Coronavirus (COVID-19) Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel

[cove]

SIL got her upgrade to SQ Suites this afternoon so there may be folks cancelling flights. This one is SIN-LHR. SIL is excited.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Date?

 

[cove]

Less than 3 weeks CE.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

 

[Budbrian]

We are booked for Bali next month. Everything prepaid. Should be fine as Indonesia hasn’t reported any cases yet. Ah, yeah. As if.

That is because they do not have the “aids” to detect /check temps/ etc.
read SMH article from 31 Jan. Scary..it’s going to take a few days for them to get their hands on what is needed.

 

[Pushka]

That is because they do not have the “aids” to detect /check temps/ etc.
read SMH article from 31 Jan. Scary..it’s going to take a few days for them to get their hands on what is needed.

Yes, that’s why I added ‘as if’.

 

[Sabot]

Fiji now have a new entry form to complete specific to this virus

Any test or screening that is contingent upon honestly is worthless.

 

[PineappleSkip]

Just looking at today’s additions to Timatic, and it seems Australia is not alone in blocking travellers out of China. Taiwan, Guatemala, Iraq, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Sri Lanka have run down the shutters on Chinese Nationals. In some cases, but not all, that applies to everyone that has come from China .

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Sri Lanka have imposed other restrictions (mostly withdrawal of visa free or e-visa travel), suggesting the shutters have been run down more obliquely. (India, Bangladesh and Israel elsewhere reported in this category also)

Malasia, Japan and Hong Kong are still only restricting entry to those who have come from Hubei Province. (South Korea elsewhere reported in this category also.)

Not sure about Vanuatu. IATA claims that to enter Vanuatu,

Passengers must have a medical certificate proving they are free from Novel Coronavirus

which seems a tall order. However, Air Vanuatu suggests this would only apply to travellers from China.

IATA 2 Feb updates

cheers skip

 

[get me outta here]

Just heard that Taiwan is considering not only China but also banning travellers from the USA and Australia. I don’t know if that’s a silly rumour or where it came from. But anyone considering travelling to TPE may follow it up.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Trending up?

 

[Quickstatus]

Outbreak of Avian flu in a chicken farm 300km south of Wuhan. 4500 chickens died and culling of the rest of the flock underway.

 

[p--and--t]

I read online Vietnam has from yesterday morning...

• Banned all flights from Chinese mainland to Vietnam from yesterday (Saturday) morning.
• Stopped the processing of all visas for anyone who has been in China in the last 2 weeks
• (For a short period, until it was rescinded a few hours later, banned all flights from Hong Kong and Taiwan and Macau.)

 

[Cessna 180]

I haven’t read all the thread so I apologise I feel this has been discussed.

I am wondering what people’s opinion of transiting through Hong Kong is.

I am booked on a points redemption (end of Feb) AMS HKG MEL with 36 hours in HK. I have asked Qantas twice if I can swap to another flight as I have no particular need to visit there.

Theyhave said as that is not on the list of areas with restrictions, they have no authority to change my flight unless there is other points options.
Of which there does not seem to be. Not practical ones anyway.

I am not overly concerned at this stage but as I have no actual need to go to HK I think seems a trifle silly if I can avoid it.

 

[Pushka]

I haven’t read all the thread so I apologise I feel this has been discussed.

I am wondering what people’s opinion of transiting through Hong Kong is.

I am booked on a points redemption (end of Feb) AMS HKG MEL with 36 hours in HK. I have asked Qantas twice if I can swap to another flight as I have no particular need to visit there.

Theyhave said as that is not on the list of areas with restrictions, they have no authority to change my flight unless there is other points options.
Of which there does not seem to be. Not practical ones anyway.

I am not overly concerned at this stage but as I have no actual need to go to HK I think seems a trifle silly if I can avoid it.

I do know that if you had been planning to travel to join a cruise then you would not be allowed to board as you had transitted through Hong Kong.

Travel Updates & Advisories | Celebrity Cruises Australia

Visit CelebrityCruises.com to stay up to date on the latest travel updates and advisories. Customer Service is also available to answer any questions.

www.celebritycruises.com

 

[Melburnian1]

I dunno - is no one concerned about this? If there's a serious issue affecting public health, why should premiers be bound by some sort of unwritten code of secrecy?

Because for national public health issues like this, it's the call of the Federal Government. Too many messengers risks creating confusion, particularly overseas, as non-residents/non-citizens may not understand that we have multiple levels of government.

Sure today there was mixed messaging from the PM and two other Ministers re that pesky proposed $1000 contribution towards the cost of Wuhan residents' repatriation. But that was sorted fairly quickly. Imagine if you'd had eight State and Territory Premiers/ Chief Ministers competing with the PM for the central message about who's not allowed in for 14 days.

 

[p--and--t]

Al Jazeera

"China is turning to the European Union for assistance as it struggles to contain the outbreak of coronavirus. The country's prime minister has asked the EU to help find urgently-needed medical supplies."

 

[Melburnian1]

Another mainland Chinese city, Wenzhou (population c.nine million), some 800km from Wuhan has been 'locked down':

China shuts down city of Wenzhou, far from virus epicentre

BEIJING (AFP) - The eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou restricted the movement of residents and closed roads on Sunday (Feb 2) in the most drastic steps taken by authorities outside the epicentre of a deadly virus. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Because for national public health issues like this, it's the call of the Federal Government. Too many messengers risks creating confusion, particularly overseas, as non-residents/non-citizens may not understand that we have multiple levels of government.

Sure today there was mixed messaging from the PM and two other Ministers re that pesky proposed $1000 contribution towards the cost of Wuhan residents' repatriation. But that was sorted fairly quickly. Imagine if you'd had eight State and Territory Premiers/ Chief Ministers competing with the PM for the central message about who's not allowed in for 14 days.

Meh. Bad luck if non-residents can't understand if we have one or multiple layers of government. For those of us that live here, why should we have any sort of secrecy when it comes to things like this? It's probably more confusing for Aussies when the feds take no responsibility for bush fires, but claim responsibility for other things.

As for the $1000 - again, who cares? Everyone thought they had to pay $1000, and then they didn't. Bonus.

 

[PineappleSkip]

I am wondering what people’s opinion of transiting through Hong Kong is.

I am booked on a points redemption (end of Feb) AMS HKG MEL with 36 hours in HK.

Watching that one as I’m transiting HK late this month.

Right now, no particular problem, relatively. More confirmed cases in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Thailand than in HK right now. At the end of the month, who knows? There is concern in HK about continued movement between HK (14 cases) and Mainland (632 cases in Guangdong Province), with 70,000 returnees to HK reported on Friday. I doubt (but hope) Carrie Lam & Co will shut the borders, as Taiwan has.

Good luck!

cheers skip

 

[jeza]

Looks like there may also be restrictions on commercial shipping as well. There was talk of a ship not being allowed to berth in the Port where I live today as it was less than 14 days since it had left China. It was allowed to berth & commence loading but I am unsure what if any restrictions were placed on the crew & precautions were taken by those who had to board the ship to perform duties relating to loading it.