Rubbish. The UK has had 88.1% of eligible citizens get their first dose, with 77.7% of eligible citizens receiving both doses. Source

Oh, and they still manage to accrue around 35,000 cases and over 100 deaths, every day with those vaccination rates....

In the unlikely event the International borders were opened in December, does that mean the end of the national state of emergency. What impact does that have on long haul crew, can they remain stood down.

That is a very good question.

Not rubbish.
Just a different source of data, but thanks anyway.

These higher vaccination rates you describe further support my argument about the UK reaching (or already reached) the targets set by the Doherty model.

Now according to the Doherty model (not my opinion or belief), we have to open up (at least Australia) once we reach 80% vaccination rate. You can only expect similar guidelines to be used for international travel. As the PM recently said, "if we don't open up at 80%, then when do we?"

The doherty report clearly specifies "opening up" at a vaccination rate only and not any death rate. (So I hear from the politicians every day, with reference to the Doherty report)

Regarding death rate, Oh, it is worth taking note that the last time UK had over 30,000 cases per day prior such high vaccination, the death rate was about 1000 per day, compared to about 100 now.

It has been widely accepted (in the Doherty report) that once 70-80% vaccination is achieved and restrictions are eased, there will still always be deaths, but not as the same high rate as before.

Nobody ever said anything about completely eliminating the virus or a zero death rate. It's all about minimising hospitalisation (and eventual death) so that the hospitals don't get over crowded (so they keep saying, not my opinion)

Let me rephrase

"the politicians are pushing for opening up once we reach 70-80% vaccination rate" as per the Doherty report

I never heard any politician mention death rate as a measures when to open and ease restrictions

Opening up on a specific vaccination rate only.

It's only what I hear on the news all day (with reference to the Doherty report)

It’s more nuanced than just “opening up”.

Forget the news, read the National Roadmap. It’s a gradual re-opening over several stages, not a sudden “opening up” at 80%, which is what I think a lot of people have interpreted it as.

Even in the final stage, Phase D, there’s some ongoing measures relating to quarantine from high risk nations and different entry and testing protocols for vaccinated travellers.

And this is only the overview, the actual details will
be more complex. So there is a path ahead that should allow international travel to gradually return, but it isn’t all going to happen the day the vax average hits 80%. We aren’t going to just “let it rip” because the Roadmap and the Doherty modelling it was based on assume various levels of ongoing low level restrictions (things like capacity, masks, check ins, vaccine mandates, et al).

National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response

Not necessarily death rates, but certainly hospitalisation rates would be looked at to determine any further public health measures being introduced. The UK is getting 30,000 cases a day, but the NHS is coping. Out of the countries that have notable vaccination rates none that I am aware of have gone back into lockdown (yes mask mandates have been re-introduced in some jurisdictions but no sweeping lockdowns). The Doherty report is a big punt. It might work, it might not. But one thing politicians are trying to change is the rhetoric now to balance the pandemic health requirements with the mental health needs of the general population. Its a start in the right direction. The premiers however, notably WA and QLD need to realise that their COVID-19 free status is tenuous at best. Victoria went into a sharp lockdown after a handful of cases and well, their cases are still going up. Albeit at a slower rate than NSW. Even epidemiologists in Australia are realising now that covid zero is just purely unsustainable for the longer term. New Zealand also echoed as much just recently as the entire country faces the prospect of a longer lockdown, especially in Auckland.

Its a pernicious foe. One that seeks out every little weakness in the armor - and succeeds. Seems vaccinations really are the only way out.

Fuel-Off :ok:

No. Vaccinations AND anti-viral therapeutics are the way out. It looks like the authorities will have to be dragged kicking and screaming to allow the choice. Delta, aka Indian, variant was running rampant in India a couple of months ago. The tv news seems to have gone quiet about that neck of the woods.I wonder what has happened since?

December you are dreaming!
March 2022 best case.

So what's the crew rest situation on the 330?

All QF A330s are currently 233T. Necessary work in the background to sort out an increased MTOW for a handful to work the BNE-LAX/SFO routes. No other changes required as far as I’m aware. I think it can even be done within 180 minutes ETOPS though increasing that being looked at for PER- JNB route.

The airframes they are looking at already have a single Class 1 crew rest. QF need to talk to CASA and AIPA to have an alternative second crew rest approved that will meet the requirements of the FRMS.

I have to admit, daily Perth/London from 20th December, I don’t fkn think so, not with Chairman McClown at the helm. I mean he’s got his balls in a knot tonight over a couple of truck drivers ffs.

He will be going Hard and fast to squash this virus, Perth and peel complete lockdown taking no chances.

Love the optimism for attempt 3 (or is it 4 now?) to reopen international. But with winter now just around the corner for many of these proposed destinations and a new variant to scare our government almost a certainty, how long before this gets pushed back yet again.

Lambda is allegedly resistant to current vaccines from what I saw and the Pfizer CEO just a day or two ago was saying other vaccine resistant variants are a certainty in the near future.

None of this news is even remotely compatible with our federal and state governments unfortunately. Pulling the trigger on closing the country and states is their favourite pastime and highly doubt that will change if any of this happens as most any educated bets now say it will.

Pandemic of the Unvaccinated.
Get jabbed, stay at home or don't complain when the spicy flu gets you.

"You UNGRATEFUL, SELFISH, OUTRAGEOUS....yadda, yadda" <- McGowan's commentary towards Qantas after they flagged running QF9/QF10 via the Top End. "We paid $15 million to upgrade the Perth Terminal, we funded the Perth-London flights, it's our state money propping up the commonwealth and now we're being punished for it!"

Perhaps Qantas should write McGowan a cheque and say "here's your $15M you petulant trollop, now phuck off and let us run our business without the threat of closed borders because someone sneezed (which, by the way, have contributed to our business losing over $500M <Or other exact beancoutnery-type figure> this last year. If you decide you actually want an international flight from Perth, try AirAsia or Scoot..."

Who would have thought that Qantas as a business would want some certainty going forwards to enable flights to resume? And on a personal note, given the choice of Perth or Darwin as a jumping off point to the UK, I'd choose Darwin in a heartbeat - and that's not just to spite McGowan after the Border Bollocks - I much prefer Darwin as a city to enjoy visiting over Perth. And the Territory Government seems to have been the most pragmatic in their dealings with Covid, locking out hotspots over an entire state until they really had no choice to do so, and reopening things as early as they reasonably could. They should be able to reap the rewards of that course of course of action.

Exactly! This is nothing but a MAYBE plan. Based on MAYBE borders opening AND if people can HOME quarantine. A lot of may or ifs. Joyce has been honest about this.
WA, QLD, SA NT don’t look like they want to open borders domestically let alone internationally. Reckon you are going to be able to home quarantine in QLD?? The QLD premier is building dedicated quarantine gulags at Wellcamp. What’s happening doesn’t equal the spin.

This is nothing more than an ASX appeasement. We were due to open up August and that’s not happened. I get it you gotta look like there is a plan even if all uncertain hypotheticals.

Very likely be nothing more than a re-training re famil course so Qantas have people ready for a MAYBE, followed by nothing but 6-12 months or longer of STAND DOWN when it doesn’t happen.

At least it’s given McGowan the opportunity to be OUTRAGED on top of his normal condition of being FURIOUS. I worry a bit for the bloke - he must be the most permanently angry human being I’ve ever seen.

QLD will not open anytime soon like WA, I can see these two states just having their own bubble. QLD ppl are happy with how their state is going they don’t care they can’t leave, you can go to the pub you can go to the shops and you can go to a stadium with 100% crowd. QLD ppl have no desire to open up or even leave with all they’re able to do. You don’t build a 1000 bed facility that will be completed in December to not use it by opening up internationally in December. All states will run their own course on this NSW will be flying internationally soon how QLD, WA and SA residents react to that will be interesting. Will they give up on covid zero for a holiday to Europe or will be happy going to the local pub for the next couple yrs.