General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[MEL_Traveller]

With the airlines being advised that anyone arriving without a pre-paid receipt/voucher etc will be flown back at the airlines cost.

This wouldn’t work for returning citizens... they can’t be deported from australia. Another solution would be needed.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

This wouldn’t work for returning citizens... they can’t be deported from australia. Another solution would be needed.

Well it could still be no pre-ap, no board. Another "encouragement" would need to be found for airlines to verify that the passenger has paid for their quarantine.

 

[VPS]

Anyone for a beer

 

[Gremlin]

Well it could still be no pre-ap, no board. Another "encouragement" would need to be found for airlines to verify that the passenger has paid for their quarantine.

I think I mentioned earlier that in Qld at least, the bill will be issued upon completion of quarantine. 30 day terms and pursued through the courts if unpaid. There are special provisions for hardship including payment by instalment or in some cases waiving of payment, but anyone seeking these needs to apply prior to arrival.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Big numbers coming over the world today, already reached 250,000 new infections which is a new daily record, sadly deaths look to be highest daily total since April, already 6,500.

 

[drron]

So the scammers have been out in force.

Welcome to Precision Vaccinations News

Precision Vaccinations News publishes vaccine news patients can trust to make informed immunization decisions in partnership with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists.

www.coronavirustoday.com

Some differing news on antibodies.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc2025179

Exclusive: 'Game-changing' coronavirus antibody test passes first major trials

Ministers draw up plans to distribute millions of free fingerprick tests after they were found to be 98.6 per cent accurate

www.telegraph.co.uk

Another drug with good results in treatment.

Coronavirus drug hailed as game-changer after trial finds it cuts chances of severe illness

Treatment from biotech firm Synairgen uses interferon beta protein, which body produces when it gets a viral infection

www.telegraph.co.uk

And more problems with testing.

ZeroHedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well it could still be no pre-ap, no board. Another "encouragement" would need to be found for airlines to verify that the passenger has paid for their quarantine.

Legally I don't know if this is possible? An aussie citizen can turn up at the airport without a passport and still be permitted to travel to Australia. I don't know whether Australia can prevent a citizen returning (or transfer that to an airline).

If the flight has a transit, the transit country could impose restrictions for non-citizens.

 

[RooFlyer]

Legally I don't know if this is possible? An aussie citizen can turn up at the airport without a passport and still be permitted to travel to Australia.

Is that the case though? An Australian cannot be denied entry to Australia at its border, even without a passport, but can be denied check-in/boarding at a foreign airport, for lack of suitable ID.

 

[p--and--t]

Legally I don't know if this is possible? An aussie citizen can turn up at the airport without a passport and still be permitted to travel to Australia. I don't know whether Australia can prevent a citizen returning (or transfer that to an airline).

If the flight has a transit, the transit country could impose restrictions for non-citizens.

Couldn't an airline refuse to carry you without suitable identity documents. Airlines are forced to return passengers that are refused entry on arrival at the airlines expense and will want to know definitively who you are and that they have a pretty good chance they can land you without issue. If you don't have a passport that they can check on check-in how do they definitively know who you are.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Very impressive.

Emirates to offer free COVID-19 cover to all passengers

Emirates will offer free coverage for COVID-19-related expenses for passengers, including medical and quarantine expenses, in what the airline is touting as a world first.

www.traveller.com.au

 

[Pushka]

Very impressive.

Emirates to offer free COVID-19 cover to all passengers

Emirates will offer free coverage for COVID-19-related expenses for passengers, including medical and quarantine expenses, in what the airline is touting as a world first.

www.traveller.com.au

Wow. Now theres a deal! Insurance was always an issue. Well done EK!

 

[DC3]

So, now there’s a good reason to contract COVID.

 

[Flashback]

And by the end of the month there may be quite a few Australians that might have to return from Thailand.There was a visa extension granted until 31/7 but sources say it is unlikely to be extended.

Thailand’s Visa Amnesty For Visitors Is Running Out, Immigration And Embassies Advising Foreigners To Prepare For Departure

Thailand Visa Amnesty Ends on July 31, 2020.

loyaltylobby.com

It can be extended if the Embassy issues a certificate saying there are no flights home though there are QR flights via Doha so might not be possible.

That article gives a link to the twitter page of richard barrow who is a good source of info on Thailand.He reports that from yesterday diplomats or their staff and families returning to Thailand must wait at the airport until the result of their Covid test is available.A great idea.
View attachment 222561.

In the end was extended again, out till September.

 

[kelvedon]

Two weeks in sunny Spain has long been a favourite destination for british holidaymaker, and now emerging from lockdown thousands are looking forward to escaping to Spain in the summer holidays. Unfortunately because of the second wave of CV19 currently hitting Spain the country has just been added on to the countries which requires 2 weeks of isolation when entering the UK.
this is going to prove disastrous for hundreds of thousands of brits who holiday in Spain and were planning to leave in the next few weeks

Coronavirus: UK brings back 14-day quarantine for Spain

The move means people returning from Spain will have to self-isolate, as part of coronavirus rules.

www.bbc.com

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is that the case though? An Australian cannot be denied entry to Australia at its border, even without a passport, but can be denied check-in/boarding at a foreign airport, for lack of suitable ID.

The passenger must meet the requirements set out in TIMATIC, or the airline must otherwise be satisfied that the passenger will be allowed entry at the destination (and transit points, which can be the issue).

A call to Aussie Border Force can satisfy the airline that they will be allowed entry. There are phone numbers for this exact type of issue.

ID can be established in other ways.

If you were to turn up for the non-stop QF flight London-Perth without a passport, I'd generally expect you to be carried back home. That wouldn't necessarily be the case flying another airline with a transit where the transit countries may require a passport (even for transit pax).

 

[RooFlyer]

A call to Aussie Border Force can satisfy the airline that they will be allowed entry. There are phone numbers for this exact type of issue.

If that was the case, sounds like we wouldn't need Border Force at the entry points at all. Just a toll-free number to call in advance. "Yep, that sounds like Denis Rogers ... good to go."

But going back to the original issue ... whether an airline could deny boarding of a pax without a certain app in order (which you doubted was legally possible), an airline can deny boarding for any number of reasons, including overbooking, plane over-weight, even if the pax has all documentation in order.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If that was the case, sounds like we wouldn't need Border Force at the entry points at all. Just a toll-free number to call in advance. "Yep, that sounds like Denis Rogers ... good to go."

But going back to the original issue ... whether an airline could deny boarding of a pax without a certain app in order (which you doubted was legally possible), an airline can deny boarding for any number of reasons, including overbooking, plane over-weight, even if the pax has all documentation in order.

yes, but denied boarding, depending on departure point, can come with significant penalties for the airline. Ex EU it would be €600, ex USA and the airline would have to deal with DOT. With a cap of 50 pax, it's unlikely the aircraft will be overweight. There may be a short transition period where the flight is overbooked if more than 50 pax were on the flight before the restrictions were introduced.

The fine is generally for bringing a passenger who is ineligible to enter the country. That can't happen for a citizen.

 

[p--and--t]

this is going to prove disastrous for hundreds of thousands of brits who holiday in Spain

I wouldn't call cancelling a holiday "disastrous"

 

[Pushka]

I wouldn't call cancelling a holiday "disastrous"

Agree. Maybe tongue in cheek comment. I am on two overseas cancellations so far (Late March and right now) and possibly one to FNQ next month if things go to carp.

 

[love_the_life]

Agree. Maybe tongue in cheek comment. I am on two overseas cancellations so far (Late March and right now) and possibly one to FNQ next month if things go to carp.

Hopefully your FNQ will stick as SA is one of the 'chosen', though an outbreak somewhere might throw a spanner in the works.