Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[jrfsp]

COVID-19: Council removes Argentina, Australia and Canada from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted

Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council removed three countries from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted.

www.consilium.europa.eu

For the first time since EU advisories were published, Australia is no longer a Covid-safe country and travel restrictions are likely to be applied across some EU members.

Indonesia remains on the list.

The potential significance of this is that Australian travelers will have to (if they haven't already) provide vaccination certification. Will there be any issues as the EU digital certification system does not recognize Australian certificates?

Also note some countries may now require testing for entry as is common for non EU member states

EU Council Removes Argentina, Australia & Canada From Safe Third Countries List

Updating the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted, the Council of the European Union decided to remove Argentina, Australia, and Canada from it, thus, advising the Member States to reinstate travel restrictions on travellers from these three countries. “The Council...

www.schengenvisainfo.com

 

[Pushka]

COVID-19: Council removes Argentina, Australia and Canada from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted

Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council removed three countries from the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted.

www.consilium.europa.eu

For the first time since EU advisories were published, Australia is no longer a Covid-safe country and travel restrictions are likely to be applied across some EU members.

Indonesia remains on the list.

Wondering when that might happen.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Will there be any issues as the EU digital certification system does not recognize Australian certificates?

This was my first thought, I wonder if it might kick some bureaucracy in to gear and sort that out...

 

[jrfsp]

MEL airport pushing to drop pre dept PCR requirement

‘No higher risk’: Melbourne Airport pushes to relax COVID-19 test rules

The head of aviation at Australia’s second busiest gateway says the testing requirements for inbound travellers do little to protect public health at a time country is recording tens of thousands of new cases a day.

www.theage.com.au

 

[oznflfan]

MEL airport pushing to drop pre dept PCR requirement

‘No higher risk’: Melbourne Airport pushes to relax COVID-19 test rules

The head of aviation at Australia’s second busiest gateway says the testing requirements for inbound travellers do little to protect public health at a time country is recording tens of thousands of new cases a day.

www.theage.com.au

KEEP PUSHING PEOPLE........................................

 

[Seat0B]

Realistically, it’s currently a total waste of time and causing a lot of pain and suffering for people (especially those who are likely picking it up in Australia before leaning anyway).

Fingers crossed it’s soon. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it change not long after the WA border opening. Canberra might be trying to keep things calm until then.

It is a total waste of time. Seat Son paid $145 and waited some hours to get a paid PCR about 60 hours prior to his return to UAE. He got his results back pretty quickly - about 8-9 hours - negative for COVID. Then he went out with his mates that night and the next night we had a family farewell dinner for him. One of the family members and her boyfriend both tested positive 36 hours after that dinner. By then Seat Son was on the plane home off the strength of his (now very dated) negative PCR.

It's just a stupid waste of time, money and resources that could be better directed to other uses. His test was an airline and UAE entry requirement. I suppose it would have stopped him if he was positive at the time of taking the test, but there was plenty of time and opportunity for him to get positive in the intervening period before his flight departed. If airlines and countries think a negative PCR is preventing positive people entering their flights/country, they are sadly mistaken.

BTW, looks like vaccine and boosters did their job, because no one at the dinner caught COVID from the 2 infected guests, including Seat Son (triple vaxxed), my elderly mum (triple vaxxed), 15 month old unvaxxed granddaughter and everyone else double vaxxed (not booster eligible at that time).

 

[Seat0B]

My experience - two out of three! Lucky they didn't do a last minute test at the departure airport maybe.

That is one reason we encouraged Seat Son to do his as early as possible in the 72 hr window and not at the airport. Additionally, as he would depart from Sydney, if he got a positive surprise result at the airport, it would be a logistical nightmare to get him back to ACT for quarantine period.

 

[Flashback]

It is a total waste of time. Seat Son paid $145 and waited some hours to get a paid PCR about 60 hours prior to his return to UAE. He got his results back pretty quickly - about 8-9 hours - negative for COVID. Then he went out with his mates that night and the next night we had a family farewell dinner for him. One of the family members and her boyfriend both tested positive 36 hours after that dinner. By then Seat Son was on the plane home off the strength of his (now very dated) negative PCR.

It's just a stupid waste of time, money and resources that could be better directed to other uses. His test was an airline and UAE entry requirement. I suppose it would have stopped him if he was positive at the time of taking the test, but there was plenty of time and opportunity for him to get positive in the intervening period before his flight departed. If airlines and countries think a negative PCR is preventing positive people entering their flights/country, they are sadly mistaken.

BTW, looks like vaccine and boosters did their job, because no one at the dinner caught COVID from the 2 infected guests, including Seat Son (triple vaxxed), my elderly mum (triple vaxxed), 15 month old unvaxxed granddaughter and everyone else double vaxxed (not booster eligible at that time).

Being vaccinated doesn't prevent you from contracting the virus though, but does generally result in a more minor infection.

 

[sydneyboi]

Sweden has dropped all testing into the country from next week, lets hope the other Scandi countries do the same.....

 

[OATEK]

Being vaccinated doesn't prevent you from contracting the virus though, but does generally result in a more minor infection.

Exactly, same as the flu vaccine. I haven't ever flown overseas thinking I was coming down with the flu, but the only pre-covid testing I ever experienced was in HKG (take your hat off!! commands were the thing).

It seems that many countries are realising they are likely to export more covid than they import, given omicrons race through the populations, and are acting accordingly.

 

[coyote25]

From ABC website:
Ms Palaszczuk also announced quarantine-free international travel into the state for fully vaccinated people would resume from 1:00am this Saturday.

So easier travel into QLD from Saturday 22 January 2022.

 

[Lynda2475]

From below article:

Ms Palaszczuk also announced quarantine-free international travel into the state for fully vaccinated people would resume from 1:00am this Saturday, with Queensland expected to reach its 90 per cent vaccination rate target for those aged 16 and over this week.

Traveller will not have to quarantine, provided they are fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 RAT within 24 hours of entering the country.

"This gives certainty to the airlines, it gives certainty to incoming travellers that from 1:00am Saturday, you can come into Queensland and if you are vaccinated – you will not have to quarantine," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Queensland records 11 COVID deaths, sets date for quarantine-free international travel

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the elimination of quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers allows families to reunite and people to plan overseas holidays.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Amanad78]

From ABC website:
Ms Palaszczuk also announced quarantine-free international travel into the state for fully vaccinated people would resume from 1:00am this Saturday.

So easier travel into QLD from Saturday 22 January 2022.

Yay, I get out of quarantine 8 hours early

 

[Lynda2475]

Also looks like Feds encouraging certain international arrivals:

In an attempt to help prop up a number of industries facing worker shortages, the federal government will provide a fee rebate to any students or backpackers who come back to Australia in the next few months.

The fee, which is around $600, will be rebated for international students who arrive anytime in the next eight weeks and for backpackers on working holiday-maker visas who arrive within the next 12 weeks.

Backpackers, international students offered visa fee refund to entice them back to Australia

In an attempt to help prop up a number of industries facing worker shortages, the federal government will provide a fee rebate to any students or backpackers who come back to Australia in the next few months.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Pushka]

Also looks like Feds encouraging certain international arrivals:

In an attempt to help prop up a number of industries facing worker shortages, the federal government will provide a fee rebate to any students or backpackers who come back to Australia in the next few months.

The fee, which is around $600, will be rebated for international students who arrive anytime in the next eight weeks and for backpackers on working holiday-maker visas who arrive within the next 12 weeks.

Backpackers, international students offered visa fee refund to entice them back to Australia

In an attempt to help prop up a number of industries facing worker shortages, the federal government will provide a fee rebate to any students or backpackers who come back to Australia in the next few months.

www.abc.net.au

Scrap the PCR has to be next.

 

[Tiki]

Great news for QLD!! The usual chicken littles complaining on Anna's FB, I am running out of popcorn!

I would be soooo happy if SQ scraps the preflight PCR or RAT for fully vaxxed transit pax. I am heading to Turkey next month which require either a double vax cert or Covid test. The test is stressing me out, like what if the wrong person breathes on me in Woolies or something. I am self-isolating as much as possible but I do have some things I need to leave the house for in the next fe weeks.

 

[Scr77]

Traveller will not have to quarantine, provided they are fully vaccinated and have a negative COVID-19 RAT within 24 hours of entering the country.

"This gives certainty to the airlines, it gives certainty to incoming travellers that from 1:00am Saturday, you can come into Queensland and if you are vaccinated – you will not have to quarantine," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Queensland records 11 COVID deaths, sets date for quarantine-free international travel

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the elimination of quarantine requirements for vaccinated travellers allows families to reunite and people to plan overseas holidays.

www.abc.net.au

What does the RAT change in QLD mean in reality? The feds still require a PCR….

 

[antycbr]

Great news for QLD!! The usual chicken littles complaining on Anna's FB, I am running out of popcorn!

If they want to live in Covid-zero they should move (in some cases move back) to New Zealand. There the government will keep you locked up indefinitely based on today's announcements.

I would be soooo happy if SQ scraps the preflight PCR or RAT for fully vaxxed transit pax. I am heading to Turkey next month which require either a double vax cert or Covid test. The test is stressing me out, like what if the wrong person breathes on me in Woolies or something. I am self-isolating as much as possible but I do have some things I need to leave the house for in the next fe weeks.

SQ need to move or risk being overflown. Changi exists because its a convenient hub, and PCR or RAT for transits is anything but if there is an alternative.

 

[Lynda2475]

What does the RAT change in QLD mean in reality? The feds still require a PCR….

I think that means if you arrive via another state. So doesn't remove the Fed requirement for PCR to enter Australia.

It is my understanding that prior to this announcement, if you flew for example LAX-SYD-BNE you would have had to iso for 14 days in Qld, or could fly LAX-SYD, spend 14 days within NSW without iso before entering Qld iso free.

But then again AP isnt known for making much sense.

 

[mviy]

What does the RAT change in QLD mean in reality? The feds still require a PCR….

I think it means the post-arrival test i.e. after you get home to Australia. Lining up for a PCR after you arrive home and waiting potentially a handful of days for a result is a lot worse than taking a RAT at home and getting the result say 15 mins later.

If you have tested negative on a PCR within 72 hours of flying home as has everyone else on the plane you'd have to be pretty unfortunate to catch COVID between taking the PCR test and getting home.