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

[get me outta here]

They reckon they will separate them from the first lot. It is a big camp, there's plenty of room.

What a Richard Cranium. Lock him up for a couple of weeks and sue him for all the expenses he created.
I'm appalled at the SA citizen who was I'll but got on the plane then went to auctions etc. What a selfish Muppet.
Yet if his behaviour is typical, self-isolation is never going to work.

Better to put them in CI detention.

Just thinking though: there's 270 there now up to day #2. When the 35(?) from AKL arrive they'll be 3-5 days behind group 1 so they'll have to be quarantined separately. Then if there's another QF mercy flight, that group will have to be quarantined from groups #1 and #2.

The logistics are making my head spin.

 

[auriga]

So Singapore have now reported four locally transmitted cases. Two to shop attendants a tour group visited with infected persons, one to a tour group leader and one to a domestic helper of an infected person.

4 locally transmitted cases among new coronavirus patients in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Singapore confirmed on Tuesday (Feb 4) its first locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus, among six new cases of the disease detected in the country.Four Singapore residents with no recent travel history to China have tested positive for the virus, which has

www.channelnewsasia.com

This is a bit worrying. The two shop assistants caught the virus, presumably without prolonged close contact with the infected tourists.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Maybe I am being optimistic but will we still be talking about this in 2 months in Australia? Shutting the borders with China surely would have contained most of it?

Depends. I would suggest the domestic scenario in China is much more critical for our broader economy than our border control policies, education system not withstanding.

 

[get me outta here]

SCMP : Coronavirus: United Airlines suspends US flights to and from Hong Kong

• Announcement means no US carriers will be flying passenger flights to Hong Kong after this week

 

[Dr Ralph]

Shutting the borders with China surely would have contained most of it?

Highly unlikely. Boarders are porous!

‘I crossed off China and changed it to Hong Kong’

A Chinese student has taken to social media to brag about how he allegedly evaded Australia’s coronavirus travel ban by lying on his incoming passenger card.

www.news.com.au

 

[p--and--t]

Maybe I am being optimistic but will we still be talking about this in 2 months in Australia? Shutting the borders with China surely would have contained most of it?

Depends. I would suggest the domestic scenario in China is much more critical for our broader economy than our border control policies, education system not withstanding.

Ah the $64M question. Note: I have no expertise in the area whatsoever.

My presumption is on-shore controls and panic stations in AU will see infections largely peter out and the media et al will move on to the next click-bait.

Meanwhile the flu season will take effect and after a very short period of time no-one will bother to check what kind they have and deal with it in the usual manner.

A vaccine will be developed and incorporated into the annual flu shots for a year or two until the authorities focus on something else.

Consequently we won't really know if it is still around or not and quantitative review will continue to be fatally flawed. Not that it is anywhere near accurate now (fatalities might be close to the mark, who knows?)

 

[banana boy]

Coronavirus now found in Princess (Asian) Cruise ship with 10 passengers positive.

Princess Cruises quarantines 3,700 for two weeks on ship after 10 aboard test positive for coronavirus

The company said a previous guest, who didn't have any symptoms while aboard, tested positive for the coronavirus six days after leaving the ship.

www.cnbc.com

I guess the implication from that story being that an asymptomatic person left enough viral material behind that days later passengers were being infected? The Singapore story is also disturbing although I imagine that if the infected tourists were coughing, sneezing (and maybe spitting) in the shop then the likelihood of transmission would surely be much higher than the cruise ship story.

Have any health authorities indicated how long the virus stays viable on surfaces?

 

[drron]

What news from Sky, what’s their plot? ☹ Luckily, the ABC has got us through the fires and floods and hail and smoke.
Nobody is perfect but the ABC is much more useful.

Though I was watching Sky when the bushfires were at their worst but flicking to the ABC at times.There was very little difference.On the extreme days Sky was taking all the press conferences and live crosses that the ABC took.The only difference was there was no pontificating on the causes-they did not take any side.So I know that you didn't watch Sky on those days.
Many who complain of anything to do with News Ltd don't watch,read or listen to any News outlet but just know it is terrible.The ABC have now many more outlets than News but News gets a bigger audience.The claim that News controls 70% of Australian media is fake news.The true news is News reaches 70% of those who watch,read or listen.A big difference.

 

[dajop]

presumably without prolonged close contact with the infected tourists.

Quite a presumption. Anecodatal reports suggest up to 5 buses a morning visit the shop, and they do spend some time there. It sells "health products" apparently. One can only imagine the haggling that goes on. I suspect it's a longer, more in depth interaction than you would get at a transactional retailer (eg. 7-11).

 

[get me outta here]

Talk about pontificating, watch 'Media Watch' from Monday to see Skype pontificating - for some reason it all sounded very much what used to end up on here.

Though I was watching Sky when the bushfires were at their worst but flicking to the ABC at times.There was very little difference.On the extreme days Sky was taking all the press conferences and live crosses that the ABC took.The only difference was there was no pontificating on the causes-they did not take any side.So I know that you didn't watch Sky on those days.
Many who complain of anything to do with News Ltd don't watch,read or listen to any News outlet but just know it is terrible.The ABC have now many more outlets than News but News gets a bigger audience.The claim that News controls 70% of Australian media is fake news.The true news is News reaches 70% of those who watch,read or listen.A big difference.

 

[drron]

I guess the implication from that story being that an asymptomatic person left enough viral material behind that days later passengers were being infected? The Singapore story is also disturbing although I imagine that if the infected tourists were coughing, sneezing (and maybe spitting) in the shop then the likelihood of transmission would surely be much higher than the cruise ship story.

Have any health authorities indicated how long the virus stays viable on surfaces?

I have seen 1 report that says it is only viable for 2 hours outside the body.Influenza is 24 hours.

 

[get me outta here]

SCMP - Coronavirus: 10,000 queue for masks on Hong Kong industrial estate in desperate scenes during outbreak

• Huge crowds camp overnight in Kowloon for surgical masks after company promises thousands of boxes, as supplies dwindle across city
• MTR announces station closures following partial border shutdown by Hong Kong government

 

[p--and--t]

Quite a presumption. Anecodatal reports suggest up to 5 buses a morning visit the shop, and they do spend some time there. It sells "health products" apparently. One can only imagine the haggling that goes on. I suspect it's a longer, more in depth interaction than you would get at a transactional retailer (eg. 7-11).

Quite a presumption all round I would suspect.

My mind says, unless there was detailed laboratory & or forensic analysis done, is it actually just an easy jump to guess that is how the shop workers got infected? Are they 100% sure the workers didn't travel together on public transport or have an after work drink at a bar, or go shopping together in their lunchtime, or one catch it somewhere else and give it to the other?

 

[tgh]

A few thoughts ..
Is it better to get it early , get it over with and be a survivor …..downside is some of us will not but that's life...
Leads to….Will we soon see " I survived Corona-virus badges" to show that we are disease free (and therefore socially acceptable ) ?
Leads to ….Will we be immune or be subject to the same random recurrence as the flu viri ?

 

[OATEK]

With issues around transiting Hong Kong on the rise, I rang BA to see about options for re-routing our flight in March. We had QF reward flights to/from HKG, and BA J to/from LHR.

BA said they would amend the current booking to be J SYD-LHR-SYD, and apply original fares and charged us an extra $1.5k ea (try getting J SYD-SIN-SYD for $1.5k pp). Waived all change fees, just charged a fare difference.

While we are still going through Asia, it gives a little more separation from China than going through HKG.

 

[Pushka]

I guess the implication from that story being that an asymptomatic person left enough viral material behind that days later passengers were being infected? The Singapore story is also disturbing although I imagine that if the infected tourists were coughing, sneezing (and maybe spitting) in the shop then the likelihood of transmission would surely be much higher than the cruise ship story.

Have any health authorities indicated how long the virus stays viable on surfaces?

Two Australians on the cruise ship are amongst the 10 tested positive. I wonder if they transited through HK?

 

[Tropic]

Over the years, I have been a pretty good defender of the ABC.

But it has been fading.

Tonight, it is gone.

They went out of their way to hunt down the most egregious whingers and moaners to make a 'story' out of nothing to satisfy some victimhood narrative that is pervading our lives these days.

Bloody disgraceful.

To clarify, I think the ABC is still a world class national news organisation which provides an invaluable public service, especially to regional and remote communities, and during times of emergency. Its the editorial posture projected through the "objective analysis" and opinion pieces which overlay the facts, and trying to mirror the formats of commercial outlets, esp in TV, where the ABC has lost its way. The ABC should focus on just presenting the news as it happens as objectively as possible and let its audience to work out whats really going on based on their respective political views. Unfortunately it is near impossible to source news resources these days that are not fettered by the bias of the process of collection or are not manufactured as part of some media strategy.... independent journalism is still alive and well, but just not at the ABC...Just my opinion

 

[Lynda2475]

Anyone got a feel on whether maybe Emirate or Qantas may put on extra direct flighst which dont transit Asia to help demand to/from europe? A second PER-LHR or SYD-DXB would help?

I cant find any alternate reward seats except economy to avoid Hong Kong/China/Thailand/Malaysia and still get to CPH grrr. Trust that when I finally get J seats plans are derailed.

 

[p--and--t]

A second PER-LHR

A great idea for the next few months, anyone got AJ's number - give him a call. Suspect he could fill them easily.

 

[get me outta here]

Let's get back on topic , your thoughts on the ABC can be in a new thread, called, 'My thoughts on the ABC'. This is :
China (Coronavirus) SARS like Respiratory illness - Effect on Travel