Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[PineappleSkip]

Really impressed with my upgrade last night from suspicious traveller to close contact. After calling NSW Health this morning I have progressed from spreadsheet to spreadsheet and now waiting to be whisked off to ‘special accommodation’

We won’t have long to wait then as there is a case who has been active in the community in NSW now
ABC news

There may be more. Big crowd off SQ211 on Sunday night with no room to social distance where NSW Health were, jammed in a narrow space between immigration and baggage reclaim. Hopefully the South Africans had been diverted before this point.

Anyone got any feedback on ability to travel to ACT from SYD with this 72 hour NSW isolation which allows you to drive 'home' ?

I think possible. The NSW and ACT guidelines both appear to countenance it. The NSW order has rules about rest breaks and fuel stops and the like.

After some initial ambiguity, NSW appears to be adamant about no onward flights however.

cheers skip

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The question simply is “where does it end?”. The elderly population is as good as 100% vaccinated. The only deaths were really seeing are in unvaccinated people with preexisting health conditions.

Supporting a measured approach does not equal wanting a geriatric genocide.

And that was the point... they weren't - still aren't? - sure whether this variant of concern can break through the current vaccines. Once we know, we can go back to the measured approach. But a two-week pause doesn't seem unreasonable?

 

[Kimpos]

And that was the point... they weren't - still aren't? - sure whether this variant of concern can break through the current vaccines. Once we know, we can go back to the measured approach. But a two-week pause doesn't seem unreasonable?

2 weeks may be reasonable but not if it is just the beginning- remember everytime Melbourne went into lockdown it was touted as short term.
This article is a bit worrying with the reference to 2-6 weeks to determine efficacy against omicron

MSN

 

[andye]

2 weeks may be reasonable but not if it is just the beginning- remember everytime Melbourne went into lockdown it was touted as short term.
This article is a bit worrying with the reference to 2-6 weeks to determine efficacy against omicron

MSN

Have to say that 2 weeks seems a short time to work out the main question- if it will cause ICU-requiring illness in vaxed individuals.

Even longer to work out the effect of 3 jab v 2 jab

ICU-requiring illness in unvaxed may be relevant as if it genuinely mild, there would be a case for letting it out-compete delta.

If it is truly more infective than Delta, it is probably largely out of our hands about it spreading

We will be waiting even longer if we want to find out what happens in "Australian conditions" as in the scheme of things our overall case rate is so small

 

[Pushka]

Do I have this completely wrong? That in order to return to Australia, let's keep it simple, with an Australian passport, you still need to seek am exemption? I thought this pause was just for international students etc. But news.com.au reports it differently

PM drops massive border clue

Scott Morrison has raised hopes that a pause to the reopening of international borders could end earlier than expected as he urged the states not to be “spooked” into lockdowns.

www.news.com.au

"The Morrison Government announced this week the planned December 1 reopening for vaccinated Australians returning from overseas without a travel exemption would be delayed.

Until now, Australians returning home could travel only if they sought a travel exemption.

A valid passport was no guarantee of being able to fly home. It’s a policy that left thousands stranded overseas.

“We’ve just pushed it back from the first of December until the 15th of December,” the Prime Minister said."

 

[Flashback]

Do I have this completely wrong? That in order to return to Australia, let's keep it simple, with an Australian passport, you still need to seek am exemption? I thought this pause was just for international students etc. But news.com.au reports it differently

PM drops massive border clue

Scott Morrison has raised hopes that a pause to the reopening of international borders could end earlier than expected as he urged the states not to be “spooked” into lockdowns.

www.news.com.au

"The Morrison Government announced this week the planned December 1 reopening for vaccinated Australians returning from overseas without a travel exemption would be delayed.

Until now, Australians returning home could travel only if they sought a travel exemption.

A valid passport was no guarantee of being able to fly home. It’s a policy that left thousands stranded overseas.

“We’ve just pushed it back from the first of December until the 15th of December,” the Prime Minister said."

I'm not sure that's ever been a thing. Exemptions have only been required for non-AU citizens / PR holders to enter, and then for all to depart.

 

[Pushka]

I'm not sure that's ever been a thing. Exemptions have only been required for non-AU citizens / PR holders to enter, and then for all to depart.

It's incredibly bad poor sloppy reporting if so. And that was my thinking too.

 

[TouchYourFace]

It's incredibly bad poor sloppy reporting if so. And that was my thinking too.

You can save yourself a lot of pain by not trying to get actionable information from the mass media.

 

[Pushka]

You can save yourself a lot of pain by not trying to get actionable information from the mass media.

Good point. But I never thought they were this bad!

 

[N860CR]

And that was the point... they weren't - still aren't? - sure whether this variant of concern can break through the current vaccines. Once we know, we can go back to the measured approach. But a two-week pause doesn't seem unreasonable?

You don’t seem to be able to look past the covid hysteria. We’ve had countless “variants” now and none have proven to be any worse. Vaccines have been effective for all of them.

Maybe this will be different? Maybe a whole new virus will pop up? Maybe an asteroid will hit the earth?

We cannot continue with this mass panic every time someone sneezes slightly differently, especially in a country where virtually 100% of the at risk are fully vaccinated.

 

[justinbrett]

It's always interesting when people say "there's no harm in stopping everything for 14 days" when it doesn't effect them.

Meanwhile others have their lives turned upside down, some at extreme and even fatal consequences.

 

[N860CR]

It's always interesting when people say "there's no harm in stopping everything for 14 days" when it doesn't effect them.

Meanwhile others have their lives turned upside down, some at extreme and even fatal consequences.

Exactly. Typical NIMBY which sadly is far too common in Australia.

 

[Silvia]

I am sorry to pest with questions but for those who are doing self-iso. How is the check in being done? Phone call? My parents are just worried that they have overseas numbers and will only connect to wifi due to costs. Do you have to formally wait for them to clear you of self-iso before heading to interstate or another destination?

I am on the line to NSW Health but thought to also check in this group. Thanks again

 

[Lynda2475]

If they are staying in a hotel for ISO, surely they can give the hotel phone number? Reception can connect call through to the room. Of course easiest to send them a local pre-paid sim.

 

[Silvia]

I just got confirmation that they are able to transit through and iso in Melbourne. What a roller coaster of a week!

 

[dajop]

Do I have this completely wrong? That in order to return to Australia, let's keep it simple, with an Australian passport, you still need to seek am exemption? I thought this pause was just for international students etc. But news.com.au reports it differently

PM drops massive border clue

Scott Morrison has raised hopes that a pause to the reopening of international borders could end earlier than expected as he urged the states not to be “spooked” into lockdowns.

www.news.com.au

"The Morrison Government announced this week the planned December 1 reopening for vaccinated Australians returning from overseas without a travel exemption would be delayed.

Until now, Australians returning home could travel only if they sought a travel exemption.

A valid passport was no guarantee of being able to fly home. It’s a policy that left thousands stranded overseas.

“We’ve just pushed it back from the first of December until the 15th of December,” the Prime Minister said."

Looks like they’ve been reading your post and subsequent comments and have now updated the article, to the correct information.

 

[Pushka]

Looks like they’ve been reading your post and subsequent comments and have now updated the article, to the correct information.

Well I must admit I tweeted as well

 

[bogusidiot]

Except it is true. This country has royal commissions to decide what colour shoes the PM should wear.

It was a waste of time. But more critically, prior to it even happening, the general public couldn’t have carried less.

They care until the point they're told that they'll need to pay more taxes or accommodation fees to "fix" anything...

 

[andye]

It is quite telling that aged pension reforms or changes to franking are political dynamite but no party has made headway offering to improve homecare packages or aged-care facilities. These have only been on agenda since covid deaths and royal commission

 

[Andrewt]

I am sorry to pest with questions but for those who are doing self-iso. How is the check in being done? Phone call? My parents are just worried that they have overseas numbers and will only connect to wifi due to costs. Do you have to formally wait for them to clear you of self-iso before heading to interstate or another destination?

I am on the line to NSW Health but thought to also check in this group. Thanks again

Currently on Day 2 of my home isolation in Vic, had a knock at the door by 2 Authorised Officers. They wanted to see proof of my Day 1 test and check I was home. I got the impression I won't see or hear from them again.