it’s worse than that, the AMA president is often introduced in media as “One of Australia’s Top Doctors”. I certainly don’t call the head of my union “one of Australians top pilots”.

SOPS…Omicron threw a spanner in the works with its transmissibility. What’s happening is due to Omicron, not the border opening. Omicron is more transmissible, but less severe so it comes with some benefit. They made the best decision at the time based on the information available at the time, as do we as pilots. A new threat has presented itself in the form of a new variant, so that threat has to be dealt with, and if needed, the mission will be changed. They are changing the rules regarding isolation in critical industries, they’ve changed the testing requirements etc. The new threat is not ICU or ventilator shortage, it’s supply chain and labour shortage. Which would you rather have? You honestly sound petrified.

Regarding the upward trend in hospitalisations, that’s always going to happen. But take a look at the numbers in NSW: 38 on ventilators with 1962 spare ventilators. SA Health for example have come out and said whilst their case numbers are more than what they forecast, their actual ICU are less then forecast.

When you've got the media highlighting every case load in every bulletin, massively long lines for testing, archaic rules that enforced close contact isolation, people afraid to go out and get tested lest they have to isolate and still quite a few that believe Covid is highly fatal then yeah that leads to a decrease in consumer sentiment. In addition to border rules still in effect, some states still requiring PCR testing and we also ahve a nation that is used to generally low case numbers.

But we do know that once waves have passed people travel again. Ryanair's second half 2021 loads matched their second half 2019 loads. Miami International Airport processed more passengers in November 2021 than November 2019.

It'll happen in Australia too once the initial post opening wave has passed, give it a month or so.

but you’re not open. You’re still living in hermit land. Oh that’s right. You don’t want to open so families can be reunited etc. you just want supplies from the eastern states. So stay closed, but take supplies. I guess a trip to the local IGA is pretty much all you’ve got these days. Is that the plan yeah?

Either open and stop this isolation rubbish or close all borders now and go back to lockdown, as it stands now we are not really open. Society can not function they way it is heading, I’m currently trying to navigate a closed day care, buy food as they shelfs are empty and many other things.

Life is normal here thanks. Very few restrictions. ( basically none). No one has died from covid. I’m pretty sure no one is in ICU. Life is pretty good in the hermit kingdom.

Being a WA resident and unable to return your own state / home / job / family is not normal.

That definition of normal is unsustainable and you know it, McGowan knows it and the federal government knows it. It’s why WA is opening in FEB.

I don’t think Mark McGowan as given a flying Fxxk what the Federal Government thinks anytime in the last 2 years. And if you think what is going on right now in the Eastern States is sustainable…. Enjoy.

I didn’t say he did give a f*ck what the feds thought…but he has come out and said that the border needs to open at some point and that the virus will come in and that WA will need to live with it, but it wouldn’t be happening until very high levels of vaccination are achieved. Well now they are…

With regards to your previous post, who’s now dying over east? It’s the unvaccinated, the terminally ill, the extreme elderly (who if the vaccine doesn’t stop them dying from covid, than they were not going to live much longer anyway) and the extremely unlucky ones. It’s not much different to a bad flu season, a time where you and every other person who is calling for the WA border to remain closed were happy to enjoy exercising freedom of movement to cross state borders despite a virus killing over 1,200 per year. You didn’t give a **** back then, now all of a sudden your circumstances have changed so you give a **** now? You piss me off SOPS, me me me me

What’s happening over east is not sustainable, but it is being managed, and it’s only going to be temporary.

Well it's coming to WA. Comments from the Chief Health Officer over the weekend:

He doesn't consider high case numbers in the east a reason for delaying reopening.

Similar comments from McGowan:

Patients being prepared for at home treatment rather than in hospital treatment.

From the Government site:

It's coming. 25 days, 11 hours and 28 minutes until the "Hermit Kingdom" is over. Best mentally prepare for it now.

It’ll never get in by road, that’s for sure. The locals will refuse to let it merge on at the freeway onramps, because the ability to merge is not the WA way, then it’ll be aggressively tailgated by a meth’d-up tradie in a lifted Ford Ranger with sand tyres until it flees. 😉

…and even if it got in, it’d take forever to get to Perth because there’ll be 2 locals driving side-by-side, 30 km/h below the limit, and ignoring all the signs that say ‘keep left unless overtaking’.

Until of course there is a Federal Labor Government when suddenly all his policies will change.

Now that a AO tennis player was Visa cancellation was over turned. What does this mean for Australians that were not allowed back unvaccinated who may have had it?! This guy has been an anti vaxer from the start. This country is a dead set joke.

From what I understand Australian citizens are currently allowed back in unvaccinated post infection with medical proof. The problem with the tennis player is that he was given advice by tennis Australia and the Victorian Government that only applied to Australian Citizens of which he is not. Even after his victory in his appeal he is technically still in Australia illegally.

If you’re unvaccinated, isn’t there 14 days quarantine?

How can that be, when he has a visa?

This debacle illustrates well the last 2 years.

This once great country really is in a shambolic state these days.

MCD

And this year is going to be a bigger debacle than the previous two…

For the first time in my life the Australian Open may actually be entertaining

Like this.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis...00264f73f6fe1b

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-...alia/100746080

If they deported this player I can't see how they cannot deport Djokovic, without knowing the exact details.

Either way it appears to be a gold standard cluster****

it’s an e visa application, similar to the border applications here. If all the boxes are ticked correctly ( whether truthfully or not) an e visa is issued electronically and you show that on arrival to Australia with the supporting paperwork.

It specifies on the e visa paperwork and the website when you apply that it does not guarantee entry to Australia and that the final decision rests with Border Force on arrival.

...and the Border Force's 'final decision' on arrival was challenged and overturned by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

It was reported in all the papers...

the same ignorant, power tripping border force on TV who think speaking louder helps non english speaking people understand english?

Just illustrates that the Legislation wasn't tight enough & exemplifies the regular 'Policy on the run' that both sides of the floor have experience in. I didn't think he should've been allowed to enter but the Courts have decided so I hope they don't use discretionary powers here.

I don’t think they will use discretionary powers after a court ruling, that will present more issues. However, it’s been reported he was not truthful on his declaration by not disclosing travel to Belgrade. He definitely has turned Australia in to the laughing stock of the world, as if we were not already. He had also outlined other issues that independents are jumping all over on the eve of an election which will create turmoil for the Libs. Our politicians really need to have a hard look at themself. Australia really needs to let go of these rules around COVID now, does seem unfair a person with the finances can challenge and win whilst normal Australians have had their lives up turned by these rules.

It is rather straightforward.

He came to play a game.

He is not vaccinated.

He is not an Australian citizen.

I need to be vaccinated to have Coffee at my local cafe. I am an Australian citizen. I live here.

Not exactly. Border Force's decision was not challenged, the manner in which it was applied was challenged successfully. Transcripts show they had told NDj they'd give him until 8:30am to contact someone to assist him with his request for a visa but then acted at 7:42 to deny him a visa. It was that action that the judge found to be outside the law and it is for that reason that the Immigration Minister can still revoke Djokovic's visa if he so wishes.

Not exactly?

Yes exactly.

And as each minute passes the Immigration Minister becomes less likely to pretend to be big and bwave.

...and appears Border Force are looking into whether answer(s) he made in his visa application were misleading or dishonest.

Make it very interesting if the visa was granted based on such responses.

I'd call it 30 all at the moment.

Interesting that he just happened to get the required infection about a couple of weeks before having to travel to Melbourne. What was his plan if he didn't get infected? After all, he'd already been issued the visa by then.

Interesting timeline and actions taken by the fellow, that's for sure. Apparently tested positive on 16 December, then tested negative six days later on the 22nd, and appears to have not taken any precautions against infecting others between the two tests.

Meanwhile....Back At The Ranch.......

WA set to pull the curtin down - again - on Thursday 13th....(unlucky for some...) according to the latest from the 'usual suspect' news sources.....
(Apols to Casablanca)

Feb 5th looking a bit 'sus'..??
No doubt, more to follow....

Cheeerrrsss...

‘Curtin’ as in one of our finest PMs? (A West Australian as well). Or are you suggesting some kind of lockdown?

I think it's a blanket lockdown.

Griffo how can “they” pull the curtain down anymore? Locked out to all other jurisdictions with a 14 day quarantine.

Not quite 'all' Mr I.,

From the WA Gov site......
'The N.T. will transition from 'high risk' to 'extreme risk' under W.A.'s controlled border from 12.01am Thurs 13th Jan 2022'

The NT has been open until this but with restrictions, e.g. 'Approved Traveller' with a G2G Pass.
Under 'Extreme Risk' the list of 'approved travellers' is significantly reduced.......is what the site says.

'Google' WA Lockdown news.......for more detail.

See yas all.......sometime.......

Lockdown different to border closures Griffo, think you’re getting a bit confused with the terminology.

The “island within an island” is once more and SOPS is sitting at home loving life, feeling safe! :yuk:

All good here.. thanks Transition 👍