Morrison is too gutless to criticise Trump never mind the Chinese.
It looks like int travellers now need a negative covid test before boarding a flight to oz,would that have been a given for at least the last 3+ months considering whats going on overseas.

This wasn't the point I was trying to make. The vaccine will not get rid of the virus 100% and possibly will not stop transmission. The virus is endemic across a high proportion of the world and will take many years for it to shift.

Australia over the coming months will need to accept that even with vaccination, small numbers of cases will keep popping up - unless you want to keep sending international passengers to Nauru, Christmas Island or Alice Springs forever and ever.

I and 10,000 Englishmen will be swarming BNE in December 2021 for a test match - a game worth about $80m to the local economy. Are the Aussies really going to turn that down?!

They can operate into any airport with good runway length and width, set of steps and basic immigration capability. It would be a pity though if the AU government want to get hold of their belly freight in good time...

It’s not about stopping infections of the SARS-COV-2 virus. It’s about slowing the spread of the COVID-19 disease and subsequent pandemic from that disease the virus causes. Yes, they know that zero infections for life will be impossible to achieve. But they know that herd immunity will send the reproduction number below zero. It will cause the virus to die out. A vaccine will protect vulnerable populations. Will full eradication be possible? Maybe, but that will take decades.

The vaccine is to stop a pandemic, not a virus if that makes sense.

Well let’s refer to it as the new B117 strain then, which is exactly what scientists have named it.

It makes perfect sense - but it is not what APAC nations are trying to do, hence actions in BNE for 3 cases out of 2.5m+ population. The R number is virtually zero in these countries. There are more cases in my small 1,000 person village than in QLD.

I see Western Australia has now closed its border to all Queenslanders.

Back to where we were a couple of months ago.

Seems to be a very hasty decision By Mr. McGowan but he is well known for rushing into these decisions.

Sure , he is protecting his West Aussies but perhaps he could have waited until the 3 day Brisbane lockdown has finished and the Health Authorities analyse their findings.

Shoot first and ask questions later seems to be his trademark!!

You really have not been keeping up with what has been going on in Australia. Northern beaches lockdown alone cost 3.6 Billion to the economy. It will be interesting what 3 days cost Brisbane. So yes most likely we will turn down a measly 80 million. I hope they do id rather get back to work and see the world stabilize before the barmy army descends and creates and super spreading event.

That’s once the people start getting immunised. That isn’t happening in Australia until next month. For the moment it’s best to keep these protocols in place until herd immunity is reached, especially with the increased transmissibility of the new B117 strain.

If you want to see what it looks like when this strain is released upon an unvaccinated population and why leaders here are being strict then watch this video:


Tasmania, SA and NSW put restrictions on this morning before WA did, ACT followed, Vic to come.

dr Dre . If I am correct Tas, Sa and NSW have not “closed “their borders to Queenslanders but have pace restrictions on them.
West Australia has “closed” its borders to all Queenslanders that are not exempt.
Quite a difference.

14 days isolation. On a practical level as far as air travel goes that reduces demand substantially to the point where there might as well be full restrictions between states. The public isn’t really willing to fly in great numbers except for full elimination.

And word is it was Palaszczuk herself who wanted all other states to declare the hotspot and impose restrictions. I think she, and all other leaders, know the new strain is a whole new ballgame compared to the previous variants of the virus.

I think you are dreaming if you think you are coming to a cricket match in 2021... You really don’t understand what is going on.

Now the media and Gov have scared the sh!t out of everyone I doubt they will want to fly anytime soon.

I’m getting a little sick of this. They’re not being panic merchants. There’s a significantly bad new strain of this virus which could cause untold damage to the nation if left unchecked. The very best option is strict protocols to get it under control domestically until enough people are vaccinated.

indeed.I think people need to reset their expectations regarding international travel. Regardless of the vaccines, 2021 will mirror 2020. There may be isolated travel such as between Australia and Vanuatu , Fiji and NZ but to Europe, America etc, forget it.

Japanese Olympics postponed from 2020 to 2021, nope, Try July/ August 2022.

I’m sick of it also, NSW has 4 cases today media report it as another outbreak when in fact they’re all locked up already due to family members having it. Yes it’s a new strain in the way it’s more transmissible it’s not more deadly.

The new strain hasn’t spread in NSW. It’s increased transmissibility is the big problem, making it more of an issue than if the new strain was more deadly:

Adam Kucharski, an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said that, in general, a variant that’s 50% more transmissible is a bigger problem than a variant that’s 50% more deadly.

A top scientist explains why a more infectious coronavirus variant is a bigger problem than a deadlier strain

The more deadly a virus the definitely less a problem it is because it kills the hosts too fast to spread, COVID19 is in the Goldilocks zone, it’s not massively deadly but incredibly infectious, this results in mass infections thus much more deaths due to economy of scale, it’s a real bitch.

100% agree...PC when it suits

I am in China, and going abroad is a difficult task due to the severe epidemic! The government directly prohibits tourism and only allows to go out on business!

IF the Olympics are further postponed be interesting to see if the Japanese PM resigns having emphatically stated they will happen - loss of face and all that stuff.
My bet is cancelled outright, can't really see running the summer/winter back to back, just IMHO.

Hopefully more people are starting to understand this virus is a moving target and not a fixed one hence all the forward planning and ramp up dates are simply hope and (at times) totally unrealistic.
I'd punt domestic not before second half '21, start talking about international in '22.

China Virus - love the observation and logical connection, PC crowd will be having conniptions! :D:D:D