Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[ayushamity]

Keep in mind that outbound exemptions are not that hard to get, you need to demonstrate that you are going for more than 3 months (if on compassionate grounds) and stat dec saying will not come back before three months and have an iteninary showing a return flight booked more than 3 months in advance

And proof of sufficient funds to sustain yourself overseas and show you quit your job etc

 

[DC3]

Keep in mind that outbound exemptions are not that hard to get, you need to demonstrate that you are going for more than 3 months (if on compassionate grounds) and stat dec saying will not come back before three months and have an iteninary showing a return flight booked more than 3 months in advance

And proof of sufficient funds to sustain yourself overseas and show you quit your job etc

…. and quit your job?

 

[mviy]

If I went for 3 months I’d be wanting to do my job remotely and to come back to the job. The current restrictions are too restrictive for me.

 

[dajop]

It was announced by the PM, prior to the latest variant however. And very thin on details... could just be for business travelers.

Yes, although I was under the impression that us was more of a “thought bubble” than a formal announcement. There have been many such “thought bubbles” discussed during the pandemic that have amounted to nothing, so IMHO it’s not unreasonable to treat these things with a healthy degree of scepticism.

Or in short “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

 

[SydneySwan]

Yes, although I was under the impression that us was more of a “thought bubble” than a formal announcement. There have been many such “thought bubbles” discussed during the pandemic that have amounted to nothing, so IMHO it’s not unreasonable to treat these things with a healthy degree of scepticism.

Or in short “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Definitely a thought bubble.

 

[drron]

I hope even if not a thought bubble things will be easier to get an exemption to leave.The trip we had planned for Feb 22 was just under 3 months.Easily extended and I will have a ticket LHR-SIN at just over the 3 month mark.If the SIN travel bubble is up and running in May we will return soon after that.If not I hope it is something like the UK and spending 2 weeks in SIN clears you from HQ.

 

[dajop]

I hope even if not a thought bubble things will be easier to get an exemption to leave.The trip we had planned for Feb 22 was just under 3 months.Easily extended and I will have a ticket LHR-SIN at just over the 3 month mark.If the SIN travel bubble is up and running in May we will return soon after that.If not I hope it is something like the UK and spending 2 weeks in SIN clears you from HQ.

Wouldn’t count on SIN allowing you to enter if you’d spent time in the UK. But May is a year away so who knows.

 

[trevella]

Where did you hear it confirmed that trials will start from August??

It’s mainly intended for officials coming back from the Olympics and Paralympics.

 

[drron]

The US has now upgraded Australia's covid status to level 1 -low risk.
Full list here.

COVID-19 and Travel

CDC travel recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.cdc.gov

 

[Batterytraveller]

well here’s something to factor into one’s next trip overseas, a few days in bed with the flu.

Seasonal flu ‘nowhere to be seen’ in Australia

Experts who have spent decades studying the flu in Australia have never seen anything like it, but they have warned the strange phenomenon may not last.

www.theage.com.au

 

[DC3]

Definitely a thought bubble.

And there may be an ‘Announcement’?

After the G7 gig

Edited

 

[Seat0B]

Well I was very disappointed to see the PM's televised remarks (ABC Insiders program this morning) along the lines of "well even in the UK with more than 70% of the population vaccinated, there are still 7,000 cases a day and so that's an example of why Australia's borders will be staying shut because we don't want that many infections."

Point is, who cares how many people have caught COVID if they are not sick/not very sick/quite sick but don't have to go to hospital - which is exactly the purpose of vaccination. All we should be caring about is the number of people hospitalised, not the number of infections. As many have observed, we (at community level) don't really seem to care how many people have flu - and frankly I can't even see that we (at community level) have historically cared that much how many people die of flu either, tragedy as that is for them and their family. It's about time we started to think like this about COVID too. We will never achieve COVID -0 . And actually we don't have to in order to open the borders.

The statements of the PM and others do absolutely nothing to encourage people to get the vaccination. Many know that I have been pretty wavery about the risk/benefit decision for myself, and equally that I have said many times that the thing that would motivate me the most is the opportunity to have a family reunion. Comments like the PM's send me a strong message that it will be a very long time before we will ever be given an exit pass. I am over this.

 

[MelMel]

I didn’t see the program but it seems the PM is using figures for first vaccinations. Only a little over 50% have been fully vaccinated

 

[oznflfan]

Well I was very disappointed to see the PM's televised remarks (ABC Insiders program this morning) along the lines of "well even in the UK with more than 70% of the population vaccinated, there are still 7,000 cases a day and so that's an example of why Australia's borders will be staying shut because we don't want that many infections."

Point is, who cares how many people have caught COVID if they are not sick/not very sick/quite sick but don't have to go to hospital - which is exactly the purpose of vaccination. All we should be caring about is the number of people hospitalised, not the number of infections. As many have observed, we (at community level) don't really seem to care how many people have flu - and frankly I can't even see that we (at community level) have historically cared that much how many people die of flu either, tragedy as that is for them and their family. It's about time we started to think like this about COVID too. We will never achieve COVID -0 . And actually we don't have to in order to open the borders.

The statements of the PM and others do absolutely nothing to encourage people to get the vaccination. Many know that I have been pretty wavery about the risk/benefit decision for myself, and equally that I have said many times that the thing that would motivate me the most is the opportunity to have a family reunion. Comments like the PM's send me a strong message that it will be a very long time before we will ever be given an exit pass. I am over this.

He's only stating that as he thinks this COVID Zero is what majority of Aussies want ...

 

[drron]

The PM is not going to win the election if he continues to go for Covid zero.People are giving the credit for being kept safe to their State governments.I am hearing this more and more from all walks of life.Howard's battlers that have helped the Coalition to victory this century are losing faith.
As to his performance on the ABC Insiders program as pointed out by @MelMel he used the figures for first dose to get his 70% figure.Not only that he obviously doesn't realise that back in January this year they were up to 60000 cases per day,deaths from 1360 per day to 12 on friday and hospital admissions down from ~4500 a day to 187.

But there is a far more important statistic that is almost certainly keeping those case numbers up.They are doing an incredible amount of testing.In the last 7 days over 6 million tests.Yes a little down from the peak in March when the best daily number was over 1.9 million test.So on their weekly figures they are testing just under 10% of their population in a week.
In contrast our figures for testing in the last week were - 441000.That is less than 2% of our population and about half in % terms of the UK's record testing day.

Time to email my local member and tell him he's wrong and if they think they are going to coast to victory they're dreaming.

 

[DC3]

… Comments like the PM's send me a strong message that it will be a very long time before we will ever be given an exit pass …

Good marketing for the anti-vax mob. That sort of talk may convince many to not get the vax at all. If folks can’t travel overseas, then they will not bring any COVID back into Oz. Where’s the incentive to have the vax for stay-at-homes?

Edited

 

[Seat0B]

He's only stating that as he thinks this COVID Zero is what majority of Aussies want...

If only there was an icon for "I hope you are right", I would have clicked it!

 

[Matt_01]

Well I was very disappointed to see the PM's televised remarks (ABC Insiders program this morning) along the lines of "well even in the UK with more than 70% of the population vaccinated, there are still 7,000 cases a day and so that's an example of why Australia's borders will be staying shut because we don't want that many infections."

Did he make these comments while on down time from the G7 conference in the UK.

 

[Seat0B]

Did he make these comments while on down time from the G7 conference in the UK.

Yes i think so- he was in the UK.

 

[Duncan]

My money is still on late 22 first Quarter 23 said this over 12 months ago. Until they are sure that the vaccine your on protects against all variants you might as well be classed as un vaccinated. The largest study to date UK says OK but the figures aren’t in for the Delta variant yet! The study has only been going 7 months so a bit more time yet plus any new variations re set the clock. No harm in hope but could lead to depression.