Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[ketsuzei]

A few months ago our High Commission was told to base Australian staffing decisions on the assumption that caps on incoming travel would remain in place until December 2021. It’s relevant in part because some staffing decisions depend on the number of our citizens in Australia, whether temporary or otherwise.

Do you have any update on this, @trevella?

 

[Rebus]

I agree - with one hesitation. While I support "release" upon the negative covid test, shouldn't there be testing requirements at say day 5 and day 14? I'm not saying that home quarantine should be required post the first negative test, but I think there is a big gap if further testing isn't required. Please keep in mind I am all for opening the borders for the fully vaccinated - I am also the mother of 2 boys too young to be vaccinated.

If we accept that Covid will be 'out there' once we ease off on the current restrictions, why does the fact that a fully vaccinated person has just arrived from UK/US/Singapore mean that they should be handled differently to say another fully vacc'd person who may have spent the past few days exposed to the virus in the community? Especially as they are likely to have taken a pre-departure test just to get on the flight.

 

[Pushka]

If we accept that Covid will be 'out there' once we ease off on the current restrictions, why does the fact that a fully vaccinated person has just arrived from UK/US/Singapore mean that they should be handled differently to say another fully vacc'd person who may have spent the past few days exposed to the virus in the community? Especially as they are likely to have taken a pre-departure test just to get on the flight.

Possibly because we have blamed overseas arrivals for all of this outbreak so to be seen to allowing a free for all from overseas might be a step too far just yet. Possibly there is concern about Fake Vax statements. And in places where there (currently) is no Covid, would likely result in ongoing state border closures if no quarantine at all.

 

[ayushamity]

Western Australia to stay shut until 2022

McClown

 

[mviy]

Western Australia to stay shut until 2022

His actions would suggest he wants QF9 to shift from MEL-PER-LHR to MEL-DRW-LHR whatever he may say to the contrary. PER needs to be open to travellers from the eastern states for QF to justify a PER-LHR service.

Depending on pricing I'll either want to go via SIN to LHR or via DRW hopefully in early to mid December.

 

[drron]

I agree - with one hesitation. While I support "release" upon the negative covid test, shouldn't there be testing requirements at say day 5 and day 14? I'm not saying that home quarantine should be required post the first negative test, but I think there is a big gap if further testing isn't required. Please keep in mind I am all for opening the borders for the fully vaccinated - I am also the mother of 2 boys too young to be vaccinated.

From the article they require 2 more covid tests in the week after arrival in Singapore.

Besides the limited numbers, passengers can only have been in Germany itself for the 21 days before they fly and must undergo four PCR tests costing about $150 each − one before departure, another upon arrival and a further two in the week afterwards.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

His actions would suggest he wants QF9 to shift from MEL-PER-LHR to MEL-DRW-LHR whatever he may say to the contrary. PER needs to be open to travellers from the eastern states for QF to justify a PER-LHR service.

Depending on pricing I'll either want to go via SIN to LHR or via DRW hopefully in early to mid December.

If I were you, I'd suggest just do whatever Qantas wants......just book Australia to London - Qantas can work out the transit.

 

[mviy]

If I were you, I'd suggest just do whatever Qantas wants......just book Australia to London - Qantas can work out the transit.

I want to book, but will wait till I have more confidence over the trip going ahead. Also a DSC promo would be nice, but maybe expecting a bit much.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

I want to book, but will wait till I have more confidence over the trip going ahead. Also a DSC promo would be nice, but maybe expecting a bit much.

currently going MEL - > DXB -> UK early dec, fingers crossed

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

I want to book, but will wait till I have more confidence over the trip going ahead. Also a DSC promo would be nice, but maybe expecting a bit much.

You might get initial confidence from borders, both state and international opening, but unless you are following every government's policy, you don't know when borders might slam shut for reasons such as detected cases too high, hospital numbers too high, icu numbers too high, got into a vulnerable community.......peversely I think Qnatas will see a surge in late Jan and thus hold off or defer the usual Feb DSC.

 

[JB expat]

If we accept that Covid will be 'out there' once we ease off on the current restrictions, why does the fact that a fully vaccinated person has just arrived from UK/US/Singapore mean that they should be handled differently to say another fully vacc'd person who may have spent the past few days exposed to the virus in the community? Especially as they are likely to have taken a pre-departure test just to get on the flight.

It is a risk mitigation measure - not perfection.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Just as a slight aside,

In the time it has taken to have 100 Overseas cases into NSW there has been 27,831 cases overall.

case for keeping the borders shut is just strong as.

 

[Seat0B]

If we accept that Covid will be 'out there' once we ease off on the current restrictions, why does the fact that a fully vaccinated person has just arrived from UK/US/Singapore mean that they should be handled differently to say another fully vacc'd person who may have spent the past few days exposed to the virus in the community? Especially as they are likely to have taken a pre-departure test just to get on the flight.

Possibly because we have blamed overseas arrivals for all of this outbreak so to be seen to allowing a free for all from overseas might be a step too far just yet. Possibly there is concern about Fake Vax statements. And in places where there (currently) is no Covid, would likely result in ongoing state border closures if no quarantine at all.

A key quote from this article posted in another thread by @kpc shows that finally, finally, at least one journalist (Michael Pascoe) is starting to get the point that hotel quarantine serves absolutely no purpose any more, and that it is not fair to let people with COVID caught locally home quarantine whilst those from overseas, vaxxed and tested negative in the vast majority of cases, must pay for and endure 14 days of hotel quarantine. I hope that the politicians get that very soon too.

"There was a lower percentage of cases among overseas arrivals – 0.65 per cent last week – than in the Sydney community, underlining the inequity of negative-tested, fully vaccinated arrivals forced into hotel quarantine when there are 24,000 known active cases in home quarantine or hospital and another few thousand untested cases at large."

Michael Pascoe: Hard times ahead for NSW hospitals, other states worse

The New South Wales hospital system is already “stretched”, to use the euphemism du jour, while threatened with a doubling of hospitalisations next month.

thenewdaily.com.au

Michael Pascoe for PM!

And to be clear, the link to thread title is - sooner no quarantine, sooner free travel will happen for us all.

 

[Seat0B]

Western Australia to stay shut until 2022

McClown

Although in a way I no longer care as I will not be voluntarily going to WA ever again, although I may have to go for work purposes from time to time. Luckily I don't have family there, so this is pretty easy for me. It will be harder for me to avoid QLD because of family, but I will try.

So QF routing that does not require visiting WA or QLD will suit me very nicely.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

A key quote from this article posted in another thread by @kpc shows that finally, finally, at least one journalist (Michael Pascoe) is starting to get the point that hotel quarantine serves absolutely no purpose any more, and that it is not fair to let people with COVID caught locally home quarantine whilst those from overseas, vaxxed and tested negative in the vast majority of cases, must pay for and endure 14 days of hotel quarantine. I hope that the politicians get that very soon too.

"There was a lower percentage of cases among overseas arrivals – 0.65 per cent last week – than in the Sydney community, underlining the inequity of negative-tested, fully vaccinated arrivals forced into hotel quarantine when there are 24,000 known active cases in home quarantine or hospital and another few thousand untested cases at large."

Michael Pascoe: Hard times ahead for NSW hospitals, other states worse

The New South Wales hospital system is already “stretched”, to use the euphemism du jour, while threatened with a doubling of hospitalisations next month.

thenewdaily.com.au

Michael Pascoe for PM!

And to be clear, the link to thread title is - sooner no quarantine, sooner free travel will happen for us all.

I think most agree to the extent that the arrival has a place to stay in Sydney or Dubbo.

 

[burmans]

His actions would suggest he wants QF9 to shift from MEL-PER-LHR to MEL-DRW-LHR whatever he may say to the contrary. PER needs to be open to travellers from the eastern states for QF to justify a PER-LHR service.

Depending on pricing I'll either want to go via SIN to LHR or via DRW hopefully in early to mid December.

That whole business with him giving Qantas a serve made me laugh. Plays up the fact that they spent money upgrading the terminal but leaves out the fact 'we wont let you use it anytime soon'.

 

[Must...Fly!]

That whole business with him giving Qantas a serve made me laugh. Plays up the fact that they spent money upgrading the terminal but leaves out the fact 'we wont let you use it anytime soon'.

Populism, nothing more nothing less.

 

[jrfsp]

That whole business with him giving Qantas a serve made me laugh. Plays up the fact that they spent money upgrading the terminal but leaves out the fact 'we wont let you use it anytime soon'.

No reason they cant use it as a tech / transit stop?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

No reason they cant use it as a tech / transit stop?

Would a tech/transit stop justify a better airport if no one notionally allowed out because of the covid zero policy??? - just yard the passengers into a bay so the plane could safely refuel - no pick up or drop offs

 

[jrfsp]

Would a tech/transit stop justify a better airport if no one notionally allowed out because of the covid zero policy??? - just yard the passengers into a bay so the plane could safely refuel - no pick up or drop offs

The QF9/10 is frequently operating via PER as a tech stop.

The international area of T3 would work well as a sterile transit area - at least there is a lounge. In SIN the transit passengers are herded in a separate pen to wait their flights so wouldn't be much fun there either.