sydney to Hobart cancelled for first time in 76 years​

The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney, organisers have confirmed.The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia confirmed the news tonight.“We are bitterly disappointed to cancel the Race this year”.

States respond to Sydney outbreak

Sydney Airport was packed with travellers on Sunday as people rushed to flee the city.

www.news.com.au

Given the large number of Northern Beaches residents involved it was inevitable. Make it a Sydney to Sydney race with a buoy anchored off Eden...

 

[antycbr]

Can't they still leave? But I guess your point is that some flights will be cancelled, so lower seating capacity, and some who've booked won't be able to be easily reaccommodated?

They can leave but if they spend any time in NSW they need to apply to return home. No one is going to take that risk, meaning that PER-SYD will soon be back to a single 737 a day most likely

 

[nutwood]

Considering the usual sporting events, I would have to say that a yacht race seems well down on the list on the situations that could transfer COVID. Definitely possible within the crew on the yacht but the nature of the event limits it to that vessel. Surely traditional ship quarantine procedures would suffice? Tried and tested since shipping began.

 

[jakeseven7]

Considering the usual sporting events, I would have to say that a yacht race seems well down on the list on the situations that could transfer COVID. Definitely possible within the crew on the yacht but the nature of the event limits it to that vessel. Surely traditional ship quarantine procedures would suffice? Tried and tested since shipping began.

It’s too late to put the crews into a pre-bubble though and they can’t socially distance on a yacht so if one person from Sydney had it they would all get it by the time the race was over...

 

[Must...Fly!]

NSW has proven time and time again that they have world leading tracing systems in place which are currently doing their job. Haven’t seen the slightest bit of incompetence here, simply a state that has remained open all year doing what we need them to do.

Closing borders and hiding under a blanket is not doing a good job

100%

NSW has provided for thousands of Australians returning home and kept their economy open and trading, while dealing with small outbreaks quickly and efficiently.

No other state can say that. I'd venture to say very very few places in the world could say it in fact

 

[RooFlyer]

No, it’s time there was a federal national standard for incoming pxs policed by the federal immigration authority, whatever that’s called these days. 250 million to buy Border Force new guns to ”protect” against terrorism at airports. The CV is much more a issue for us.

And when the WA, QLD and Tas Premiers give the new National Standard upraised middle fingers, then what? (Seriously ... under your suggestion, if the states don't co-operate with the National Standard ... then what's the plan?)

 

[SydneySwan]

It’s too late to put the crews into a pre-bubble though and they can’t socially distance on a yacht so if one person from Sydney had it they would all get it by the time the race was over...

What about if the boats took 14 days to get to Hobart? Oh wait .... it’s a race.

 

[RooFlyer]

What about if the boats took 14 days to get to Hobart? Oh wait .... it’s a race.

Maybe they could do a few circumnavigations of the island before they arrive

 

[antycbr]

Maybe they could do a few circumnavigations of the island before they arrive

Or around Macquarie Island, for something more challenging

 

[jakeseven7]

Nine is reporting VIC are in an emergency meeting post the national medical meeting discussing the NSW outbreak...

 

[Princess Fiona]

I wonder if there have been any overseas travelers given an exemption from Hotel quarantine who are/were undertaking quarantine at a residential address in the Northern Beaches in the last couple of weeks?
There’s a lot of high end short term rentals there.

 

[antycbr]

And when the WA, QLD and Tas Premiers give the new National Standard upraised middle fingers, then what? (Seriously ... under your suggestion, if the states don't co-operate with the National Standard ... then what's the plan?)

The operation of the hotel quarantine system could easily be accommodated under sec 51 of the constitution.

The commonwealth then can take control of any facilities and services required to perform quarantine including compulsory acquisition (on just terms) and federalising lands as needed (see defence bases and airports for examples).

As a result the commonwealth would then also be *accountable* for that system.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Victorian Health Minister (Labor) has said 'there'll be an announcement in the morning' (i.e. Sunday 20).

This can only mean tougher restrictions on Sydneysiders, or NSW residents. Complete ban?

More small mindedness that wrecks lives and costs so many so much, not just in $.

This Martin Foley character ought read Adam Creighton in 'The Weekend Oz' today. Mr Creighton is a voice of reason.

 

[SydneySwan]

I wonder if there have been any overseas travelers given an exemption from Hotel quarantine who are/were undertaking quarantine at a residential address in the Northern Beaches in the last couple of weeks?
There’s a lot of high end short term rentals there.

I would love to know this too.

 

[TheRealTMA]

And when the WA, QLD and Tas Premiers give the new National Standard upraised middle fingers, then what? (Seriously ... under your suggestion, if the states don't co-operate with the National Standard ... then what's the plan?)

That’s the problem. There is no national standard BF or whoever should be in charge on incoming on a national level, but they won’t take responsibility.

 

[RooFlyer]

That’s the problem. constitution.

Fixed that for you . The Feds look after the immigration bit (if you are Australian, you cant be stopped coming in by BF once you get here; if you are not but have an 'exemption' or whatever, you get in too). A centimetre outside the immigration area its up to each individual states to do with the arriving corpus what they want.