China travel bans from Late 2022

[serfty]

Just trying to understand your position. You can't define the problem we are trying to solve; you can't point to any scientific or medical advice that supports the action; and you yourself thought it was unfair when in a different situation you were asked to provide a negative test in order to go on holiday.

As indicated earlier, China requires Australians to have a negative COVID test before travelling there. Is that supported by any scientific or medical advice?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just trying to understand your position. You can't define the problem we are trying to solve; you can't point to any scientific or medical advice that supports the action; and you yourself thought it was unfair when in a different situation you were asked to provide a negative test in order to go on holiday.

I thought my cruise company was being unfair by unilaterally imposing a covid testing requirement.

On research I found that it was not the cruise company but government-mandated. That means that the cruise company itself was not being unfair.

I took appropriate insurance in case I got covid. That's what passengers from China should be doing and they should not be flying in any case if they are feeling unwell or testing positive.

 

[tomlee1986]

You are trying to turn this into something with a racial or political motivation. It’s not. It is simply governments being cautious.

While we don’t have testing in place from other countries at the moment, the fact remains that anyone with covid really shouldn’t be getting on a plane anyway.

I must agree on the point where if you are sick, you should not fly… this is because of central air flow… and viruses can spread through it despite now with much better air control now…

 

[kpc]

I guess I'm not the only one wondering....

No plans to restart hotel quarantine for travellers from China: Watt

Business groups have called on the government to urgently clarify details of restrictions on travellers from China due to start on Thursday.

www.smh.com.au

I see it includes Macau and Hong Kong now....How about transitting through Hkg....do we now need to get a RAT / PCR before flying onto Australia?

COVID test to be required for travellers from China

Travellers from mainland China will soon need to take a COVID-19 test and get a negative result before flying to Australia.

www.smh.com.au

 

[tomlee1986]

I guess I'm not the only one wondering....

No plans to restart hotel quarantine for travellers from China: Watt

Business groups have called on the government to urgently clarify details of restrictions on travellers from China due to start on Thursday.

www.smh.com.au

No you wouldn’t because the airline needs to know to ensure they comply with the rules of the countries they fly with

 

[Pushka]

Can you remind us precisely which problem this action is designed to address? Because in the absence of any scientific or medical support for it, it does appear to be motivated from a wish to inconvenience Chinese people. The fact that a some Chinese people might not be impacted by it does not disguise the clear political motivation behind the policy.

So China is happy to inconvenience the rest of the world with its pre arrival testing regime? Where is the science?

 

[drron]

And the USA as usual assumes the role of hypocrisy master.
Probably the most infectious variant at present happened first a couple of weeks ago in NYC.

Google XXB 1.5.

 

[Pushka]

And the USA as usual assumes the role of hypocrisy master.
Probably the most infectious variant at present happened first a couple of weeks ago in NYC.

Google XXB 1.5.

I didn't think severity had been established yet. The numbers however are being reported along with genomic sequencing. And therein lies the issue.

 

[drron]

I didn't think severity had been established yet. The numbers however are being reported along with genomic sequencing. And therein lies the issue.

There is no evidence that it produces a more severe infection. It's much more likely to escape the immune system so it is more infectious hence more people with Covid so more hospital admissions. No increase in ICU admissions in NYC and the New England region of the USA at this time

 

[JohnK]

it is not always easy or affordable to just come a week or so later, and it’s not a requirement we are making of any other place in the world. Even our own medical officers said this is pointless.

You think covid is a cold and we should just move on. I treat covid with the seriousness it deserves.

If you have a cold/flu you should not be travelling.

If you have covid you definitely should not be travelling.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just saw on ABC news that Australia will now require negative predeparture test for pax from China??

Revealed to be against the explicit advice of federal Chief Medical Officer Kelly, according to ABC.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly advised against mandatory COVID-19 testing for travellers from China

Australia's chief medical officer explicitly advised the Albanese government not to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China, a newly released letter shows.

www.abc.net.au

No more ":We are only following health advice" !

 

[RooFlyer]

it does appear to be motivated from a wish to inconvenience Chinese people.

People travelling from China. Not Chinese. Big difference.

 

[kyle]

You think covid is a cold and we should just move on. I treat covid with the seriousness it deserves.

If you have a cold/flu you should not be travelling.

If you have covid you definitely should not be travelling.

It's easier said than done.

When you've already paid x dollars for travel and combined with covid exclusions in insurance policies, unless you're so sick that you're bedridden, you would just put a mask on and hope to get better soon during travel.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It's easier said than done.

When you've already paid x dollars for travel and combined with covid exclusions in insurance policies, unless you're so sick that you're bedridden, you would just put a mask on and hope to get better soon during travel.

Exactly why tests have been introduced from certain origins, and before taking a cruise from Australia.

You can buy the right insurance policy which refunds you in the event you or your party test positive for covid prior to departure. If you can afford airfares right now you can also afford the insurance!

 

[jakeseven7]

What a mess.

Political not scientific waffle. Our own medical experts have said it’s not appropriate.

Variants can come from anywhere including here where covid is absolutely everywhere.

Yawn, will all be gone in a few months.

Good to see the usual suspects piling on though .

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Revealed to be against the explicit advice of federal Chief Medical Officer Kelly, according to ABC.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly advised against mandatory COVID-19 testing for travellers from China

Australia's chief medical officer explicitly advised the Albanese government not to introduce mandatory COVID-19 testing on travellers from China, a newly released letter shows.

www.abc.net.au

No more ":We are only following health advice" !

I’m not sure the CMO is considering the broader picture?

Yes there’s the direct health element, he still agrees testing is required.

He recommended we test all waste water from incoming aircraft. AND increased waste-water testing in the community, AND better follow up of those who are positive AND voluntary sampling of incoming passengers. Whatever ‘voluntary’ means.

So we do all of those four things, at what expense to the taxpayer?… or we simply ask incoming pax to fund their own test? And they can’t board if positive, which they shouldn’t be doing anyway!

 

[tomlee1986]

I personally think why we are doing these tests is not about race or culture... it is because we don't know the real figures of those who are really sick to the point in hospitals, ICU and deaths from China... not about politics as such... why we aren't testing America and UK despite they are having an outbreak now is because we know their waves wont cause severe illness that crash the hospital systems, ICU beds and extreme amount of deaths... the funeral homes in China right now is similar to Italy in early 2020 during the first wave!

 

[jakeseven7]

why we aren't testing America and UK despite they are having an outbreak now is because we know their waves wont cause severe illness that crash the hospital systems, ICU beds and extreme amount of deaths...

That’s simply untrue. A new variant can come at any point, doesn’t have to come from a particular ‘wave’, in fact it could have occurred in your next door neighbour right now in Australia.

 

[Pushka]

What a mess.

Political not scientific waffle. Our own medical experts have said it’s not appropriate.

Variants can come from anywhere including here where covid is absolutely everywhere.

Yawn, will all be gone in a few months.

Good to see the usual suspects piling on though .

I've heard medical experts, not the alarmist ones but others, who've said it's a reasonable position to take until there is more info available. China doesn't exactly help itself by requiring others to have the test prior to entry. Can hardly cry foul.

 

[tomlee1986]

That’s simply untrue. A new variant can come at any point, doesn’t have to come from a particular ‘wave’, in fact it could have occurred in your next door neighbour right now in Australia.

in a way yes, variants can come from anywhere... but the variants we see at the moment in the western world are not strong enough to send the health care system into complete meltdown and funeral homes with excess bodies to burn (RIP ) - but in the case of China at the moment, it is what we saw in Italy in early 2020... hence i support this measure for now... because China is NOT transparent in their handling of this pandemic.. FYI - i saw some Chinese news from mainland china, the dead can NOT be said they die from covid but they should be classified as such, because the ccp wants the data to look good... these are said by the relatives of the deceased themselves