Australian state border restrictions

[justinbrett]

I predict in six months we'll be forgetting about covid completely other than vaccines.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

ABC reporting:

Tasmania to begin home quarantine trial for return travellers from regional NSW​

Tasmania will begin a 30-day home quarantine trial for residents returning home from regional New South Wales next week.
The trial will begin for eligible travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Premier Peter Gutwein says.
Travellers will also be required to return a negative test, and must have a suitable house to quarantine in with no other residents in the property.
Tasmania currently has border restrictions with Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT.
Public Health director Mark Veitch has clarified that the home quarantine trial will last 30 days, but that participants will only have to quarantine for 14 days.

 

[Happy Dude]

But much of Joe Public can't work or have reduced income due to the restrictions. At some point something has to give and we have to reopen the state borders. We are supposed to be one country not several colonies.

For some in the service sector this may be true but for a larger cohort, Covid has not impacted them financially in any way and has even lead to increased savings or spending in areas they'd normally not spend. For a great many, Covid has been nothing more than an inconvenience.

 

[mviy]

The service industry I work in is still reeling from the first lockdown (immediately practically the entire flow of work was cut-off) and we need a good 6-12 months of no lockdowns before the recovery in our industry is likely to start. Lockdowns/border closures are having an impact.

 

[jb747]

For some in the service sector this may be true but for a larger cohort, Covid has not impacted them financially in any way and has even lead to increased savings or spending in areas they'd normally not spend. For a great many, Covid has been nothing more than an inconvenience.

I guess you're talking about government employees. I don't know of too many who are doing all that well in most other areas. Perhaps the mental health people are having a big time.

 

[Matt_01]

How about he shows just the slightest bit of good faith and human decency and allows people who's parents or siblings have passed away to enter and quarantine for compassionate reasons.

The guy is an absolute... You know the word.

IMO all the state leaders are as bad as each other. Someone in my immediate family suffered an injury about a week ago however last night I found out that they are now seriously unwell, and may not survive. From what I have read I can go to NSW but will not be allowed to return to SA even though I am fully vaccinated and so are my parents (who I would be staying with). Sure missing a wedding, birthday or another significant family event is disappointing but there is no opportunity to catch up post lockdown if a person dies.

 

[MARTINE]

IMO all the state leaders are as bad as each other. Someone in my immediate family suffered an injury about a week ago however last night I found out that they are now seriously unwell, and may not survive. From what I have read I can go to NSW but will not be allowed to return to SA even though I am fully vaccinated and so are my parents (who I would be staying with). Sure missing a wedding, birthday or another significant family event is disappointing but there is no opportunity to catch up post lockdown if a person dies.

Wishing you the very best and a successful recovery for your family member @Matt_01

IMHO once they allowed exemptions happen w footballers absolutely noone in your situation should be prevented from an exemption. To be clear -I have ALWAYS believed compassionate intersate travel should have been permitted from Day 1. A grieving family is a low risk and compliant given the awful circumstanxes they face. Once the aforementioned ‘league’ exemptions were commonplace (with attendant breaches) these decisions to deny family members of ill or deceased became unconscionable……and blatantly informed by wealth risk to the state - NOT health risk.

 

[Happy Dude]

I guess you're talking about government employees. I don't know of too many who are doing all that well in most other areas. Perhaps the mental health people are having a big time.

Presumably you know plenty in the airline industry but they're in a service sector.

But we're all going by what's visible to us. I work in engineering consulting and I have never been so busy since covid hit compared to the previous 20+years. Our company of almost 400 has not laid off a single employee the whole time and we have grown in the last 18months. My wife is in the health sector and she's the same. I have several friends in finance/management consulting and IT and they haven't been affected at all, other than not being able to travel where/when or do what they want. Nevermind though, they just used their travel money to buy boats, wine cellars etc. Some were put on reduced pay for a few months mid last year but that's been recouped and more. A property developer friend is killing it with most being snapped up as it hits the market. Another dude I know breeds dogs as a side hustle and has doubled the asking the price for his dogs, such is the demand.

Unemployment is lowest ever, under-employment may be a different story in the service sector though, and you cannot turn on the TV or a page in the newspaper without being bombarded about record house prices, record profits by retailers (cars, caravans etc etc), high cost of holidaying in Australia, etc etc. Have you tried to hire a tradie recently? We had to wait four weeks to get a sparky to do half a days work.

All this points to Joe Public, not all of course, being pretty cashed up and not worried about any financial effects of covid. But it can't go on forever and perhaps we'll hear more complaining from those outside the service sector when taxes are raised to start the long haul of paying it all back.

 

[exceladdict]

All this points to Joe Public, not all of course, being pretty cashed up and not worried about any financial effects of covid. But it can't go on forever and perhaps we'll hear more complaining from those outside the service sector when taxes are raised to start the long haul of paying it all back.

Absolutely. Lots of articles about high savings balances amongst those who have.
I think you're right - we're not seeing as much discussion about government debt / MMT, but maybe it'll be Joe Public Jr's problem.

 

[oz_mark]

Absolutely. Lots of articles about high savings balances amongst those who have.
I think you're right - we're not seeing as much discussion about government debt / MMT, but maybe it'll be Joe Public Jr's problem.

It all seems to point towards inflation.
(Good way of getting rid of debt - inflate it away...)

 

[nutwood]

I think the big concern is that it's exacerbating an existing problem in that the divide between those who have, and those who have not, has been increased enormously.
If you have a nice comfortable job in the public service and a portfolio of rental properties, your only real problem is not being able to use your Qantas points for an overseas holiday.

 

[justinbrett]

I think the big concern is that it's exacerbating an existing problem in that the divide between those who have, and those who have not, has been increased enormously.
If you have a nice comfortable job in the public service and a portfolio of rental properties, your only real problem is not being able to use your Qantas points for an overseas holiday.

If economics is your only metric, sure.

Unfortunately there's a lot more to life than just economics, each with its own challenges.

 

[nutwood]

For those in the "have not" category, economics may not be their metric; it's very likely that it's not. That doesn't mean that it doesn't affect them though!
It's nice that property prices have gone up, if you own surplus property. Not so nice if you're renting.

 

[Happy Dude]

I think the big concern is that it's exacerbating an existing problem in that the divide between those who have, and those who have not, has been increased enormously.
If you have a nice comfortable job in the public service and a portfolio of rental properties, your only real problem is not being able to use your Qantas points for an overseas holiday.

Most definitely. And looking at haves/have nots, I would also suggest that Covid has shone a very bright light on a large number of people and businesses who appear to live week to week without any savings to pay next weeks wages/rent/bills or have leave (personal, sick, holiday) to fall back on, judging by the stories on the news/socials. It seems there's a lot of people that would be financially ruined if they got ill or couldn't work for some other reason. Either that or they were being disingenuous about their financial situation.

 

[nutwood]

Most definitely. And looking at haves/have nots, I would also suggest that Covid has shone a very bright light on a large number of people and businesses who appear to live week to week without any savings to pay next weeks wages/rent/bills or have leave (personal, sick, holiday) to fall back on, judging by the stories on the news/socials. It seems there's a lot of people that would be financially ruined if they got ill or couldn't work for some other reason. Either that or they were being disingenuous about their financial situation.

Many small businesses have substantial fixed overheads. If they can't trade, they are in the position of having large sums heading out the door every week, with no income coming in to cover this. Possibly some owners, especially those who've been in business a long time, have the resources to cover this but most wouldn't. At the same time as covering the business overheads, they are also having to fund their life, pay mortgages etc. This includes paying the income protection insurance premiums for the policies that protect them if they should get ill, but fail to protect them from lock-downs.

 

[Spongbob]

I predict in six months we'll be forgetting about covid completely other than vaccines.

I will remind you of this comment in April 2022.

 

[Matt_01]

Wishing you the very best and a successful recovery for your family member @Matt_01

Thank you for your kind words but they did not make it. I could go into a rant complaining about the state/ national rules and the hurdles to jump through but that will not bring them back.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Thank you for your kind words but they did not make it. I could go into a rant complaining about the state/ national rules and the hurdles to jump through but that will not bring them back.

Sorry for your loss at this really difficult time. I hope you can get to be with your loved ones.

 

[MARTINE]

Sorry for your loss at this really difficult time. I hope you can get to be with your loved ones.

My condolences

 

[mviy]

Sadly it seems Victoria is expected to shift the goal posts in the wrong direction today with interstate travel to resume if we reach 90% fully vaccinated. The roadmap is expected to be announced at midday so we should get confirmation then.