All borders to reopen.

[1A_Please]

Originally Posted by fl dutchman

Boris in the UK is now saying All over 50s will be offered at least one vaccination by 15 April. Also All adults will be offered one vaccination by July, Meaning all adults will have been offered Two vaccines by Sept/Oct. (About 66 million population)

From what I hear Australia will have vaccinated all adults by Sept/Oct.

So does that mean by say October 21 the Australian borders will then open to international travelers from the UK. Allowing people to see there Sons, Daughters, Grandchildren and Parents again. Or is the current situation going to go on forever.

It will depend on a few things.
One thing will be green-zone routes. This will be end-to-end flights with no transit passengers joining along the way. For example, SQ will not be able to use its SIN hub to have pax join and leave the flights to and from other destinations. Obviously this would favour someone like QF who can operate LHR-PER non-stop. BA or VS could also do the same. Airlines like EK or SQ that rely on exploiting their well-located hubs to fill their planes will continue to be in a world of pain.
It is also likely that pre-flight testing will also remain so before boarding airlines will require proof of vaccination along with a negative test within the previous 72 hours. Hopefully 14 days quarantine won't be required on arrival or the whole process is doomed.

Realistically, Australia has been very cautious throughout the whole pandemic and I wouldn't be planning on int'l flights before 1 January 2022.

[Dannyboy39]

I really don’t get the need for testing if you’ve had the vaccine. Not saying you’re wrong, but if you’re fully protected, what are you looking for? A new variant?

[morno]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy39

I really don’t get the need for testing if you’ve had the vaccine. Not saying you’re wrong, but if you’re fully protected, what are you looking for? A new variant?

The vaccine won’t entirely stop you getting covid from my understanding, it’ll just reduce the effects of getting it. I guess while it’s still so prevalent worldwide, the chance is still there that you can be carrying it.

Maybe when numbers have come right down worldwide, the risk of an inbound traveller carrying it will be greatly reduced, then the need for pre-flight testing will become unnecessary.

[PoppaJo]

1/3 Cairns is on Jobkeeper. This wonderful place is on the verge of collapse.

Annastacia nowhere to be seen.

Twitter

[Chris2303]

Originally Posted by Dannyboy39

I really don’t get the need for testing if you’ve had the vaccine. Not saying you’re wrong, but if you’re fully protected, what are you looking for? A new variant?

Because you aren't necessarily fully protected especially, as you say, against mutations

[jrfsp]

Originally Posted by PoppaJo

1/3 Cairns is on Jobkeeper. This wonderful place is on the verge of collapse.

Annastacia nowhere to be seen.

https://twitter.com/ABCthedrum/statu...​​

TBH Cairns has been in decline for years, while its sad, it needs to reinvent itself as a city to live in, not just for holidays. Even with domestic travel, it wont make up for the lack of international tourists. The spending habits are vastly different.

[Dannyboy39]

Originally Posted by morno

The vaccine won’t entirely stop you getting covid from my understanding, it’ll just reduce the effects of getting it. I guess while it’s still so prevalent worldwide, the chance is still there that you can be carrying it.

Maybe when numbers have come right down worldwide, the risk of an inbound traveller carrying it will be greatly reduced, then the need for pre-flight testing will become unnecessary.

And here you have ladies and gentlemen the reason why foreign traveller quarantines will continue seemingly indefinitely and exactly what I predicted would happen. The purpose of the vaccine is to protect against severe disease, not necessarily mild infection. If this policy comes in, the world will never reopen. We are only finding the Kent variant for example, because the UK has half of the world's genomic testing. Seemingly a Nigerian variant was found around Christmas, but you never hear about it because no one is looking for it.

Hypothetical situation - I have a booking from LHR-DXB-BNE from 6 Dec 2021 (FWIW I have) - I have had two doses of the vaccine, as have all Australians who want one. I then present with asymptomatic Covid-19 which the vaccine is protecting me from getting mildly ill. I have to shell out £150 for a test too, which I can afford, but clearly don't want to pay out. Who am I endangering?

Viruses mutate - that is what they do. All vaccines, albeit some less so, protect against disease, but all protect against severe disease. I don't mind getting a little bit sick as long as I don't end up in hospital clearly.

[currawong]

Hypothetical situation -

Get yourself a fundamental understanding of how vaccines work.

[patty50]

Hypothetically if someone was desperate to come for the Ashes they might try their luck convincing whoever they can that it’s in everyone’s best interest that the rules change to accommodate them.

We don’t let other communicable diseases rip through society just because we have vaccines.

[KRviator]

Originally Posted by patty50

We don’t let other communicable diseases rip through society just because we have vaccines.

Just preventable ones. Smoking and lung cancer for example...

[Dannyboy39]

Originally Posted by patty50

We don’t let other communicable diseases rip through society just because we have vaccines.

I’ve read this back three times and I haven’t a clue what you’re trying to convince.

[Dannyboy39]

Originally Posted by currawong

Hypothetical situation -

Get yourself a fundamental understanding of how vaccines work.

I have a fair understanding - they intend to prevent severe disease and in this case significantly reduce transmission. Am I wrong?

[BA_Baracas]

Originally Posted by patty50

Hypothetically if someone was desperate to come for the Ashes they might try their luck convincing whoever they can that it’s in everyone’s best interest that the rules change to accommodate them.

We don’t let other communicable diseases rip through society just because we have vaccines.

So what metric are you waiting for to allow international travel again?
Personally, I have no need or desire to travel to Oz anymore, but I don’t quite get what your strategy is.

Zero COVID cases? If so you’re never gonna see international travel again.
The vaccine will prevent severe disease, but won’t stop transmission.
If full vaccination is not good enough for you then what is?

There will be future mutations, nothing can be done about that and this virus is going nowhere. Either we learn to live with it, or life even close to what we knew, is over.

Personally, I’d like to learn to live with it. Life as it is right now is not for me

[SHVC]

That’s it BA! Each state premier (except Gladys) have installed fear about this virus for their political gain. Now the vaccine is rolling out there must be a common ground for acceptable level of the virus, as there is for others. The problem is the baby boomers and bogans that have all this fear inside them will let those same politicians know. It will be interesting to see what rhetoric McGoose pushes after his March election. Will he stick hard to zero cases then we’ll WA f$&ked royally as they have no work force. I think WA is f$&kef royally anyway as the baby boomers and bogans there will not change their thought process about the virus. Queen P up on the North well her actions are being seen now and her carnage is becoming very apparent everyday, I wonder if she pushed her CMO to make those comments about not realizing that so many ppl travel etc, surely a Dr couldn’t be that stupid!

[Going Nowhere]

Take a trip up to FNQ and have a look at the effects of the lack of tourism.

CNS is deserted. It’s quite sad to see and it’ll take a very long time to restore the confidence of travellers from the Southern states. They’re the ones who spend the big $$$ domestically.

[Global Aviator]

Yep borders need to come down and concentrate on the national approach.

2021 should be a booming year for domestic tourism. VIC/NSW snow fields for winter, NT/QLD for the dry, remote Australia, WA so much to offer, Tassie.

Aus has it all, no not ideal as people like me love overseas travel but for now Aus will do, open the borders, keep them open and promote AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC TOURISM.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

There's a reason people didn't holiday in Australia pre-COVID, and it hasn't gone away. It's farkin expensive!! Especially so if you have a family and are tied to peak times such as school holidays etc. in an environment where you are a captive market.

[Global Aviator]

Originally Posted by Traffic_Is_Er_Was

There's a reason people didn't holiday in Australia pre-COVID, and it hasn't gone away. It's farkin expensive!! Especially so if you have a family and are tied to peak times such as school holidays etc. in an environment where you are a captive market.

I certainly agree, however this year there ain’t many other options. Stay home or travel domestically (yes even in your own backyard). School holidays will be interesting! Now if only everything apart from the airfares were more affordable! People will still travel.

[blubak]

Originally Posted by Global Aviator

Yep borders need to come down and concentrate on the national approach.

2021 should be a booming year for domestic tourism. VIC/NSW snow fields for winter, NT/QLD for the dry, remote Australia, WA so much to offer, Tassie.

Aus has it all, no not ideal as people like me love overseas travel but for now Aus will do, open the borders, keep them open and promote AUSTRALIAN DOMESTIC TOURISM.

Very hard on the asian countries that rely so much on australian tourists but for now to keep us safe & as covid free as possible & to support our domestic tourism the dollars we have in our pockets need to be spent in our own backyard.
There are so many great destinations in every state that can be enjoyed & right now the places & people that rely on tourism need & want our business.

[jrfsp]

Originally Posted by Traffic_Is_Er_Was

There's a reason people didn't holiday in Australia pre-COVID, and it hasn't gone away. It's farkin expensive!! Especially so if you have a family and are tied to peak times such as school holidays etc. in an environment where you are a captive market.

100% ...Lots of people are having long weekends here and there, but waiting for Asia to reopen for big holidays