Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[jakeseven7]

Texas will be a disaster I’ve never been to a place where I have seen so many grossly overweight, unhealthy people. The prevalence of diabetes is also sky high.

 

[jase05]

Spain to reopen international borders from July 1 - Parts of Germany to reopen next month.
Can see another big wave hitting Europe as with the warmer weather approaching many people have thrown SD out the window and are returning to normality. Some beaches in France have already been closed due to unacceptable behaviour just days after restrictions were eased in the country.
This Dutch beach sums it up

 

[CityRail]

Looks like the State border closure is getting more and more unsustainable and I think we might see domestic travel begin to start very soon.

Now PM Scoot Morrison is attacking State Premiers for closing their borders:

Scott Morrison urges state leaders to justify economic damage from ongoing border restrictions
Daniel Hurst
In Australia, Scott Morrison has urged several state leaders who are still maintaining domestic border restrictions to justify the potential economic damage.
The prime minister did not go as far as some of his Coalition colleagues in calling for premiers such as Annastacia Palaszczuk in Queensland swiftly lift border restrictions, but he emphasised that the national cabinet had never agreed to internal border closures, and leaders should be accountable to their voters.
Morrison said border restrictions were in place in some form in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, but he said this was never part of the national health panel’s advice.
“The states and territories where they’re making those unilateral decisions, they are accountable to the people in their own states for those decisions, and justifying why they need to be there, and the health protection they believe it may offer and indeed the economic damage that it can create. So it is very much an onus on those premiers to be able to justify those decisions, which was not a decision of the national cabinet, as to why that is the right thing to do for those states.”

Morrison said the focus now needed to be on creating as many jobs as possible and “I’d be urging all premiers to do just that.”

Source: Coronavirus live news: Wuhan lab had bat viruses but not Covid-19 strain as Australia border row simmers

 

[ramboflyer]

Looks like the State border closure is getting more and more unsustainable and I think we might see domestic travel begin to start very good.

Now PM Scoot Morrison is attacking State Premiers for closing their borders:

The national medical authorities never said that interstate borders should be closed. It was the state Premiers that made the call. Surely it's now time to reopen them given the very low number of cases.

 

[drron]

The Deputy Chief Health Officer is an Epidemiologist including being a teacher of that discipline.He also has research experience with influenza.
"Professor Kelly was the principal investigator in the initial development and implementation of the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN), and continues in the role of co-investigator. For three years he was also the chair of the Advisory Board of TEPHINET, (the global peak body for field epidemiology training programmes, representing over 50 national programmes). "

Professor Paul Kelly

Professor Paul Kelly is a public health physician, epidemiologist and health service executive.Professor Kelly is currently the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government Department of Health.He was Chief Health Officer for the Australian Capital Territory and Deputy Director...

medicalschool.anu.edu.au

The QLD cheif Health Officer of QLD has been in that role for 15 years.Before that she was in the non clinical role of Director of Medical Services at Rockhampton and the PA hospital in Brisbane.

I know which one I would think has the more knowledge of border closures with a respiratory viral pandemic.

 

[oz_mark]

Regardless of what the states are saying, I really can't see the state borders staying closed much more than another month or so (unless something untoward happens).

From a WA perspective, I expect that we'll be hearing about the remaining internal borders being removed by the end of this month. Once that is done, give it a few weeks, or maybe all of June, and then we'll find out when the state border reopens.

 

[CityRail]

COVID-19 Legislative response—Human Biosecurity Emergency Declaration Explainer

This FlagPost was first published on 19 March 2020 and has been updated on 27 March 2020 to reflect further Government measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 18 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Australia, the Governor-General declared that a human bio

www.aph.gov.au

According to this legislation, Overseas travel ban will expire on 25th of June unless the Governor extends the biosecurity emergency.

Perhaps we might see some easing with respect to how we travel overseas from July, for example going to NZ?

 

[james4321]

Looks like the State border closure is getting more and more unsustainable and I think we might see domestic travel begin to start very good.

Now PM Scoot Morrison is attacking State Premiers for closing their borders:

Morrison should pull his head in. Qld premier has done a good job to now, I will be happy to let her continue to make the calls hopefully without unwanted southern opinion.

 

[JohnM]

The pressure is mounting. The deplorables will be coming with pitchforks soon...

It seems absurd that initially the pollies were saying they (we) must follow medical advice to flatten the curve so as to avoid an unmanageable and imminent catastrophe. Mostly, that was accepted as reasonable and necessary.

Now they are refusing to follow the medical advice and in the process invoking a sense of catastrophism where it has now become both highly unlikely and manageable should outbreaks occur. Now people are getting p!ssed off with what seems arbitrary and unreasonable.

Talk about mixed messaging...

In a highly managed situation the precautionary principle can be taken to unrealistic and extreme levels by the advisors and decision-makers becoming timid, perhaps for fear of blame or ridicule - or protecting their job (that in many cases is likely largely a sinecure for public service ladder-crawlers in benign times).

After all, any little outbreak that may occur is likely to be perceived as a more clear and present danger and advisory and executive failure than the more amorphous economic destruction that is harder to pin to an individual making a judgement call.

 

[oz_mark]

Morrison should pull his head in. Qld premier has done a good job to now, I will be happy to let her continue to make the calls hopefully without unwanted southern opinion.

Morrison is funding a minimal network schedule until June 11. Given a choice between beating the premiers into opening borders, or throwing another $100 million at the airlines, I know what I'd be doing!

The pressure is mounting. The deplorables will be coming with pitchforks soon...

It seems absurd that initially the pollies were saying they (we) must follow medical advice to flatten the curve so as to avoid an unmanageable and imminent catastrophe. Mostly, that was accepted as reasonable and necessary.

Now they are refusing to follow the medical advice and in the process invoking a sense of catastrophism where it has now become both highly unlikely and manageable should outbreaks occur. Now people are getting p!ssed off with what seems arbitrary and unreasonable.

Except that WA and QLD are taking the medical advice of their state CMOs.

 

[JohnM]

The Deputy Chief Health Officer is an Epidemiologist including being a teacher of that discipline.He also has research experience with influenza.
"Professor Kelly was the principal investigator in the initial development and implementation of the Influenza Complications Alert Network (FluCAN), and continues in the role of co-investigator. For three years he was also the chair of the Advisory Board of TEPHINET, (the global peak body for field epidemiology training programmes, representing over 50 national programmes). "

Professor Paul Kelly

Professor Paul Kelly is a public health physician, epidemiologist and health service executive.Professor Kelly is currently the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for the Australian Government Department of Health.He was Chief Health Officer for the Australian Capital Territory and Deputy Director...

medicalschool.anu.edu.au

The QLD cheif Health Officer of QLD has been in that role for 15 years.Before that she was in the non clinical role of Director of Medical Services at Rockhampton and the PA hospital in Brisbane.

I know which one I would think has the more knowledge of border closures with a respiratory viral pandemic.

Except that WA and QLD are taking the medical advice of their state CMOs.

My comments were at least in part apropros @drron's post.

 

[drron]

Morrison should pull his head in. Qld premier has done a good job to now, I will be happy to let her continue to make the calls hopefully without unwanted southern opinion.

And as a Queenslander I think the opposite-see my post 525 above.the Medical advice on borders is suspect.the medical advice on schools as admitted by the CHO was just to scare us.not scientifically based at all.

 

[jakeseven7]

And as a Queenslander I think the opposite-see my post 525 above.the Medical advice on borders is suspect.the medical advice on schools as admitted by the CHO was just to scare us.not scientifically based at all.

Agreed, also as a Queenslander
She is a little out of her depth now.

 

[james4321]

And as a Queenslander I think the opposite-see my post 525 above.the Medical advice on borders is suspect.the medical advice on schools as admitted by the CHO was just to scare us.not scientifically based at all.

Fair enough you are entitled to your opinion, as am I .. we just cancel each other out. At the end of the day it is the Premiers call and I am happy to let her make that call. our Weapon is the ballot box, until then we should Butt out and let her get on with her responsibilities to us. We can judge later.

 

[ethernet]

Tony Blair was on a Covid panel and very truthful and informative opinions..(Heard today on RN) Lives Vs Livelihood. However the words operational reseach were not uttered, indirectly indicated the public were not being involved or informed as much... My take is he was pessimistic on international air traffic, taking into account all factors.December? He mentioned a huge ramp up in testing, and acceptance of other countries testing and screening., and a 14 day quarantine - would kill the airlines - my paraphrasing. Again those with the best PCR testing will be the best placed..

After that was a QLD talking about 400,000 tourism/hospitality jobs withering, unable to survive... extend Jobseeker when it ends. If there is a rejig, it will less money on a percentage like UK did..The unlucky 3 Mil were probably Labour
voters anyway.

I expect jobseeker to end on time as expected, and those in unhappy situations - get newstart Qld can then mull on selfish dreams that internal
tourism won't be job devastating.

So where is Australia with PCR testing, and can we ramp it up to support 10 million arrivals we are NOT getting presently. Who pays for machines and airport on the spot screening? Is this the real reason why international air travel is held up?

 

[drron]

First Spain actually isn't really opening it"s borders to international travel on July 1.it is considering opening up to schengen travellers.

As Italy prepares to open borders to tourists, Spain opts for caution

Sources from the Spanish government say the prime minister is not willing to risk a new spike in coronavirus infections by restarting international tourism prematurely

english.elpais.com

It still has a 14 day quarantine in place for visitors.

However back to the subject.It is quite possible that International travel can open up be fore the end of the year.First a rapid test is on the cusp of being widely available.it was first mentioned 2 months ago.

A new COVID-19 test can return results in 5 minutes

Samples don’t have to spend days waiting in a lab

www.theverge.com

It seems now to be performing well..Even better the false negative tests are much more likely to occur when the virus load is diminishing meaning when you are much more likely to be no longer infective.

Abbott’s COVID-19 Tests Found Very Sensitive and Specific

Abbott ID NOW assay performs best in people tested soon after experiencing COVID-19 disease symptoms

www.coronavirustoday.com

On top of that if the trials of hydroxychloroquine +/- Zinc for prophylaxis turn out to be positive then the risks of travel will be much reduced due to Covid.

 

[ethernet]

First Spain actually isn't really opening it"s borders to international travel on July 1.it is considering opening up to schengen travellers.

As Italy prepares to open borders to tourists, Spain opts for caution

Sources from the Spanish government say the prime minister is not willing to risk a new spike in coronavirus infections by restarting international tourism prematurely

english.elpais.com

It still has a 14 day quarantine in place for visitors.

However back to the subject.It is quite possible that International travel can open up be fore the end of the year.First a rapid test is on the cusp of being widely available.it was first mentioned 2 months ago.

A new COVID-19 test can return results in 5 minutes

Samples don’t have to spend days waiting in a lab

www.theverge.com

It seems now to be performing well..Even better the false negative tests are much more likely to occur when the virus load is diminishing meaning when you are much more likely to be no longer infective.

Abbott’s COVID-19 Tests Found Very Sensitive and Specific

Abbott ID NOW assay performs best in people tested soon after experiencing COVID-19 disease symptoms

www.coronavirustoday.com

On top of that if the trials of hydroxychloroquine +/- Zinc for prophylaxis turn out to be positive then the risks of travel will be much reduced due to Covid.

Unlike the USA, I though Australia was already using the Abbott machines months and months ago, with NT, ripping out the STI kit and putting in Covid reagent. It is not exactly rocket science to fill a mini centrifuge.

hydroxychloroquine +/- Zinc for prophylaxis - They will be positive. The trouble is dumb Houso set people will forget of stop taking them because it makes many queasy when combined with weed, drugs and alcohol. I have seen patients remove plaster casts when told not to and not to get wet where hand was reattached with microsurgery. Oh but it was itchy they said! No pink, no hand.

Meanwhile I wonder if diet has anything to do with it after reading hospital and nursing home scurvy is on the rise. Vit C, Zn B12 and 3 almonds a day for me. I speculate Vn folk eat a lot of mint's and Thai Basil - not as a cure but a possible plus with other factors like not of Texan build. Thereagain nasopharyngeal carcinoma is higher in those countries.

 

[Pushka]

I did read that the Governor had extended the bio security control for another 3 months ending 15 September. Not updated on Smart Traveller although there has never been an expiry date listed.

 

[Grimace1]

I did read that the Governor had extended the bio security control for another 3 months ending 15 September. Not updated on Smart Traveller although there has never been an expiry date listed.

Could this be what you read?

Australia Extends Cruise Ban - Cruise Passenger

Some cruise lines had been selling itineraries before the September deadline, but most have now relaxed refund and deposit policies, allowing passengers to

cruisepassenger.com.au

 

[Pushka]

Could this be what you read?

Australia Extends Cruise Ban - Cruise Passenger

Some cruise lines had been selling itineraries before the September deadline, but most have now relaxed refund and deposit policies, allowing passengers to

cruisepassenger.com.au

No, but that was what started my search. The cruise announcement came after. I'll post it here when I find it. It really hasn't been advertised much.

Here is the text and link from a PM statement that as I mentioned hasn't been updated on the Smart Traveller site.

Update on coronavirus measures | Prime Minister of Australia

www.pm.gov.au

National Cabinet noted that the Governor-General extended the human biosecurity emergency period for three months from 17 June 2020 to 17 September 2020.

This will enable the Minister for Health to continue to exercise the emergency powers under the Commonwealth Biosecurity Act to prevent or control the spread of COVID-19.