Predictions of when international flights may resume/bans lifted

[ramboflyer]

It's fascinating to read the posts in this thread. A subject matter we have never encountered before. The different viewpoints no doubt reflect the discussions we all have with family friends and work colleagues. Some of the posters would seem to have medical knowledge which is helpful.

Nobody though, really knows enough about the virus to predict how it will affect our future, esp travel wise, so we are all guessing at the moment. One day I think "come on, lets open up Australia and get on with it" and the next "well what happens if there is another wave of infections? we are back to square one".

 

[jakeseven7]

It's fascinating to read the posts in this thread. A subject matter we have never encountered before. The different viewpoints no doubt reflect the discussions we all have with family friends and work colleagues. Some of the posters would seem to have medical knowledge which is helpful.

Nobody though, really knows enough about the virus to predict how it will affect our future, esp travel wise, so we are all guessing at the moment. One day I think "come on, lets open up Australia and get on with it" and the next "well what happens if there is another wave of infections? we are back to square one".

You are right is fascinating, but honestly I suspect we will never return to square one in terms of restrictions - there would have to be a catastrophic change in the mortality rate for that to happen.

We will plough ahead regardless of the case numbers once restrictions are down and we will just have to live with the virus.

 

[CityRail]

Ardern knocks back travel bubble with NSW, Victoria

New Zealand Prime Minister has dismissed speculation the country might open a travel bubble with NSW and Victoria, saying she expected state borders to reopen before a trans-Tasman bubble was established.

Queensland is under increasing pressure to open its borders, with Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham saying he would not allow fortified states to become an obstacle to the deal.

“New Zealand is obviously the first, and right now only, international market that we could safely agree to open up to,” he told Nine newspapers on Monday. “If New Zealand and some Australian states are ready and willing to progress, then the reluctance of other states to open up their domestic borders shouldn’t become an obstacle to progress.”

But Ms Ardern told Radio NZ: “The states haven’t opened up to each other yet. Obviously I would expect to see some of those issues resolved before we’d see them necessarily opening up to New Zealand and you can understand why.

“People want to be able to travel internally in Australia before they’d expect to be able to come across the ditch.”

NSW is encouraging interstate residents to travel to NSW for a holiday from June 1, when travel restrictions in the regions will be relaxed.

But apart from Victoria and the ACT, all other states and territories are maintaining a hard line approach, fearing a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said she will consider lifting travel restrictions at the end of the month, but warned the state’s borders could be shut until September.

Labor frontbencher Jim Chalmers said the sunshine state had been a success story in containing the virus.

“It’s come from the premier making difficult decisions based on the firm advice of the medical community,” the Queenslander told ABC radio.

“I think all of us want to see the borders safely reopened … something like every 10th job in my home state relies in one way or another on tourism.”

Source: The Australian

So seems to me that Australia may need to open up its internal borders before NZ open their borders to us. That will build up pressure from states such as Queensland to open their borders as soon as possible.

 

[woodborer]

So seems to me that Australia may need to open up its internal borders before NZ open their borders to us. That will build up pressure from states such as Queensland to open their borders as soon as possible.

Any travel bubble with New Zealand wouldn't start until July at the earliest. The first report on how it would possibly work hasn't been completed yet, so Qld has a bit of time...

 

[drron]

Extending the biosecurity emergency period is not the same as extending the ban on Australians leaving Australia but it does give the Government the power to extend that ban if they think it is necessary.

 

[p--and--t]

Seems folks won't be flying to China too easily in the next 4-5 months

China Likely To Extend Restrictions On International Flights Until October 1, 2020

Resumption of China Flights not until October 2020?

loyaltylobby.com

 

[CityRail]

Extending the biosecurity emergency period is not the same as extending the ban on Australians leaving Australia but it does give the Government the power to extend that ban if they think it is necessary.

I thought the travel ban is until further notice isn't it?

 

[drron]

Yes but they can not extend it from June 17th I think unless the biosecurity emergency declaration has been extended which is what has been done.but that is separate to the travel ban.If the NZ bubble is going to happen then the travel ban may go or have different conditions.

We are in such prestigious company with Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Lithuania and North Korea whose citizens are banned from leaving their country.

 

[james4321]

Yes but they can not extend it from June 17th I think unless the biosecurity emergency declaration has been extended which is what has been done.but that is separate to the travel ban.If the NZ bubble is going to happen then the travel ban may go or have different conditions.

We are in such prestigious company with Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Lithuania and North Korea whose citizens are banned from leaving their country.

I presume the reasoning behind a ban on leaving Australia Is to obviate the returnee being accompanied by an attachment of Covid19

 

[jase05]

Found this in an article from ”The Guardian“

Spain’s tourism minister has said this morning that foreigners can book vacations in Spain from July as the two-week self-quarantine for overseas travellers is likely to be suspended by then.

Spain – one of the worst-hit nations in the world from the coronavirus – has an economy that is heavily dependent on tourism. While it is gradually easing its strict lockdown measures, it has kept a quarantine for foreign visitors to try to prevent a second wave of infections.

“It is perfectly coherent to plan summer vacations to come to Spain in July,” Reyes Maroto said in an interview with the local radio station Onda Cero.

Boris Johnson's senior adviser refuses to apologise for lockdown breach – as it happened

Dominic coughmings will not resign; WHO drops hydroxychloroquine from global study into experimental coronavirus treatments. This blog is now closed

www.theguardian.com

 

[drron]

Though the compulsory quarantine should take care of that.i presume they feel there will be a mass exodus and quarantine facilities over run.

 

[p--and--t]

You have said that a few times on AFF and it is not correct.

Below is the official position of Oxford University. They will NOT have a vaccine ready for distribution by September. They hope to have the required data by September.

Oxford COVID-19 vaccine begins human trial stage | University of Oxford

University of Oxford researchers have begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine in human volunteers in Oxford today. Around 1,110 people will take part in the trial, half receiving the vaccine and the other half (the control group) receiving a widely available meningitis vaccine.

www.ox.ac.uk

The ABC reported tonight Oxford Uni have to go back to the drawing board, apparently all of the apes they inoculated subsequently caught Covid-19. The researchers now say less than 50% chance they will be successful

Redirect Notice

 

[Flashback]

Spain is opening their borders as of July 1st.

Coronavirus: Spain to stop quarantining arrivals from 1 July

The country hopes to save the summer season but UK tourists face quarantine in their own country.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[CityRail]

The ABC reported tonight Oxford Uni have to go back to the drawing board, apparently all of the apes they inoculated subsequently caught Covid-19. The researchers now say less than 50% chance they will be successful

Redirect Notice

That's not a good news. It indicates that vaccine will only be made available towards the end of the year rather than September 2020.

I am seriously concerned that without a vaccine, politicans will close our borders for long and that means that we will still need to be separated from our parents and loved ones for longer.

 

[drron]

Spain is opening their borders as of July 1st.

Coronavirus: Spain to stop quarantining arrivals from 1 July

The country hopes to save the summer season but UK tourists face quarantine in their own country.

www.bbc.co.uk

Though the official reports are that is just the Schengen area + the UK.

 

[Flashback]

Though the official reports are that is just the Schengen area + the UK.

Which is fine for me, beats the current options I have which are zero!

 

[CityRail]

I have heard that Taiwan is planning to resume international travel from 1st October.

Do you think Australia would open borders with Asia by then? I am thinking of doing a bet by going back to Hong Kong on 26th Sept and return in 11th October, hope it can be possible by then.

 

[jakeseven7]

I have heard that Taiwan is planning to resume international travel from 1st October.

Do you think Australia would open borders with Asia by then? I am thinking of doing a bet by going back to Hong Kong on 26th Sept and return in 11th October, hope it can be possible by then.

Nope, not a chance, sorry.

 

[dajop]

That's not a good news. It indicates that vaccine will only be made available towards the end of the year rather than September 2020.

End of the year would surely be a miracle. Everything I've read on the topic suggests that end of 2021 might well be optimistic, and not beyond the realms of possibility that a sufficiently effective vaccine is never developed for the virus.

Whilst (and perhaps because) I'm pro-science (definitely not an anti-vaxxer), I would be concerned about a vaccine that took <6 months from discovery to being available for widespread use.

 

[glasszon]

We are in such prestigious company with Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Lithuania and North Korea whose citizens are banned from leaving their country.

Glad we are in great company.... why can't the government just allow people to leave but force them to pay for the 14 day quarantine instead? Wouldn't it be better than forcing people to stay in Australia?

If they want to take this further, they can demand a monetary deposit to be made upon leaving Australia, which will be returned if the traveller don't return in x months, that sure beats forcing people to stay here against their will.