Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[Pushka]

The news.com.au has an interesting survey right now. I sense a shift in the population's mood.

Grim sign we’re going nowhere

If the race to escape the covid pandemic was the 1000m speed skating final at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Australia is in danger of becoming one of the leaders who slipped on the ice in front of Steven Bradbury.

www.news.com.au

 

[N860CR]

Provided those figures stay within the same ballpark for variants then that seems pretty compelling. Just needs good communication.

You'd hope so. Currently we have zero tolerance for covid cases, yet alone hospitalisations. We also have zero tolerance for vaccine related illnesses, so we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Communication needs to be improved. And it needed to start yesterday.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

You'd hope so. Currently we have zero tolerance for covid cases, yet alone hospitalisations. We also have zero tolerance for vaccine related illnesses, so we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Communication needs to be improved. And it needed to start yesterday.

But the zero tolerance is directly related to the low rate of vaccination. I don’t think it’s possible to draw any conclusions about the mindset of the Aussie population pre and post vaccination. (You’d hope it sees the low figures and decides it’s worth a similar - or lower - risk profile than the flu.)

 

[roogirl]

The recent situation with the domestic flight attendant could harm domestic tourism as well. The airlines need to reassure the passengers that the plane is as safe as the airlines can make such space. For my next trip, I want to fly with an airline that can assure me that ALL OF THEIR STAFF who interact with me, my family, my luggage are vaccinated (except those with medical conditions justifying not vaccinating). I don't view this as "authoritarian" or "freedom limiting" - I view this as appropriate risk-based analysis of the facts as we know them. These are the types of things that are going to be required to live in a COVID normal world.

If you are vaccinated why do you care if your baggage handlers are? I understand this attitude in eg healthcare and aged care but I don’t really get it as a blanket proposition.

 

[N860CR]

But the zero tolerance is directly related to the low rate of vaccination. I don’t think it’s possible to draw any conclusions about the mindset of the Aussie population pre and post vaccination. (You’d hope it sees the low figures and decides it’s worth a similar - or lower - risk profile than the flu.)

Hopefully yes. I'm just not sure the message is getting across to the public. Given we're still hearing "you can still pass it on if you're vaccinated", "the vaccines aren't totally effective" and "I'm not getting vaccinated because I could get a blood clot", I honestly believe the general public believes "zero deaths, zero risks" is a longterm possibility.

The government needs to start communicating now to change that attitude. At the very least, it should speed the vaccination program up.

 

[Eastwick20]

A lot of the zero tolerance though has come from the media hysteria.
Breaking news and headlines aimed to cause terror and alarm because that terror and alarm keeps people reading/ watching/clicking

The chance of having a life threating reaction to the vaccine is less then been hit by a car or tripping over and hurting yourself on the way to get that vaccine, not that you'd know that from the frenzy that has been wiped up.
I know intelligent well educated people who think they are at huge risk of getting this vaccine because of "what they have heard/read in the news"

I've had a theory right through this pandemic that beyond the important information that needs to be reported on, this pandemic has been a blessing for journalists,

Pre Covid they had to search and hunt for attention grabbing stories and the next scoop
Covid basically writes their next story for them with little to no effort required

Take what really are boring facts of a vaccine's possible side effects and the percentage of people that will happen too ( just like every other single medicine in history ) add a mixture of alarming fear inducing hyperbole, mix for 30 seconds and bam you've got your audience hooked

Never mind the biggest global health crisis in history, as long as we get the ratings and sales in.

 

[jb747]

The recent situation with the domestic flight attendant could harm domestic tourism as well. The airlines need to reassure the passengers that the plane is as safe as the airlines can make such space. For my next trip, I want to fly with an airline that can assure me that ALL OF THEIR STAFF who interact with me, my family, my luggage are vaccinated (except those with medical conditions justifying not vaccinating). I don't view this as "authoritarian" or "freedom limiting" - I view this as appropriate risk-based analysis of the facts as we know them. These are the types of things that are going to be required to live in a COVID normal world.

And, to also improve your peace of mind, we'll need to have all of the other passengers vaccinated as well. Plus, the crew will be equally justified in wanting all of the passengers vaccinated. So, no vax, no fly.

I'm not tongue in cheek either, this is what I think it should be.

 

[JB expat]

And, to also improve your peace of mind, we'll need to have all of the other passengers vaccinated as well. Plus, the crew will be equally justified in wanting all of the passengers vaccinated. So, no vax, no fly.

I'm not tongue in cheek either, this is what I think it should be.

I completely agree!!

 

[JB expat]

If you are vaccinated why do you care if your baggage handlers are? I understand this attitude in eg healthcare and aged care but I don’t really get it as a blanket proposition.

Because they interact regularly with people involved in the plane I (and my unvaccinated children - until it is approved for their use) will be sitting on and touching my luggage. I'm someone who thinks that passengers should be required to have a vaccine passport or proper medical exemption - so I think this should go for people who have jobs within the airport setting. The number of passing interactions when it comes to everything to do with airports is huge - thus the need to have those who work in that space vaccinated.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A lot of the zero tolerance though has come from the media hysteria.
Breaking news and headlines aimed to cause terror and alarm because that terror and alarm keeps people reading/ watching/clicking

The chance of having a life threating reaction to the vaccine is less then been hit by a car or tripping over and hurting yourself on the way to get that vaccine, not that you'd know that from the frenzy that has been wiped up.
I know intelligent well educated people who think they are at huge risk of getting this vaccine because of "what they have heard/read in the news"

I've had a theory right through this pandemic that beyond the important information that needs to be reported on, this pandemic has been a blessing for journalists,

Pre Covid they had to search and hunt for attention grabbing stories and the next scoop
Covid basically writes their next story for them with little to no effort required

Take what really are boring facts of a vaccine's possible side effects and the percentage of people that will happen too ( just like every other single medicine in history ) add a mixture of alarming fear inducing hyperbole, mix for 30 seconds and bam you've got your audience hooked

Never mind the biggest global health crisis in history, as long as we get the ratings and sales in.

The media rolled out epidemiologists, the government rolled out their chief medical officers to explain the (very low) risks. But I don’t think people were buying it. I don’t know for sure why that it, but I know we certainly got the news second hand... other countries had already banned the use of AZ for certain age groups while the Aussie government was saying ‘nothing to see here’. Then a week or two later the government says ‘oh, there is something to see here’.

The government was also slow to react in telling us about mitigation for blood clots... in fact I’m not sure they have even now? Yes there are blood clots, but they need to be telling us about the effective treatments now they know about them.

So without transparency, and with a government slow to react, is it any wonder people choose to make up their own minds?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Yes there are blood clots, but they need to be telling us about the effective treatments now they know about them.

The he CMO has been saying this in interviews for a while. But of course if you don't watch them it requires the media to report on it and quote accurately...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Agree, only thing getting me through this is knowledge that we are still vaccinating our population, albeight slowly, and that once we get everyone who wants on done, and further time and education to anti-vaxxers's, we should open up by middle of next year. Europe and USA will be fully done by middle to end of this year, and good portion of SE Asia by early to middle 2022.

Saw some data showing the way out by vaccination last night, not CDC confirmed, but very positive still:

For month of May 2021 in USA

Hospitalisations from COVID 853,000, fully vaccinated hospitalisations 1,200.

Deaths from COVID 18,000, fully vaccinated deaths 150.

Both above under 1% for fully vaccinated, 99%+ for non-vaccinated.

Certainly telling................................

And from a Sydney perspective, reported on ABC, hopefully others to follow: Six out of 30 people who attended Sydney party didn't contract COVID-19. They all had one thing in common

 

[Supersonic Swinger]

And from a Sydney perspective, reported on ABC, hopefully others to follow: Six out of 30 people who attended Sydney party didn't contract COVID-19. They all had one thing in common

This needs to be known much more widely. Vaccine hesitancy should reduce when these facts become more widely known

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This needs to be known much more widely. Vaccine hesitancy should reduce when these facts become more widely known

Also reported on the main 7 news bulletin tonight. But story #4 or 5

 

[ethernet]

On ABC there was an American expert describing HOW to encourage vaccination. The message that YOUR vaccine has been reserved for you resonates. Calling people from the radio station - have you been vaccinated. OK you have won $200, Vs other nada. The FOMO effect helps. Those with vaccinations have privileges. This lady was full of ideas to achieve the outcome.

Meanwhile in Australia, not making vaccination compulsory for tip-of-spear workers is still too hard. At $1 Billion a week?? somebody is not thinking. Same for not doing Mercaptin leakage tests at quarantine sites that HAD confirmed leakages. Yep, head in sand in a bucket. Meanwhile unused AZ with low expiry dates looks like being wasted. Maybe we should resolve legal liability and let some young ones have it - if they want to. But they don't want to list the factors in those affected, because that would be 'discrimination'., such as bloodtype and ethnicitity, and I suspect women's ages are important.

There have been a good 500 fully vaccinated deaths. I would like to see the table
age, sex, BMI(approx), Blood type, ethnicity, Vaccine maker, pre-existing conditions, country of death.
I'll go out on a limb, and speculate those with 'B' blood have little to fear, and pure 'A' blood close to Nordic areas, higher. Also I believe catching Covid, causes more blood clots, and possibly diabetes for some.

Time to get serious.

 

[clifford]

This needs to be known much more widely. Vaccine hesitancy should reduce when these facts become more widely known

You're assuming that the vast majority of people are switched on to this type of thing. Many aren't, unfortunately.

 

[hb13]

It seems now that AZ vaccine is available to all Australians over 18?

 

[burmans]

It seems now that AZ vaccine is available to all Australians over 18?

Trouble giving it away these days!

 

[kpc]

From tonight's press conference, it is clear ScoMo has currently no plan for Australia to "live" with the virus...his main and only priority at the moment is getting the population vaccinated....he will then look at international borders sometime next year....my current prediction of the international borders being closed for 5 years (from March 2020) is looking unfortunately realistic
Edit: this is what he said: Covid updates NSW, Vic, Qld: 18 cases in Sydney as lockdown continues, new restrictions for Qld

 

[mviy]

From tonight's press conference, it is clear SvkMo has currently no plan for Australia to "live" with the virus...his main and only priority at the moment is getting the population vaccinated....he will then look at international borders sometime next year....my current prediction of the international borders being closed for 5 years (from March 2020) is looking unfortunately realistic

If they leave them closed that long I suspect a number of us will get fed up and try going via NZ or SIN if we have a bubble with them by then. I'd probably seriously consider going for 3 months starting November 2022 if the borders are still shut then with no end in sight and no likelihood of getting an exemption.