Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[antycbr]

So who is flying these aircraft? And is there even a legal mechanism for doing this, outside of declared war?

Last time I checked the RAAF have a significant number of A330s as MRTTs therefore there is a pool of pilots (not enough, but I’m talking essential freight not Christmas shopping.)

I’m sure if the Government needed A330s QF would lease them.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I am struggling to understand why it is such an impost unless you are breaking the rules. Surely if you are isolating in your room and not going out one hotel is much like another.

anyway given the catastrophic effect on people and the economy it would probably be cheaper to get Qantas to do repatriation flights to replace any airline that cancels because of this.

Oh I completely agree, but I'm thinking more from the perspective of the airline being told what to do.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Especially if this breach has come about due to international airline crew. If they want to fly here they must follow our conditions. If it means the Commonwealth needs to take QF aircraft into RAAF service to operate essential flights so be it.

Or the simpler and cheaper option would likely be to charter or wet-lease flights. HiFly, Wamos for example. Or even someone like TG.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Well as we await the 11AM announcement of numbers today, they should reveal whether things are being contained or if it has gotten more out and about.

The number of those testing number we presume, or perhaps I should say hope, should be large. This should have allowed the bulk of any remaining close contacts to have been tested, as well as second ring contacts as well as most of the casual contacts that have attended of the listed venues. So assuming that people who need to present to testing have, then today should give us a good feel for whether this outbreal is under control, or whether it has become a bigger problem. I think the signs are good for the former, but numbers will show if it may be the latter or not.

Some new cases are inevitable as some of those already infected will live with other people, or have had closer contact in other ways.




However I did cringe though at one gentleman interviewed in a testing queue yesterday who stated that he had had the flu for a couple of days and so thought he better get tested! A couple of days can be critical as the virus is at its most transmissible early on, and so we need Mr Flu Man to be an outlier and not representative.

 

[Melburnian1]

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.

Our hardworking Prime Minister has the same problem that the United States President has: State Premiers (or in the USA, Democratic Governors) who go for populist measures that are a failure on so many levels.

The only difference here is that a Liberal Premier in Tassie (and to a slightly lesser extent in SA) have joined with Labor Premiers in Victoria, Qld and WA in suppressing basic freedoms historically taken for granted, as well as causing massive job and business losses plus (in time) rising suicides, all for no good reason.

It is these Oz states who've been irresponsible, not our Federal Govt or the NSW Liberal Govt.

 

[Must...Fly!]

However I did cringe though at one gentleman interviewed in a testing queue yesterday who stated that he had had the flu for a couple of days and so thought he better get tested! A couple of days can be critical as the virus is at its most transmissible early on, and so we need Mr Flu Man to be an outlier and not representative.

If we saw that same individual being interviewed, he was also not wearing a mask during said interview. It was quite something.

Along with the people complaining that they had no food, water or toilet for 4 hours while waiting in line. We really have turned in to a society that is expected to be given everything.

 

[jb747]

Last time I checked the RAAF have a significant number of A330s as MRTTs therefore there is a pool of pilots (not enough, but I’m talking essential freight not Christmas shopping.)

I’m sure if the Government needed A330s QF would lease them.

As the aircraft are almost certainly already leased, there would be issues of insurance and more importantly licencing. The RAAF pilots would all need to be given civil licences and ratings on the aircraft. Some may already have them, but historically, RAAF pilots did not. As they would then be operating as military aircraft, all sorts of issues with regard to overflight clearances now appear as well.

You are also making the assumption that the RAAF pilots and aircraft are not gainfully employed already.

QF could potentially wet lease the aircraft, which means they come crewed. Much easier. But overflight issues remain.

Easiest of all though, the government simply contract QF to fly whatever operation is wanted. Then it's a QF commercial operation.

 

[trevella]

Our hardworking Prime Minister has the same problem that the United States President has: State Premiers (or in the USA, Democratic Governors) who go for populist measures that are a failure on so many levels.

The only difference here is that a Liberal Premier in Tassie (and to a slightly lesser extent in SA) have joined with Labor Premiers in Victoria, Qld and WA in suppressing basic freedoms historically taken for granted, as well as causing massive job and business losses plus (in time) rising suicides, all for no good reason.

It is these Oz states who've been irresponsible, not our Federal Govt or the NSW Liberal Govt.

Australia has required an expert in herding cats.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Quite right. There is plenty of commercial capacity out there to be used at a competitive price. Leave the RAAF to do what they do best, and let the commercial airlines be paid to do what they do best.

If we think that the government paying or arranging for people to return is what should be done, of course. That is somewhat of a different matter.

 

[antycbr]

As the aircraft are almost certainly already leased, there would be issues of insurance and more importantly licencing. The RAAF pilots would all need to be given civil licences and ratings on the aircraft. Some may already have them, but historically, RAAF pilots did not. As they would then be operating as military aircraft, all sorts of issues with regard to overflight clearances now appear as well.

You are also making the assumption that the RAAF pilots are not gainfully employed already.

QF could potentially wet lease the aircraft, which means they come crewed. Much easier. But overflight issues remain.

Easiest of all though, the government simply contract QF to fly whatever operation is wanted. Then it's a QF commercial operation.

Provided the QF crews agree to follow hotel quarantine. That’s the problem we are trying to fix here. I suspect RAAF compliance can be enforced.

 

[jakeseven7]

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.

There are national standards it’s just that not every state agrees / is following them. And we’ve even seen states agree to them and then not follow them... so having the standards is just useless, in fact worse than useless because people looking for a degree of certainty are misled...

PS anyone have a really hard time understanding Mark McGowan at all?

 

[jakeseven7]

NSW 30 new cases

28k tests so that’s a positive.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

NSW 30 new cases

To me this is not a bad number and especially if they say are mainly in existing infected households, or are close contacts of the already infected (as people already infected may take a little while to test positive, or get tested).

28 Cases linked to cluster.



And yes 28,000 tests is exactly what I hoped for. Good test numbers.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The 2 unknown cases live in the Northern Beaches. So it is good that they live in the hotspot and not outside of it.

 

[moa999]

And more importantly 28 already linked to the Avalon cluster, and the other 2 in the area.

It's certainly better numbers than I'd expected.

The bigger risk of flare-ups now is for those who escaped. Think I read already 11 people in Qld under quarantine from the Northern Beaches.

 

[pauly7]

Well as we await the 11AM announcement of numbers today, they should reveal whether things are being contained or if it has gotten more out and about.

The number of those testing number we presume, or perhaps I should say hope, should be large. This should have allowed the bulk of any remaining close contacts to have been tested, as well as second ring contacts as well as most of the casual contacts that have attended of the listed venues. So assuming that people who need to present to testing have, then today should give us a good feel for whether this outbreal is under control, or whether it has become a bigger problem. I think the signs are good for the former, but numbers will show if it may be the latter or not.

Some new cases are inevitable as some of those already infected will live with other people, or have had closer contact in other ways.




However I did cringe though at one gentleman interviewed in a testing queue yesterday who stated that he had had the flu for a couple of days and so thought he better get tested! A couple of days can be critical as the virus is at its most transmissible early on, and so we need Mr Flu Man to be an outlier and not representative.

Honestly feels pretty accurate representation of the broader complacency that has seeped in which was bound to happen after such a long time with minimal cases.

QF could potentially wet lease the aircraft, which means they come crewed. Much easier. But overflight issues remain.

Easiest of all though, the government simply contract QF to fly whatever operation is wanted. Then it's a QF commercial operation.

Yes, it could ‘easily’ be achieved if there was a will. But the Feds have been pretty hands off the operating logistics of everything during the pandemic, pretty much signing cheques, allowing the Army under direction of state police and a few repatriation flights.

PS anyone have a really hard time understanding Mark McGowan at all?

You are aware he has a speech impediment right....

 

[N860CR]

Excellent result. Realistically, seems like this has been contained well and the NSW system continues to work. Confident this will be resolved by Xmas.

 

[jase05]

I think it has been very lucky that the outbreak has been on the Insular Peninsula and many of those folk don’t ever cross into Common Sydney

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Now we just need to stay at 20K+ per day for the next week or so.

 

[jakeseven7]

They are clearly worried about that gym.... a journalist suspects that record keeping may not have been great - I don’t know why though all the Anytimes I’ve been to you swipe in anyway?

Maybe it was just very high traffic and zero social distancing / poor hygiene...

Excellent result. Realistically, seems like this has been contained well and the NSW system continues to work. Confident this will be resolved by Xmas.

Let’s leave that determination to the other state premiers