Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[jase05]

SA proposing to allow 250 per week to home quarantine from next month

 

[Pushka]

SA proposing to allow 250 per week to home quarantine from next month

That is a great ramp up. Do you know any requirements etc?

 

[justinbrett]

I actually think it's remarkable NSW are starting their trial with 7 days and not 14. I did not expect that at all. I wonder how other states feel about this?

 

[jase05]

That is a great ramp up. Do you know any requirements etc?

Think they are still going over the details

 

[guiguioz]

Anybody who thought we were going to go straight from a full lockdown to welcoming the masses at SYD with street parties along George St is just not being realistic.

It's a step in the right direction, and it will get there - soon. Before Christmas. Qantas and the federal government ban all align to a full opening by December.

Some people just gotta be negative.

I don't think it is being negative, but recognising that very little forward planning is being done.

Why does a test need to be run while SA has already done one and as the risks are very limited with close to 10,000 community cases a week in NSW?

Why is no detailed planning being done with the airports and the airlines?

NSW is predicted to hit the 80% double dose mark on 22-Oct and home quarantine will be still be ‘in trial’ at that time with a paltry 30 people per week in home quarantine?

 

[mviy]

I actually think it's remarkable NSW are starting their trial with 7 days and not 14. I did not expect that at all. I wonder how other states feel about this?

Well presumably NSW have seen some data from the SA trial. Seeing people in Sydney can't travel interstate without very difficult to get exemptions I doubt this will make a lot of difference to the other states at this point. The other states are further way from reopening international travel than NSW.

 

[justinbrett]

I don't think it is being negative, but recognising that very little forward planning is being done.

Why does a test need to be run while SA has already done one and as the risks are very limited with close to 10,000 community cases a week in NSW?

Why is no detailed planning being done with the airports and the airlines?

NSW is predicted to hit the 80% double dose mark on 22-Oct and home quarantine will be still be ‘in trial’ at that time with a paltry 30 people per week in home quarantine?

No, it's just that you're not privy to the detail. NSW has to do its own trial because it won't run the same as SA - the SA requirements are very restrictive - sounds like NSW is going to take it to the next step by allowing apartment buildings, regional areas and a shorter time period. It's also for NSW police & health to work out how they will run it.

Detailed planning - pretty sure has been done with the airports and Qantas - doesn't mean they are going to make it all public now.

Again, nobody ever promised it would open on day 1. The lockdown will probably not end until 18 Oct - you really thought they were just going to open the gates 4 days later?

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Well presumably NSW have seen some data from the SA trial. Seeing people in Sydney can't travel interstate without very difficult to get exemptions I doubt this will make a lot of difference to the other states at this point. The other states are further way from reopening international travel than NSW.

I think Victoria's discussions have centred around a two test method (so quarantine somewhere between 3 and 5 days)

 

[guiguioz]

No, it's just that you're not privy to the detail. NSW has to do its own trial because it won't run the same as SA - the SA requirements are very restrictive - sounds like NSW is going to take it to the next step by allowing apartment buildings, regional areas and a shorter time period. It's also for NSW police & health to work out how they will run it.

Detailed planning - pretty sure has been done with the airports and Qantas - doesn't mean they are going to make it all public now.

Again, nobody ever promised it would open on day 1. The lockdown will probably not end until 18 Oct - you really thought they were just going to open the gates 4 days later?

not opening the gates but something at a bigger scale
QF is certainly talking to the Gov. and part of the planning, but the likes of SQ / EK / QR are definitively not. No comms either on lifting up the pax caps.

 

[mviy]

The PM's press release on the NSW home quarantine trial: NSW to run home quarantine pilot program | Prime Minister of Australia

 

[justinbrett]

not opening the gates but something at a bigger scale
QF is certainly talking to the Gov. and part of the planning, but the likes of SQ / EK / QR are definitively not. No comms either on lifting up the pax caps.

Don't forget the national plan says we can't move to the next phase until both the state and national averages reach 80% - which will be mid November.

I've already said I'm fairly certain Qantas will be given an advantage here.

 

[Pom-DownUnder]

Home Q sounding very uncertain for ACT. with no international flights currently or planned how have the people been going into hotel quarantine so far? have they been flown from other airports? bussed ? what if you leave your car in SYD (rather not for 5 weeks ...) sigh.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

To the extent home quarantine in Tasmania may possibly be relevant to future international travel....ABC reporting

Tasmania to begin home quarantine trial for return travellers from regional NSW​

Tasmania will begin a 30-day home quarantine trial for residents returning home from regional New South Wales next week.
The trial will begin for eligible travellers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Premier Peter Gutwein says.
Travellers will also be required to return a negative test, and must have a suitable house to quarantine in with no other residents in the property.
Tasmania currently has border restrictions with Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT.
Public Health director Mark Veitch has clarified that the home quarantine trial will last 30 days, but that participants will only have to quarantine for 14 days.

 

[levelnine]

Anybody who thought we were going to go straight from a full lockdown to welcoming the masses at SYD with street parties along George St is just not being realistic.

It's a step in the right direction, and it will get there - soon. Before Christmas. Qantas and the federal government ban all align to a full opening by December.

Some people just gotta be negative.

You've missed the point of the criticism.

Governments have had 18 months to conduct a trial. Governments have had 18 months to develop an app & test it.

The fact that Governments are only turning their minds to small-stage trials at this stage is appalling. The fact that every single State/Territory Government has to conduct their own separate trial of an identical system is appalling.

You are speaking as if time is not of the essence. Meanwhile people overseas are missing the births/deaths/final goodbyes of loved ones every single day of the week. This is urgent.

 

[OATEK]

You've missed the point of the criticism.

Governments have had 18 months to conduct a trial. Governments have had 18 months to develop an app & test it.

The fact that Governments are only turning their minds to small-stage trials at this stage is appalling. The fact that every single State/Territory Government has to conduct their own separate trial of an identical system is appalling.

You are speaking as if time is not of the essence. Meanwhile people overseas are missing the births/deaths/final goodbyes of loved ones every single day of the week. This is urgent.

Personally, I completely disagree, but that is the joy of living in a relatively free society. My view is that thinking about trials, and apps when much more urgent issues were being confronted is to distort priorities. I have seen a number of leading medicos and researchers in the last few weeks talking about vaccines for children who have said it is so much better for AU that we can see how it is going overseas to inform our responses.

I would have said all the stuff to do with a post-vaccine, post quarantine world will have similarly benefitted from the success and failures of others. Carts and horses spring to mind when people say that 18 months ago we should have been looking past what we were facing instead of concentrating on what was right there in front of us. YMMV.

 

[mviy]

For those of us who have missed out on once in a lifetime moments overseas the international border closures are one of the biggest policy failures of the pandemic and to not have a home quarantine system up and running by now is pathetic.

I would have put up a bond, done longer than 14 days home quarantine even if testing negative, put up with other onerous restrictions to go last year, but the government wouldn't consider any of those things. This has caused great emotional hurt and pain to many both those stuck here and those stuck abroad.

With the case numbers in VIC and NSW there's no reason they shouldn't be doing home quarantine at scale now. International arrivals of fully vaccinated travellers who test negative prior to departure clearly don't pose a significant health risk when you are having several hundred cases per day of community transmission.

The government shouldn't be solely focused on making things as easy as possible for the hospitals. It should have been balanced against the needs of the rest of society with a reasonable compromise.

 

[jb747]

The fact that Governments are only turning their minds to small-stage trials at this stage is appalling.

It just means that they think they still have a couple of years worth of lockdowns etc to go. So no hurry. Not a race.

 

[justinbrett]

You've missed the point of the criticism.

Governments have had 18 months to conduct a trial. Governments have had 18 months to develop an app & test it.

The fact that Governments are only turning their minds to small-stage trials at this stage is appalling. The fact that every single State/Territory Government has to conduct their own separate trial of an identical system is appalling.

You are speaking as if time is not of the essence. Meanwhile people overseas are missing the births/deaths/final goodbyes of loved ones every single day of the week. This is urgent.

This kind of thinking that governments should be able to predict the future is just laughable.

We were still talking about building quarantine facilities a few months ago. Some states still are.

I want borders to open as well, I'm desperate to go overseas - but I'm also living in full lockdown, I don't expect to go from not being able to shop in my next LGA or drink at my pub around the corner to visiting friends in the UK in the space of a week.

I for one are happy that we've landed with some sanity - I never would have dreamed we'd be talking about overseas travel in 2021. The future did not look bright six months ago. You want to criticise NSW fine, has any other state guaranteed they are opening for international travel at 80% yet?

 

[jakeseven7]

It just means that they think they still have a couple of years worth of lockdowns etc to go. So no hurry. Not a race.

Agree, in a few years QLD should have got to 60% one dose vaccination and be considering international flights (to Sydney) in about 6 more months. Maybe.

 

[oznflfan]

Feeling optimistic for mid next year, jumping the gun a bit, but booking something makes me much happier. Smile on my face typing this.

Just booked on QFF QF9 ASP - ADE - PER - LHR for the 4th May, back QF2 LHR - SYD - ASP 20th May. 4 hour return changeover SYD - ASP, not sure how that will work for Home Quarantine.

France is preferred main visit, but safest travel I think is direct to LHR, and fully refundable QFF to boot. Worst case UK visit which is still good. No family, just leisure, but need to get away.

Hoping standard effectively non stop transit transfer, obviously not leaving the airport, going through return immigration and collecting bags etc. Looking to commence home quarantine when I return home to Alice Springs.