'They haven't listened': Medical professionals skipped quarantine and flew interstate

[RooFlyer]

NSW Health, NSW Police, and AFP all quoted as saying the order was given. Case closed.

I think you are talking about the ‘order’ given at the airport? ( Apols if not) I think Serfty is after the published government order/notice that the date was brought forward.

I agree that an order given by an officer etc must be complied with, in any case - case closed - but was there a published directive that brought the orders about?

 

[RooFlyer]

So unsure why they have been subjected to a further restriction over any other aircraft arrival.They had all signed the card saying they would go into isolation on reaching home.

I think it turns on the elusive ‘brought forward’ directive for cruisers.

 

[amaroo]

I think you are talking about the ‘order’ given at the airport? ( Apols if not) I think Serfty is after the published government order/notice that the date was brought forward.

I agree that an order given by an officer etc must be complied with, in any case - case closed - but was there a published directive that brought the orders about?

Very fluid situation, better the initiative is implemented rather than worrying about making public statements 5 minutes to midnight. At the end of the day, the only ones that needed to be informed were the passengers at the airport - there are three seperate authorities stating they were.

Individuals should be subject to legal due process, and I'm very glad the police / legal system will be taking the matter further.

 

[ellen10]

My friend's daughter is a nurse and has previously been trained and worked on the Mercy ships throughout the world.
She was working at the airport on Thursday night taking temperatures, helping people to put on masks etc properly before they properly enter the country. She said it was very chaotic and people not very compliant and nice, and it wasn't easy.

But Friday night there was many more police and security to help enforce matters. She got home at 4am.

 

[Princess Fiona]

They were on 2 cruise ships both in Antarctica.
No reported cases on board.Kept at the Falklands on board in isolation for 10 days on top of their 10 day cruise and then a charter flight home.
No reported cases in the Falklands or Antarctica.
Here is a report of their departure.Since they departed the Falkands have put in place compulsory quarantine for any arrivals and urged tourists to leave.

Coronavirus panic: Falkland Islands 'strongly advises' tourist exit

THE Falkland Islands has now taken drastic measures to prevent the outbreak of the coronavirus as 238 people have been flown out of the country.

www.express.co.uk

So unsure why they have been subjected to a further restriction over any other aircraft arrival.They had all signed the card saying they would go into isolation on reaching home.
There were obviously other Australians on that flight that were on at least one of the ships as it is Australian-the Scenic eclipse.interesting to see if they make any comment and were subject to the same restrictions.

Is there any publicly available information (web link, reference. document) that incontrovertibly states that ex Cruise Ship passengers arriving into Australia prior to 1159pm last night were to be subject to a 14 day Quarantine at a Hotel at their port of entry to Australia?

This appears to be at the crux of the whole matter.

I think the missing part of this story is that another group of cruise ship passengers arrived the day before this group from a repatriation flight from HNL. This was on Thursday last week long before the Govt mandatory quarantine for all arrivals came into effect.
NSW Health has immediately quarantined them all at the Swisshotel after a risk assessment process. They were sent there from SYD on buses. There were no cases of COVID 19 on board this cruise ship.
The medics Cruise group arrived late at night Friday from a repatriation flight from Chile.
They were sent to the Rydges Hotel. Confusion reigned and I suspect the usual SNAFU in the implementation of what was supposed to have been the same sensible mandatory quarantine as the HNL passengers.

Sorry no Reddit thread to back this up.

 

[amaroo]

Saw on the telly a couple of passengers that were on that cruise, who are now located in a Syd hotel, complaining about the hotel and being treated like prisoners.

Absolutely have zero empathy for these people. Their problem started when they rolled the dice and boarded that cruise with full knowledge of world events and saturation media coverage of the very real dangers of cruise ships.

 

[prozac]

The 33 were part of a larger group of 77 medical professionals who had been attending a health convention on board the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse Antarctic cruises that were unable to berth in South America.

Read that as people who were having a tax funded holiday. That type of trip is very expensive and labelling it as conference is a farce.

More DYKWIA's to match the "Aspen" couple.

I know a dentist who goes on one of these junkets every year and has to tell me about it whilst I am (was) in the chair. The immorality of it (claiming a tax deduction for an Antarctic holiday) was too much for me so I changed dentists.

I hope the ATO take a close look at these scams from now on.

The interview I saw with one of these doctors he was trying to justify his actions by saying he was frontline and necessary to the Covid efforts. Really? If he honestly considered that then he would have cancelled the trip and never got on the boat in the first place!

 

[StevoQFtraveller]

I know a dentist who goes on one of these junkets every year and has to tell me about it whilst I am (was) in the chair. The immorality of it (claiming a tax deduction for an Antarctic holiday) was too much for me so I changed dentists.

I hope the ATO take a close look at these scams from now on.

The interview I saw with one of these doctors he was trying to justify his actions by saying he was frontline and necessary to the Covid efforts. Really? If he honestly considered that then he would have cancelled the trip and never got on the boat in the first place!

If the doctor stated that he was needed in the frontline as necessary for the Covid efforts, it is even more important that he/she should have quarantined on entering Australia. What sane doctor would knowingly take the risk of exposing themselves to patients? Total idiots!

 

[sammy]

Here is a posting that was made by a member of the Willoughby Living Facebook group on Saturday.
They were in that group of doctors from Antarctica.

Just to clarify as there is a lot of false news regarding our arrival at SYDNEY yesterday 27.3.2020
We were met by police and medical staff who checked our temperatures and details. We were given specific clarification by the Assistant Deputy Police Commissioner NSWand Superintendent Holland those who lived close to the airport (within 20 min drive) were allowed to go home in cars which had been left for them at the airport. The driver of the car (deliverer of the car) was then to make their own way home. We were then to self quarantine.
For the people who were traveling interstate they were told they could take their planes today (28.3.20) and follow the same rules to get home.

It has been explained to NSW health that the instructions from police last night were to stay overnight in the hotel and continue your journey home today. Then the police changed the requirement this morning after some people had already began their homeward journey.
These people were following the law as it was made at 3 am this morning 28.3.20

 

[jbman]

Here is a posting that was made by a member of the Willoughby Living Facebook group on Saturday.
They were in that group of doctors from Antarctica.

Just to clarify as there is a lot of false news regarding our arrival at SYDNEY yesterday 27.3.2020
We were met by police and medical staff who checked our temperatures and details. We were given specific clarification by the Assistant Deputy Police Commissioner NSWand Superintendent Holland those who lived close to the airport (within 20 min drive) were allowed to go home in cars which had been left for them at the airport. The driver of the car (deliverer of the car) was then to make their own way home. We were then to self quarantine.
For the people who were traveling interstate they were told they could take their planes today (28.3.20) and follow the same rules to get home.

It has been explained to NSW health that the instructions from police last night were to stay overnight in the hotel and continue your journey home today. Then the police changed the requirement this morning after some people had already began their homeward journey.
These people were following the law as it was made at 3 am this morning 28.3.20

Thank you for the quote from one of the passengers.

Not sure what’s going on here at AFF but the brutal attacks on people who can’t defend themselves needs to stop. I am reading a lot of armchair critics here who were not there and have already decided the fate of the passengers

If anyone has ever dealt with any government department knows the frontline staff have little to no information and are only trying to do what they are told.

My opinion is that one government group had one idea and another department had another.

This isn’t a good time for anyone. Please step back and take a moment to think about everyone.

take care

 

[drron]

If the doctor stated that he was needed in the frontline as necessary for the Covid efforts, it is even more important that he/she should have quarantined on entering Australia. What sane doctor would knowingly take the risk of exposing themselves to patients? Total idiots!

The doctor who said that I believe was from WA.He volunteered to do 4 weeks quarantine in WA as there he could at least help out with Telehealth work which he would not be allowed to do in NSW.

Thank you very much sammy for posting that.So it was just as I guessed.Someone on Saturday just decided to make up for the Ruby Princess disaster by (pun intended ) going overboard.As I have said a couple of times those who had been aboard for 27 bdays in Antarctica and on the high seas before disembarking at Stanley,Falkland Islands would have been at lower risk than airline arrivals from the USA or Europe.

 

[sammy]

People are stressed right now. There’s no one to blame for this crisis, and I’ve noticed lots of lashing out.
On my local Facebook page, some people are attacking others for making the local oval crowded.
One lady is ranting that anyone who drives somewhere for a walk is a selfish lawbreaker.
We ARE all in this together. Let’s be kinder.

 

[sammy]

Facebook .... LOL

The poster’s name is Leonie Bank. If you have a look on her page there is more information, plus pictures of her in Antarctica.
I, myself, don’t know her.
I fail to see why it’s a LOL because it’s from Facebook. Her version rings truer than the initial media reports.

 

[gazzab]

Thank you for the quote from one of the passengers.

Not sure what’s going on here at AFF but the brutal attacks on people who can’t defend themselves needs to stop. I am reading a lot of armchair critics here who were not there and have already decided the fate of the passengers

If anyone has ever dealt with any government department knows the frontline staff have little to no information and are only trying to do what they are told.

My opinion is that one government group had one idea and another department had another.

This isn’t a good time for anyone. Please step back and take a moment to think about everyone.

take care

Disclosure: I am a medical specialist.
I was disheartened to see what amounts to doctor bashing on so many of posts on this thread.
I admit I have not read all the news in relation to the events but from what I have seen so far there was much confusion from both sides, the doctors and authorities.
Though I would say my colleagues would be aware of the need for 2 weeks of isolation. Can't see a problem with personal transport but I would have concerns with the doctors flying to onward destinations in Australia.
Of course other professions don't do ? " junkets" ! Yeah right.
Thanks jbman for a more reasoned response.

 

[prozac]

Disclosure: I am a medical specialist.
I was disheartened to see what amounts to doctor bashing on so many of posts on this thread.
I admit I have not read all the news in relation to the events but from what I have seen so far there was much confusion from both sides, the doctors and authorities.
Though I would say my colleagues would be aware of the need for 2 weeks of isolation. Can't see a problem with personal transport but I would have concerns with the doctors flying to onward destinations in Australia.
Of course other professions don't do ? " junkets" ! Yeah right.
Thanks jbman for a more reasoned response.

I guess this is directed at me.
I did not say the ATO should look at Doctors. I said they should look at junkets full stop. It is one thing for anyone to have legitimate work related claims which I am all for, but these stretch the imagination imo. It was like when Keating called it a day on the long lunch expenses, it was long overdue.

 

[amaroo]

I guess this is directed at me.
I did not say the ATO should look at Doctors. I said they should look at junkets full stop. It is one thing for anyone to have legitimate work related claims which I am all for, but these stretch the imagination imo. It was like when Keating called it a day on the long lunch expenses, it was long overdue.

Could be directed at anyone of us.

It's more DYKWIA bashing. Similar to the Aspen group.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Of course other professions don't do ? " junkets" ! Yeah right.

So you agree this was a junket then? That others beside this particular group exploit "junkets" does in no way make it more acceptable. Those who have enjoyed "junkets" are never looked upon kindly by the Australian Public. Just look at the reaction to the many politicians who get caught out of "junkets".


Disclaimer: I have been involved with professional education, including for CPD, for 3 decades of a number of different professional groups including those subject to Royal Charters.

Conferences are a valid part of education (including having a bit of fun), but we all know that there "party" and "holiday" providers who cater for those that wish to get tax deductible trips and where the prime purpose is not true education, but the trip and/or holiday.

A trip such as this one would have costs involved way in excess of better quality educational conferences.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I would rather our officials make a mistake on quarantining people when they should not have, rather than not quarantining people they should have.

Post the Ruby Princess debacle, that officials were nervous about a group who had been on a cruise ship recently is hardly surprising. The decision they made would have been based on the cruise, and not because they were a group of medicos.

 

[Daver6]

Regarding junkets. Sure other groups do this, but it seems the medical profession rort this the most. A mate of mine who is an anaesthetist told me about a "conference" aka luxury ski trip he attended. In order to make it a conference, they had a room set up with a video playing with something vaguely educational related to their field of work. He said no one actually attended this.

By all means conferences should be tax deductible. Something along the lines of a Y fare seems reasonable and then use ATO rates for meals etc. Still makes it difficult to clamp down the the overseas ski trip rort my mate described.

As for the Antarctic "conference", another anaesthetist mate went on similar last year. He's constantly claiming first class flights and these junkets as tax deductions. I honestly, don't blame people for doing this, since it is legal. The government needs to legislate here.

 

[RooFlyer]

Falkland Islands would have been at lower risk than airline arrivals from the USA or Europe.

Sure, but drron, what about their several air charters on their way back? Surely its the highest risk part of a journey that counts.

the brutal attacks on people who can’t defend themselves needs to stop.

There is a mechanism for reporting posts which you think may fall outside AFF guidelines. I don't think saying 'brutal attacks' is doing the type of thing you are advocating.

Disclosure: I am a medical specialist.
I was disheartened to see what amounts to doctor bashing

I appreciate you want to defend your colleagues, but 'bashing'? No, I'd suggest mostly criticism of a blogger who posted some really whiney comments - as amaroo said, DYKWIA types. Did you read the blog entry? Extraordinary. What say, for instance, of the Doctor's comments to the effect that 'we were all felt fine - didn't need self isolation'.

And, further up, 'Willoughby Living' Facebook? Sorry, I'm a LoL too.

And in general - it didn't matter what the NSW rules were re the timing of mandatory isolation at arrival point - if a policeman or officer at the airport gave a direction, it should have been followed. If this was a cough-up and its only the second biggest cough-up of this epidemic (ie after the Ruby Princess), then we will be doing very well.

BTW, along the same lines, there was a report in today's Hobart paper about a young couple, just returned from a surfing holiday in Bali - she 4 months pregnant. Another whinge-athon about being cooped up in a hotel in Victoria, Edit: Sydney bad food, army on guard etc. Also getting very short shrift from comments!