Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[Lynda2475]

Teams/Zoom is great for internal business meetings (takes away the drama of having to find a meeting room) but "virtual events" are lame.

When we were in lock down last April and early May the guys who hosts our weekly pub trivia started doing it on a Facebook live stream, I joined for a few week but lost interest really fast. Whereas happily go in person every week.

 

[Flashback]

I don't think anyone expects a complete opening, but some relaxation of restrictions that allows Australians to go overseas and see family, to conduct business etc. and return and quarantine at home or in a hotel is not at all unreasonable.

Most people here that need to go and see family wouldn't have been able to do since before 2020 as travel plans to see family in 2020 were scuppered by the border closure. So even the end of this year would make it a few years between seeing family which is an awfully long time.

Indeed, we last saw our family & friends in Australia in late 2018. Since then, there's been several cancelled trips (my folks coming to the UK, us to Aus, etc.). We may or may not get over later this year depending on what happens so in all likelihood it may not be till late 2022 that we get to see each other again. VC is no substitute....... which leads me onto.....

I never want to see anything zoom again if that intent is to take the place of an event I would have been present for in normal life. Honestly, I'd rather go without.

This! VC fatigue is real. So many things were done by VC at the start of the pandemic and more than 12 months on, when the same events occurred my wife and I were just feeling so sick of it all that we did exactly this. Shut ourselves off and did things solo. Very much feeling over it all. However, of course in the UK we've been in a severe lockdown for what? 60-70% of the last 12 months? So that of course has its impact on you.

This past week has been absolute bliss, out on the open road exploring the east coast of England from top to bottom. Lucky to have had amazing weather too. Back to reality tomorrow.....

 

[dajop]

This! VC fatigue is real. So many things were done by VC at the start of the pandemic and more than 12 months on, when the same events occurred my wife and I were just feeling so sick of it all that we did exactly this.

VC's were and still are a way of life for me ... for dealing with colleagues all over the world. This was before the pandemic as well. But as long as they are small focussed work discussions, and occassional banter about the weather or whatever else I'm OK with it.

But 1) I detest webinars in so many ways ( I just can't stand them) and 2) I also detest "organized" (Zoom type ) calls with friends or family (which have fallen by the wayside thankfully). But I do make plenty of use of Facetime Audio and Video (1:1) to keep in touch - like phone calls of old, and I don't get fatigued with these more casual contacts. I also find the more frequent (but short and sweet) the calls the better ... better to say speak to my mother 5-10 mins a day than one much longer call once a week or once a fortnight ....

 

[Flashback]

VC's were and still are a way of life for me ... for dealing with colleagues all over the world. This was before the pandemic as well. But as long as they are small focussed work discussions, and occassional banter about the weather or whatever else I'm OK with it.

But 1) I detest webinars in so many ways ( I just can't stand them) and 2) I also detest "organized" (Zoom type ) calls with friends or family (which have fallen by the wayside thankfully). But I do make plenty of use of Facetime Audio and Video (1:1) to keep in touch - like phone calls of old, and I don't get fatigued with these more casual contacts. I also find the more frequent (but short and sweet) the calls the better ... better to say speak to my mother 5-10 mins a day than one much longer call once a week or once a fortnight ....

That's the same for me too, but audio conf, not video. This push towards VC has been........ odd, mainly by those that were used to doing everything in person. For me working in technology, we've been collaborating with teams all over the globe for as long as I've been working so it's not new. We don't do VC much, still, as there's just no need.

 

[Lynda2475]

At work one advantage of moving to Microsoft teams from our previous audio/video conferencing platforms has been the easy of incorporating chat, sharing screens, using virtual whiteboards etc. Its easy to turn off video (and many do).

 

[Flashback]

At work one advantage of moving to Microsoft teams from our previous audio/video conferencing platforms has been the easy of incorporating chat, sharing screens, using virtual whiteboards etc. Its easy to turn off video (and many do).

Were you not on Skype for Business before, which already had most of that available?

 

[Lynda2475]

We had the awful MyVMR as main tool which was laggy as all get out, limited number of attendees etc, no end of technical issues really. We also had Skype for Business for text chat and could use audio (IT had disabled video and add ins such as whiteboard) but it never worked great if the external party didn't also have skype for business.

MS Team made it easier to invite attendees who didnt have skype for business or teams - as web version is decent. It just works better, seems more efficient when internet connection isnt great and more seamless between devices.

Anyway best to get back on topic.

 

[prozac]

Personally (selfishly), I'd be happy with baby steps, allowing home quarantine from Singapore and Taiwan. There is negligible community spread in either location, and there is excellent contract tracing in both countries. If it's good enough for primary contacts and secondary circle contacts of known cases in Australia to do home quarantine, then where is the grave biosecurity risk with those of us coming from known low negligible risk jurisdictions quarantining at home (or paid apartment of choice) with testing and bracelet?

Anyway, I do realise it's way too nuanced to sell this politically.

Maybe Taiwan can capitalise on this. Their management of covid has been exemplary, perhaps they can be a quarantine transit destination.

 

[prozac]

That's the same for me too, but audio conf, not video. This push towards VC has been........ odd, mainly by those that were used to doing everything in person. For me working in technology, we've been collaborating with teams all over the globe for as long as I've been working so it's not new. We don't do VC much, still, as there's just no need.

I just got off a call to Europe. Put a collared shirt on as it was a first meeting with a new customer, then he voice calls. Covid has meant I have been able to do business from home without needing to travel. Not that I am not keen to move to Europe when it is safe to do so.

 

[Kimpos]

I think the discussion was mainly in relation to facilitating vaccinated Australians to travel from Australia and return. So health records could be used to establish the veracity of the vaccination. Then, knowing that test certificates could be fake, as is done in places like Singapore and Hong Kong, you establish a testing station at the airport and herd people there and then move them into short stay facilities whilst awaiting results. There are ways of reducing the risk substantially, and once the majority of Australians over 50 are vaccinated the risk is even further reduced.

The fact is Australia has a choice, not now, but probably by Christmas it will have to decide if it wants to be come a hermit nation - forever - or accept a very low level of risk.

And that was really the point of my query- it is such a leap from controlled quarantine and it is unreasonable to expect to impose measures on a wide swathe of people (other housemates for example). My view only, but at some point, vaccination has to = tolerable risk

 

[mviy]

Home quarantine could potentially be quarantining in your holiday home or a friend’s holiday home if your primary residence is occupied by people who didn’t travel with you.

Whilst home quarantine may not work for everyone it would help a significant number of extra people to travel than what is allowed now.

 

[hb13]

This! VC fatigue is real. So many things were done by VC at the start of the pandemic and more than 12 months on, when the same events occurred my wife and I were just feeling so sick of it all that we did exactly this. Shut ourselves off and did things solo. Very much feeling over it all. However, of course in the UK we've been in a severe lockdown for what? 60-70% of the last 12 months? So that of course has its impact on you.

This past week has been absolute bliss, out on the open road exploring the east coast of England from top to bottom. Lucky to have had amazing weather too. Back to reality tomorrow.....

Tell me about it! I've grown to hate MS Teams

 

[hb13]

Like dajop I imagine in the first round of home quarantine would only be an option for Australians who were fully vaccinated in Australia (official Medicare records, not some external certificate that can be faked) before departing Australia.

However with a fully vaccinated NZ airport worker testing positive today, I imagine rhw Australian Government will leverage that as a reason why even with vaccine we cant open up.

I'm fairly certain that this solitary person who has been infected while fully vaccinated will be used heavily by many who are keen to continue having Australia as a hermit nation, when the vaccines are working.

Just as a bit of a data point, from here in the UK, I thought this may be some good info to share (from the Telegraph in the UK, behind a paywall, so I thought I'd just post the info):

"Deaths involving Covid-19 among people aged 80 and over have fallen by 97 percent since the second-wave peak, the latest ONS figures suggest.

A total of 172 Covid-19 deaths in the 80-and-over age group occurred in England and Wales in the week ending April 2, down from 5,361 deaths in the week ending January 22.

Deaths for those aged 75-79 and 70-74 also dropped 97 percent in the same period, compared with falls of 95 percent for those aged 65-69 and 93 percent for those aged 60-64."

 

[hb13]

Teams/Zoom is great for internal business meetings (takes away the drama of having to find a meeting room) but "virtual events" are lame.

When we were in lock down last April and early May the guys who hosts our weekly pub trivia started doing it on a Facebook live stream, I joined for a few week but lost interest really fast. Whereas happily go in person every week.

Couldn't agree more. There is only so much VC we can all take, and virtual events are getting too much that we are all over it.

I hope the business community wakes up soon and starts to pressure government to realise that international travel needs to be possible sooner rather than later. If this doesn't happen, Australia will very likely remain the Nth Korea of Oceania.

I'm not saying just open the borders. But I don't see why someone fully vaccinated cannot come to Australia, take a test on arrival, another test 5 days later (all while staying in HQ), and then leave if both tests are negative. How is this too risky?

 

[drron]

Yes the UK is doing very well with cases dropping from close to 68000 in January to ~2700 on 19/4.Deathsts from a peak near 1800 a day in mid January to just 4 on 19/4.

UKHSA data dashboard

Showing public health data across England

coronavirus.data.gov.uk

 

[Princess Fiona]

I like many others am becoming increasingly frustrated with what seems to be the government's plan to keep us locked up in HM Prison Australia. I have no issues with keeping the borders closed or the rules around quarantine if arriving from elsewhere to AU i.e. another country. I also have no issues with the fact/ realisation that I may be subject to similar rules, say if I wanted to go to the UK, US or CA. Choosing to leave AU should be my choice, and my decision and not subject to some online form.

I get that and I feel pretty similar to you. Unfortunately the flip side is that they could have unrestricted departure from Australia and a gazillion holiday makers offshore trying to return lodging action via the UN to come home

 

[jakeseven7]

I get that and I feel pretty similar to you. Unfortunately the flip side is that they could have unrestricted departure from Australia and a gazillion holiday makers offshore trying to return lodging action via the UN to come home

Don’t worry about that, Australia has had a gazillion condemnations from UN bodies for the way we keep our indigenous population living in poverty and we manage to bat that away without losing any sleep, I’m sure we can continue to ignore a few stranded Australians too.

 

[hb13]

Don’t worry about that, Australia has had a gazillion condemnations from UN bodies for the way we keep our indigenous population living in poverty and we manage to bat that away without losing any sleep, I’m sure we can continue to ignore a few stranded Australians too.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[ayushamity]

'Biggest load of rubbish’ to say vaccine rollout ‘doesn’t mean’ we can open up

On ya Gladys!! I am sooooo thankful I live in NSW with a sane premier. Imagine living in WA or QLD.....'shudders'...

 

[drron]

Even worse is living in Queensland and trying to travel to Western Australia.