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Australia’s response to Covid-19 [general border control thread]

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Old Nov 27, 2020, 6:02 pm
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Australian Government links
AU Govt (03 Jul 2022)-->All COVID-19 border restrictions to be lifted

The AU federal and state govt web sites are the *only* source of information.
Links smartraveller.gov.au
Update to new measures for return to Australia
COVID-19: Re-entry and quarantine measures

In addition State/territory authority may be needed.
What is in effect at any time can be hard to determine. Can change at short notice.

AU (Federal) Minister of Health
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Australia’s response to Covid-19 [general border control thread]

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Old Nov 16, 2020, 10:30 am
  #151  
 
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
13 Nov 2020. Au Gov National Cabinet Media statement

"The Commonwealth will be extending the international air passenger caps till 31 January 2020 for Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide"
I hope to god that is a misprint and we aren't starting 2020 over again!!
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Old Nov 19, 2020, 8:34 pm
  #152  
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A welcome change.
But South Australia has temporally suspended incoming flights-passengers (600 per week)

20 Nov 2020 (theage.com.au)-----> Victoria to recommence international hotel quarantine in December (maybe behind a pay wall)
Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria had already made its first preparations to receive returning travellers again.

Melbourne will host international arrivals from December 7, reviving hotel quarantine five months after it was shut down for sparking Victoria's second wave of COVID-19.
<snip>
20 Nov 2020 (abc.net.au)-----> Victoria records no new coronavirus cases, will resume hotel quarantine program in December
Victoria will start accepting international arrivals again from December 7, after suspending flights for more than four months to reset the state's hotel quarantine program.

The State Government said it had requested an initial cap of 160 incoming passengers per day, which may increase over time.

"Victoria has asked the Commonwealth for a short extension of the suspension of international flights landing in Melbourne from November 22 to December 6 to allow the final preparations for Victoria's reset quarantine accommodation program for returned travellers to take place," a Government spokesperson said.

International flights into Melbourne have been suspended since early July, after it emerged that the state's second wave had been sparked by breaches in the hotel quarantine program.
<snip>
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Old Nov 26, 2020, 12:51 pm
  #153  
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26 Nov 2020 (abc.net.au)--->Government set to announce new flights before Christmas for Australians stuck overseas amid coronavirus pandemic

27 Nov 2020 (abc.net.au)--->Qantas repatriation flights to bring home some Australians stranded in Germany and France
Key points:
  • More than 36,000 Australians have told the Federal Government they want to come home
  • Some have been sent details about how to book flights that leave from France and Germany in mid-December
  • The flights will land in Darwin, where passengers will quarantine for two weeks
Qantas will soon fly to COVID-19 hotspots across Europe to help bring stranded Australians home. The ABC has confirmed a plane will pick up passengers from Frankfurt in Germany and another plane will go to Paris, France next month. Some Australians have received an email from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) about the flights that states there are limited seats.
<snip>
Some have now been sent details about how to book a seat on the flights that leave from France and Germany in the middle of December. If they live in another country, they must organise their own travel to the airport and the ticket price for the trip home starts at $2,151 per person. Passengers over the age of 12 are required to get a COVID-19 test no more than two days before departure and can only board if their result is negative
Has seen no announcements on flights to Tasmania & CBR.
From above
Australian Capital Territory 360 passengers over two flights before Christmas
Tasmania 450 Australians over three flights before Christmas
Edit
27 Nov 2020 (abc.net.au)--->https://www.news.com.au/world/corona...575a46f50ce065

Dutton's explanation for why more Aussies can't come home
Peter Dutton has slapped down the idea that the federal government can do more to help thousands of stranded Australians overseas come home.

The government has been criticised for passing the buck to state governments, and he was pushed on that during an interview on the Today just now. He said there was no issue with flying people in but the caps imposed on arrivals by the states. "The issue is when people get here, if you're going into WA, for example, there is a cap on the number of hotel quarantine spaces, and that's the difficulty that we have tried to work through," he said.
<snip>
27 Nov 2020 (news.com.au)--->Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says it’ll be ‘really tough’ for Aussies overseas to return home

<snip>
The ACT accepted its first planeload of returning Australians when a repatriation flight from Singapore carrying 120 landed in Canberra on Thursday morning.
<snip>
Edit 2
Link has dates of the LHR, FRA & CDG flights. QF are selling seats SYD-LHR/FRA/CDG
27 Nov 2020 (ExecTrav AU)--->Qantas will run non-stop Boeing 787 flights to Paris, Frankfurt

Edit 3
28 Nov 2020 (news.com.au)--->Why Australians stranded overseas are turning down flights home
<snip>
More than 36,000 Australians have told the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade they want to come home, and the number considered “vulnerable” has risen to 8000.

But some Australians have turned down seats on repatriation flights citing a variety of reasons, the committee heard on Thursday. In one case, it took 1800 calls and emails from Australian officials to fill 175 seats on a specially organised flight, according to the Courier Mail. The committee heard not enough notice, work obligations and health were some of the reasons Australians have had to turn down the offer. In some cases, Aussies said they had contracted COVID-19 and were therefore unable to fly.
<snip>
[Written by journalists who want an effect by the headline: a grain of salt!]
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Nov 27, 2020 at 8:12 pm Reason: added links
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 1:32 am
  #154  
 
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It will be interesting as to what happens with the numbers "wanting to get home" after Christmas. I have a suspicion that a lot of the demand for quarantine places before Christmas is from expats wanting to spend Christmas in Australia with families. I wonder if the numbers will drop somewhat after Christmas. I say this anecdotally, as someone booked (hopefully I won't get bumped) to return to Australia for a 6+ week trip to spend Christmas with extended family. I know several others doing planning the same over the next week.
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Old Dec 3, 2020, 2:08 am
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It looks like no one has yet given a 'trip report' on being in hotel quarantine in Australia, so here goes.

I arrived here in BNE late on the night of Friday November 27th (QR898 ex-DOH, and after BNE continuing on to AKL).

On the flight, all passengers were required to wear face masks AND face shields (the airline provided the shields, and no doubt would have provided the masks if needed). Only allowed to take them off when eating and/or drinking. From what I saw, compliance was excellent. Prior to the flight, I was unaware that it was continuing on to Auckland; I had expected the B777 to be very very empty, instead it was merely very empty. Still, I had a row of four seats in Y to myself.

The flight arrived on time. It then took 3 hours from engines off until I was escorted into my room at the quarantine hotel. The steps to the process were:
  • we were instructed to stay in our seats, because the passengers from an earlier flight were still being processed
  • then BNE passengers were instructed to remain seated while the AKL passengers were allowed off into transit
  • and finally we were allowed off (I later heard a police officer comment that there were 40 of us); I noticed that we were pretty good at our social distancing while we de-planed
  • first step in the process was to complete a "Quarantine Direction" form – name , d.o.b., home address, email address, telephone #. Already written on the form was the name of the quarantine hotel (Rydges South Bank)
  • next through immigration (same as normal, with the addition of social distancing)
  • and baggage claim (same as normal, with so few passengers, social distancing was not a problem)
  • we had to queue for customs (I guess the pax from the earlier had not yet cleared the area)
  • customs seemed quicker than usual
  • then the Queensland Police Service took charge of us; a police officer read a script basically informing each of us in turn that under regulation such and such we were going to be quarantined for 14 days
  • then there was a seating area for us to wait for the bus to the hotel; there were two rows of seating so I guess we were being sent to two different hotels
  • two young soldiers loaded our baggage into our bus; a few police officers were nearby (to prevent anyone doing a runner?)
  • one police officer rode on the bus with us; the others and the soldiers must have been travelling in another vehicle because they were at our destination, Rydges South Bank
  • we were called off the bus in family groups (I'm single) and escorted to our rooms by a police office
And here I am for fourteen days

My next post will be about what day to day in quarantine is like
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Old Dec 5, 2020, 10:31 pm
  #156  
 
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Originally Posted by pandaperth
It looks like no one has yet given a 'trip report' on being in hotel quarantine in Australia, so here goes.

I arrived here in BNE late on the night of Friday November 27th (QR898 ex-DOH, and after BNE continuing on to AKL).
The SYD version is not dissimilar. We arrived on SQ into SYD and had the following process. It took 2.5 hrs from reaching the gate to reaching my hotel room (by contrast when I returned to SIN 4 months ago, it took just a few minutes over an hour, with less steps in the process and it felt far less like you were entering a police state in Singapore ).

Steps were:
- Arrived at gate, told to wait in our seats for the plane ahead of us to disembark.
- Health announcement made
- Disembarked and proceeded to holding area just before immigration and waited for a while.
- Went down corridor, temperature taken and asked questions about our health
- Someone put a check on the immigration card
- Through immigration
- Luggage collection
- Customs
- Herded to bus area
- Escorted to bus, army personnel loaded luggage onto bus
- Waited for all pax. Families on different bus to individual travellers/adult couples
- Sent to hotel with police motorcycle escort
- Arrived at hotel, police came on board and gave spiel and gave form to fill out
- Escorted off bus in groups of 2-4
- Hand form to army personnel to check us in
- Escorted to room with luggage by army personnel.

At the Pullman Sydney Airport.

By contrast in Singapore
- Went through immigration (as Permanent Resident), those who are not Citizens or PRs, must present Entry Permit at tables before going through immigration)
- Collected bags
- Exited customs
- Coralled to a table, registered at table, then sent to bus immediately outside door,
- loaded luggage onto the bus and boarded
- Taken to hotel,
- Collected own luggage
- Escorted as a group to meeting room where we sat in socially distanced chairs
- Checked in 1 by 1 by hotel staff
- Escorted to service lift and up to correct floor by hotel staff
- Once on the floor, found our own way to the room with single entry key card.
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Old Dec 5, 2020, 11:20 pm
  #157  
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There was a big bruhaha today about two pax landing from Tokyo in Sydney being allowed to carry on to Melbourne by NSW Police instead of being quarantined in Sydney first.

No suggestion the arrivals were infected, nor tried to avoid quarantine. They just thought they do quarantine in Melbourne.
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Old Dec 6, 2020, 1:31 pm
  #158  
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07 Dec 2020 (news.com.au)----> First international arrivals to put Victoria’s reset hotel quarantine program to the test
About 125 passengers among the first international flights to arrive in Melbourne in almost six months will touch down on Monday morning and put Victoria’s reset hotel quarantine program to the test.

A flight from Sri Lankan capital Colombo – which will land in Melbourne about 8.15am – will be the city’s first international flight in five months after authorities stopped planes from flying into Melbourne in an effort to contain the state’s deadly second wave of coronavirus.

The flight will be followed by five more throughout the day, with planes scheduled to arrive from Tokyo, Singapore, Auckland, Hong Kong and Manilla.
<snip>
How many passengers for quarantine is not stated. Only 125? Vic government limit is 160 per day
These are not the first international flights to MEL in ~6 months. Some of these flights have been arriving before now, but without passengers. But have been taking passengers out of Melbourne

07 Dec 2020 (abc.net.au)--->Victoria accepts its first international flights in months as rebooted hotel quarantine program begins

<snip>
Stricter rules in quarantine
The police officers with the job of enforcing the quarantine will have a range of new rules to enforce.

Those in quarantine will not be able to leave their rooms for fresh air or exercise breaks, unless there are relevant medical, mental health or compassionate reasons.

They will no longer be able to receive care packages from their families, and will receive three meals a day plus snacks — although deliveries from some approved food services will be permitted.
<snip>
Edit
07 Dec 2020 (abc.net.au)--->International travellers have flown into Melbourne for the first time in months
<snip>
The State Government says 253 international passengers will arrive in Melbourne today across the eight flights. There is a weekly cap of 1,120 passengers, which Melbourne Airport chief of aviation, Shane O'Hare, thinks is a manageable number.

"We're not scared, we've been practising since early this year," he said. "I think some people would be surprised to understand how many different agencies are involved to make sure this runs smoothly. "We're in really, really good shape for today and it will run extremely well."
<snip>
Edit 2

07 Dec 2020 (news.com.au)---->SA to resume taking international arrivals but no dedicated facility for cases
<snip>
South Australia is about to resume taking in repatriated Australians, despite having no dedicated quarantine facility for positive cases. The first plane since the temporary freeze on international flights will land in Adelaide from Singapore on Tuesday with 72 passengers disembarking.
<snip>
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Dec 7, 2020 at 2:22 am
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Old Dec 7, 2020, 7:49 pm
  #159  
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I didn’t know this page existed https://hongkong.china.embassy.gov.a...U_COVID19.html



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Old Dec 8, 2020, 11:07 am
  #160  
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As flagged in the last National Cabinet

Au Minister of Health 08 Dec 2020 Extending the human biosecurity emergency period by three months
<snip>
The emergency period, which has been in place since 18 March 2020, is now set to cease on 17 March 2021.
<snip>
The existing restrictions that sit under this emergency declaration would remain in place to minimise the risk of introducing and spreading COVID-19 in our community. These include:
  • Limitations on the movement of cruise vessels.
  • Limitations on outbound international travel.
  • Restrictions on the operation of retail stores at international airports.
<snip>
Many to most countries, including New Zealand, do not have outbound travel restrictions. Restrictions by other countries and the 14 days isolation on return (excluding from NZ) to AU would put most people off travelling anyway.

Edit 1
09 Dec 2020 (news.com.au)---->Government extends international travel bans until March 17
<snip>
The biosecurity emergency period was set to end on December 17, but the three month extension meant limits would remain on outbound international travel and on international cruise ship arrivals.

Australians can only leave the country with specific exemptions, with Mr Hunt revealing 95,325 exemptions had been granted since the emergency period was first put in place on March 18.
<snip>
Edit 2
09 Dec 2020 (abc.net.au)---->Three new coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine in Tasmania
<snip>
A woman and two children in hotel quarantine in Hobart have tested positive to coronavirus. The trio are part of a family of four which arrived in Hobart on a repatriation flight from Delhi at the weekend.
<snip>
All 118 people in quarantine have undergone their first coronavirus test and 91 results have so far been returned.
<snip>
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Last edited by Mwenenzi; Dec 8, 2020 at 4:23 pm
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Old Dec 8, 2020, 5:02 pm
  #161  
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Many to most countries, including New Zealand, do not have outbound travel restrictions. Restrictions by other countries and the 14 days isolation on return (excluding from NZ) to AU would put most people off travelling anyway.
Yeah it confuses me as to why it still exists because as you point out travelling to many other countries is heavily restricted and the 14 day quarantine puts off anyone planning a few weeks away. Also, anecdotally, posters on Whirlpool are getting exemptions by just ticking the "longer than 3 months away" box and providing no evidence. Oh well, it doesn't really bother me either way, I just find it curious.
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Old Dec 8, 2020, 5:51 pm
  #162  
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Originally Posted by bensyd
Yeah it confuses me as to why it still exists because as you point out travelling to many other countries is heavily restricted and the 14 day quarantine puts off anyone planning a few weeks away. Also, anecdotally, posters on Whirlpool are getting exemptions by just ticking the "longer than 3 months away" box and providing no evidence. Oh well, it doesn't really bother me either way, I just find it curious.
My exemption to NZ in August was granted, on the day, on the basis on "longer than 3 months away".
But I have dual AU-NZ citizenship and in the last 3 years spent more days out of AU (in NZ) than in AU.
If only Jacinda (NZ) would implement the full TT bubble I could go back to Melbourne for a few weeks and then return to NZ, without 14 days in a NZ MIQ facility.

Even without AU or overseas restrictions, most/many people would not risk travel to a countries where Covid-19 is rampant (USA, EU, UK and others)
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Old Dec 10, 2020, 10:34 pm
  #163  
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Another National Cabinet meeting today. Very little on travel.
Media statement 11 Dec 2020 Prime Minister
<snip>
Seasonal Workers
National Cabinet acknowledged the importance of Australia’s agricultural sector having sufficient workforce to harvest what is a bumper season across the country. It was agreed that bilateral arrangements will be established between the Commonwealth and jurisdictions based on each jurisdiction’s health protocols for Pacific workers. As a next step, jurisdictions will write to the Commonwealth outlining their health protocols (including for example, on-farm quarantine arrangements similar to the Queensland model, requirements for workers to remain in the jurisdiction etc). The Commonwealth will then be able to facilitate visas for workers under the Seasonal Worker Programme and the Pacific Labour Scheme based on these bilateral arrangements.

International border arrangements
Quarantine arrangements are an essential part of Australia’s response to COVID-19. Existing quarantine arrangements will continue to prioritise returning Australians. Other groups including international students and skilled migrants will be further considered by National Cabinet in February 2021 subject to the health and safety advice.

National Cabinet agreed that the Commonwealth and NSW will work to strengthen standards regarding quarantine and testing arrangements for international air crew and noted an additional compliance requirement being put in place for incoming diplomats.
<snip>

11 Dec 2020 (news.com.au)----->Will COVID vaccine mean the borders open and we can travel again?
<snip>
The nation’s top health chief Brendan Murphy has cautioned today that there’s still a long way to go before Australia can return to quarantine free international travel.

And the border ban may need to stay in place for longer until experts know more about how the vaccine works, particularly among carriers who are not showing any symptoms.

The nation’s borders are currently shut until March, 2021, with anyone wishing to travel needing to apply for a special exemption for travel and a two-week quarantine period costing thousands of dollars.
<snip>
11 Dec 2020 (abc.net.au)---->Australia's National Cabinet holds last meeting of 2020 — coronavirus vaccine, returned Aussies on the agenda
<snip>
Increase in Aussies wanting to come home
The Prime Minister gave an update on how many Australians had now registered with the Government that they wanted to go home. The number has been steadily growing over the last few months, from around 26,000 in September, to 30,000 in October, now Scott Morrison says 38,655 people had registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Mr Morrison said a total of 45,000 people had returned since September but did not give a breakdown of how many people who are considered "vulnerable" are still stuck overseas.

"We will continue to monitor through contact directly with people overseas about the need to return home," he said.
"That may change over the next month. That may change as vaccines are introduced, particularly in the United Kingdom."
He said around 5,000 Australians wanted to come home from the UK but almost a quarter, 10,000 or so, wanted to return from India.

The Government has organised a further nine repatriation flights between December 13 and February 20 to fly people home from London, New Delhi, Paris and Frankfurt.
<snip>
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Last edited by Mwenenzi; Dec 10, 2020 at 10:42 pm
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Old Dec 11, 2020, 8:07 pm
  #164  
 
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COVID vaccine and Australia travel
Here in the US, I have seen in the news where Alan Joyce (Qantas CEO) has indicated that Qantas will require travelers to get the COVID-19 vaccine before traveling on the airline. Joyce has also indicated that he, as well as the Australian Tourism Industry, would like to see Americans return to Australia, sooner rather than later.

Do you think Joyce will try to convince the Australian Parliament to allow Americans, British, or anyone else that has had the COVID-19 vaccine to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine period to help reignite tourism? When is the soonest you think Australia will open its borders to vaccinated tourists?
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Last edited by JAldrich73; Dec 12, 2020 at 8:39 am
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Old Dec 11, 2020, 8:13 pm
  #165  
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Originally Posted by JAldrich73
Here in the US, I have seen in the news where Alan Joyce (Qantas CEO) has indicated that Qantas will require travelers to get the COVID-19 vaccine before traveling on its airline. Joyce has also indicated that he, as well as the Australian Tourism Industry, would like to see Americans return to Australia, sooner rather than later.

Do you think Joyce will try to convince the Australian Parliament to allow Americans, British, or anyone else that has had the COVID-19 vaccine to skip the mandatory 14-day quarantine period to help reignite tourism? When is the soonest you think Australia will open its borders to vaccinated tourists?
The government has said that the border will remain shut until the end of 2021. Read that as the government will keep the border closed to general tourism until every Australian that wants to be vaccinated is vaccinated. Alan Joyce's opinion on this would carry very little weight in Canberra.

You've got to remember all the measures the government has taken are extremely popular (95%+ approval). The next election is anytime up to 2022, they will not want to drop the ball.
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Last edited by bensyd; Dec 11, 2020 at 8:19 pm
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