Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

roogirl said:
I fear the population. Take a look at the comments section of a mainstream newspaper article on hotel quarantine and you’ll see what I mean
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I'd hardly use that as a barometer of the population's thoughts. People who comment on newspaper websites are likely to believe whatever is written instead of applying any critical thought. Maybe that is the majority...scary thought.
 
I saw some videos on YouTube with news updates about the vaccination rollout and the user comments on the videos were full of comments from anti-vaxxers which is hardly representative of the general population either.

I still think we'll hopefully have a clearer idea of where things stand later this year when the vaccine rollout has progressed a lot more.
 
MEL_Traveller said:
That's right. But I don't think it's a case of being 'beyond comprehension'. It's assessing what we have, what we want to keep, and deciding - once vaccination is freely available - what risk we are willing to accept.
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Well it actually is beyond comprehension, because the Australian public is fed only doom and gloom from the media and the politicians, who have given the scientists free reign to run the country. What people don't realise is that the economy will suffer if this continues. Australia needs international students and tourism. The economy is doing well now, but all the staff now who work in the international travel sectors (such as Qantas staff) are still being supported. When these jobs are lost - it is another hit to the economy. The country can't run on coal and iron ore forever - yet economists are basically not speaking now.

Secondly who is the "we" that you talk of? Because my understanding is it is the scientists, and them alone. And they want 0-covid, which is not a realistic target. Even with borders closed, there are still cases that eventuate - as we can see in Perth right now, which leads onto my next point.

Why do you shut down two cities (Perth and Peel) when you have track and trace? Do you not trust your systems in place? So if 2 cases is enough to cause a snap 3-day lockdown, what hope does anyone have of international travel?
 
NSW wouldn't lock down the whole of Sydney and Newcastle over 2 cases. If NSW are the only ones that open up maybe international students should only be allowed in if they will study at universities in NSW and then see how long the other states hold out.
 
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hb13 said:
Well it actually is beyond comprehension, because the Australian public is fed only doom and gloom from the media and the politicians, who have given the scientists free reign to run the country. What people don't realise is that the economy will suffer if this continues. Australia needs international students and tourism. The economy is doing well now, but all the staff now who work in the international travel sectors (such as Qantas staff) are still being supported. When these jobs are lost - it is another hit to the economy. The country can't run on coal and iron ore forever - yet economists are basically not speaking now.

Secondly who is the "we" that you talk of? Because my understanding is it is the scientists, and them alone. And they want 0-covid, which is not a realistic target. Even with borders closed, there are still cases that eventuate - as we can see in Perth right now, which leads onto my next point.

Why do you shut down two cities (Perth and Peel) when you have track and trace? Do you not trust your systems in place? So if 2 cases is enough to cause a snap 3-day lockdown, what hope does anyone have of international travel?
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I'm not sure any of the covid responses are particularly good from an economic point of view. Lockdowns and no lockdowns both have their economic consequences. And follow on consequences to things like elective surgery lists which were crippled in the UK because of resources being diverted to covid care.

The 'we' will ultimately be the public when it comes to the election. Or taking action through challenges to restrictions through the media, parliamentary channels, or courts and tribunals.

The WA Premier said the snap lockdown was to allow - in part - contact tracers to do their jobs, and not become overwhelmed with a growing list of people to contact.
 
Must...Fly! said:
I'd hardly use that as a barometer of the population's thoughts. People who comment on newspaper websites are likely to believe whatever is written instead of applying any critical thought. Maybe that is the majority...scary thought.
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Actually the worst such comments are reserved for (positive) articles discussing such things as alternatives to hotel quarantines, or the need to allow more Australians to travel home, often the opposite to what is written. They are often downright offensive. But nearly all seem to have an agenda of some sort.
 
Pushka said:
But I admit to trepidation when I see the infection rate in India. And the fact that Australia has constant issues with infections within the system that's supposed to isolate overseas travellers. The media beat up. Numpty decision making that blind Freddy can see what the risks are. The cossetted doona brigade who can't see beyond Australian borders. Overreactive Premiers who have abrogated their power to CHO's. Crazy slow immunisation rate because we 'don't have an issue here". Well, it's a hot mess.
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This needs to be immortalised as a summary of the moronic Australian public. Could not make up something quite this stupid.
 
sjk said:
This needs to be immortalised as a summary of the moronic Australian public. Could not make up something quite this stupid.
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Umm there is a scale and WA has unfortunately been brain washed which means they will be a hermit state from international flights for much longer than any other state and that’s their choice.

Anyway, I suspect Q4 for AU and NZ adding some Pacific neighbours to the bubble.
 
MEL_Traveller said:
I'm not sure any of the covid responses are particularly good from an economic point of view. Lockdowns and no lockdowns both have their economic consequences. And follow on consequences to things like elective surgery lists which were crippled in the UK because of resources being diverted to covid care.

The 'we' will ultimately be the public when it comes to the election. Or taking action through challenges to restrictions through the media, parliamentary channels, or courts and tribunals.

The WA Premier said the snap lockdown was to allow - in part - contact tracers to do their jobs, and not become overwhelmed with a growing list of people to contact.
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Well shutting down as they did for the majority of 2020 was the right decision and there is some economic pain from that, but not as much as anywhere else. The response of staying a hermit nation for the next few years will undoubtedly be disastrous economically, or do you also think that is ok?

Taking actions like what? The majority of the Australian population wants to stay locked in, while at the same not caring in the slightest about stranded Australians or their financial or mental health. So the Feds are likely to easily win the next election because they've done a great job, along with their mates in the Murdoch controlled media of brainwashing the public of the doom if we let anyone in.

So because of 2 or 3 cases, it's ok to shut down thousands of businesses who will suffer greatly with 3 days of lost business? Is that really ok with you? If there is one case, as there was in Perth a few months ago, the same thing happened. And you seriously think that is ok? Is there anything any government does that you disagree with?
 
hb13 said:
Well shutting down as they did for the majority of 2020 was the right decision and there is some economic pain from that, but not as much as anywhere else. The response of staying a hermit nation for the next few years will undoubtedly be disastrous economically, or do you also think that is ok?

Taking actions like what? The majority of the Australian population wants to stay locked in, while at the same not caring in the slightest about stranded Australians or their financial or mental health. So the Feds are likely to easily win the next election because they've done a great job, along with their mates in the Murdoch controlled media of brainwashing the public of the doom if we let anyone in.

So because of 2 or 3 cases, it's ok to shut down thousands of businesses who will suffer greatly with 3 days of lost business? Is that really ok with you? If there is one case, as there was in Perth a few months ago, the same thing happened. And you seriously think that is ok? Is there anything any government does that you disagree with?
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Sure there are things I don't agree with - the exit ban being one of those.

But we all have different priorities. My priority at the moment is to not only keep my (elderly) parents and relatives safe, but also maintain their way of life. They want to go to the hairdresser once a week, to the podiatrist, to go to the doctor, pharmac_, and go out for dinner with their friends. They want to go to the supermarket, or go to a department store if they need something. If other relatives want to go to an Anzac march they should be able to do so.

The folks just had their first dose of vaccine a couple weeks ago (AZ), so in a couple weeks time that will start to work, and they should be as protected as they can be after their second dose in June. Once people in their age group and others in vulnerable cohorts have been vaccinated then why will it matter if we have cases in the community? But we're not there yet. The vaccines were only approved late last year, and we're just four months into this year.

There may be lots of failings in the system. For example it has taken a long time to work out hotel quarantine - and some states still aren't doing it right. But I look at the the environment we have now, not what it 'should' or 'could' have been.

The chances might be very low for community transmission. But I don't know if there's too much appetite to find out if that assumption is wrong.
 
Kiwi_Flyer said:
Yup. 4 clear days of bubble. It is just WA to NZ that is paused.
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Thanks for clarifying that, saving me from clicking through to the the fake news.

Yup, what a ridiculous headline - it is not even correct - "New Zealand Reshapes Travel Bubble after Australian COVID outbreak" would be more accurate - but I guess that doesn't get the clicks. :rolleyes:
 
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