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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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Last edit by: Mwenenzi
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
AU Department of Health Australian National Cabinet press releases
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Australia’s response to Covid-19 [general border control thread]

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Old Jun 17, 2021, 7:21 pm
  #691  
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My strong view is AU citizens (with partners-dependant children) should be first in line for the 14 days quarantine, Then AU permanent residents, if any slots left.. Then others if any slots left.
If Parafield is OK for students it is OK for returning AU citizens (first)

18 Jun 2021 (abc.net.au)--->International students to return to SA after Parafield Airport quarantine hub gets approval
A proposed quarantine hub that will allow international students to return to South Australia has been approved by the federal government.

The hub, based at Parafield Airport in Adelaide's north, will allow students to complete their two weeks' quarantine upon arrival. South Australia's Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier approved the plan in May, but approval by the federal government was still pending. Education Minister Alan Tudge said the proposed hub met with the government's guidelines."Importantly, the plan won’t take any quarantine places from Australians returning home," Mr Tudge said.
<snip>
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Old Jun 17, 2021, 8:00 pm
  #692  
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Why are the states balking? They don't believe in vaccines making a difference? Then why bother to roll out mass vaccinations across the country?
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Old Jun 17, 2021, 9:06 pm
  #693  
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Originally Posted by exp
Why are the states balking? They don't believe in vaccines making a difference? Then why bother to roll out mass vaccinations across the country?
3 reasons
  1. politics
  2. politics
  3. politics
QLD & WA had state elections last year. Both governments (Labor party) were comfortably returned to office
TAS had a state election this year. The government (Liberal party) was returned to office
in 2022 will be a AU federal election (Liberal party in power) and State elections in SA (Liberal Party) & VIC (Labor party).Odds are the states will re-elect the same party. Not so with the feds.

NSW will not have a state election until 2023
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_N...state_election

Many state politicians (all flavors) are playing political games.

++++++++++++++++++
Roll out of vaccinations is very fractured. (as is the AU heath system)
Federal govt buys the vaccine and distribute to where needed (that's the theory! - But has been poorly executed)
States have responsibility for hospitals, some aged care and state employees (medical, fire, police etc). States are organising mass vaccinations.
Fed's have responsibility for GP's (medicare), and some, but not all, aged care
Link--->https://www.health.gov.au/resources/...ination-policy
Look at section 3 page 6.
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Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 17, 2021 at 10:51 pm
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Old Jun 17, 2021, 11:18 pm
  #694  
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Originally Posted by exp
Why are the states balking? They don't believe in vaccines making a difference? Then why bother to roll out mass vaccinations across the country?
Opposite reasons really. NSW broadly opposes state border closures – they have only closed the border once when Victoria had its large second wave – so won't agree to a system that would mean vaccine checks at state border points. Western Australia and Queensland don't want the virus in the community at all so they want the ability to shut their states when it suits them. Until the population is vaccinated that is the status quo.

But yeah, it's essentially politics.
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Last edited by bensyd; Jun 17, 2021 at 11:32 pm
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Old Jun 18, 2021, 3:08 am
  #695  
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There was noise recently regarding a trial for fully jabbed Australians to skip quarantine (or do quarantine until they get a negative PCR test) - has this just died out or is there some hope?
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Old Jun 23, 2021, 11:48 am
  #696  
 
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
My strong view is AU citizens (with partners-dependant children) should be first in line for the 14 days quarantine, Then AU permanent residents, if any slots left.. Then others if any slots left.
If Parafield is OK for students it is OK for returning AU citizens (first)

18 Jun 2021 (abc.net.au)--->International students to return to SA after Parafield Airport quarantine hub gets approval
Agreed. It's absurd that any AU citizen would be displaced for a quarantine slot by anyone. Students, tennis players, jockeys, etc.
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Old Jun 24, 2021, 4:27 am
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However the govt has chosen to ration by price (of airline tickets), which is indeed unfair. However appears to take them out of the loop, which is easier on the politicians than making value judgements about personal situations .
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Old Jun 24, 2021, 4:29 am
  #698  
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Originally Posted by sabbasolo
However the govt has chosen to ration by price (of airline tickets), which is indeed unfair. However appears to take them out of the loop, which is easier on the politicians than making value judgements about personal situations .
The price of the airline tickets is due to the caps. Only ~30 pax per plane means the airlines are charging top dollar.
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Old Jun 24, 2021, 6:57 pm
  #699  
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Interesting change of policy (to the states who complain the most)
But it would take months to build such facilitates. So an indication quarantine (in some form) will be around for a long time

25 Jun 2021 (news.com,au) ---> PM Morrison suggests federal quarantine sites in Queensland and WA
In surprise move, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has written to state leaders promising to build new quarantine hubs.Scott Morrison has offered to build quarantine hubs in Queensland and WA, provided the states cover their operational costs.

The Prime Minister has also confirmed a new purpose-built quarantine facility in Victoria, agreed to by the Commonwealth and state government earlier this month, will be located in Mickleham.

In a surprise letters to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and WA Premier Mark McGowan on Thursday, Mr Morrison suggested locations for Commonwealth-built quarantine facilities in both states. The federal government would cover the cost of constructing the facilities, while the state would cover upkeep and operational costs
<snip>
25 Jun 2021 (abc.net.au)---->Melbourne COVID-19 quarantine facility approved as Commonwealth, Victoria agree on site
Key points:
  • Mr Morrison said the facility would open as soon as 500 beds were ready, to speed up the project
  • The alternative site at Avalon did not have sewage facilities where the cabins would be built and was home to protected wetlands
  • The Prime Minister has also written to the Queensland and West Australian governments about suitable quarantine sites in their states

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he hopes to have a 1,000-bed quarantine facility built in Melbourne's north before the end of the year, after the Commonwealth settled on Mickleham as the site. The facility was originally proposed by the Victorian government, which budgeted $15 million to design it and offered to run it if the Commonwealth funded construction. Early plans suggested it would cost $200 million to build a 500-bed facility and around $700 million if it was scaled up to 3,000 beds. The proposal was based on the Howard Springs quarantine centre in the Northern Territory, with an emphasis on open air around self-contained cabins to reduce the transmission risk.
<snip>
25 Jun 2021 (abc.net.au) WA COVID quarantine hub proposed at Perth or Jandakot airport under federal government plan

24 Jun 2021 Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns reopening Australia’s borders could lead to ‘5000 cases a day’
The Prime Minister has issued a stern reality check to Australians hoping high vaccination rates will mean reopened borders.

Scott Morrison has issued a grim warning that high rates of vaccination in Australia may not stop the virus if our international borders reopen, confirming that authorities are carefully monitoring the situation in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister said today that it was a simple fact that vaccination prevented serious illness and hospitalisations but he cautioned that it did not eradicate Covid. That suggests many restrictions including social distancing, hotel quarantine and in some cases even mask wearing may need to continue even after Australia is vaccinated.
<snip>
Edit
(abc.net.au)--->COVID-19 quarantine facilities bring Australians home faster proposed by federal government
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 24, 2021 at 10:05 pm
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Old Jun 25, 2021, 5:21 pm
  #700  
 
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Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
The price of the airline tickets is due to the caps. Only ~30 pax per plane means the airlines are charging top dollar.
Precisely - this is the governments choice of rationing by price. If it was done by allocating quarantine slots, then airlines would compete with each other for the pax, and prices would be lower. Flights would still run for the cargo.
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Old Jun 25, 2021, 5:48 pm
  #701  
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Originally Posted by sabbasolo
Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
The price of the airline tickets is due to the caps. Only ~30 pax per plane means the airlines are charging top dollar.
Precisely - this is the governments choice of rationing by price. If it was done by allocating quarantine slots, then airlines would compete with each other for the pax, and prices would be lower. Flights would still run for the cargo.
The AU fed govt has nothing to do with the price of flights. The price is set by the airlines. The price of flights does vary. Each flight has a quota of about 30 pax, based on the available state government quarantine slots.

For all that, as I have posted before, the NZ system of booking a quarantine slot independent of the flight is better. In NZ you have 48hrs after booking a slot to confirm the flight number & PNR.
NZ Govt link---> https://allocation.miq.govt.nz/portal/ In the last week or so the NZ Govt seems to closed future MIQ bookings.
But NZ does not have the state problem, and few airlines and only 2 airports (AKL & CHC) for quarantine flights
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 25, 2021 at 7:56 pm Reason: spelling
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Old Jun 26, 2021, 1:59 am
  #702  
 
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FIFO miner at the granites gold mine has tested positive for Covid-19. In an interesting commentary on Australia-wide idiosyncrasies in Covid policy, he came from Bendigo to Brisbane (where he had to stay in a quarantine hotel overnight as qld had regional Victoria as a hotspot), was able to fly unrestricted to NT (as regional Victoria was not a hotspot). Appears he became infected with the delta variant during that 1 night stay in Brisbane quarantine. Notified by NSW health that the hotel was now considered a hotspot, but not considered so by Qld or NT. Isolated and tested and came up positive

900 contacts identified

rumours of a 3 day NT wide lockdown (possible), or reimplementation of biosecurity zones (less likely)
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Old Jun 26, 2021, 2:43 am
  #703  
 
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Originally Posted by nancypants
FIFO miner at the granites gold mine has tested positive for Covid-19. In an interesting commentary on Australia-wide idiosyncrasies in Covid policy, he came from Bendigo to Brisbane (where he had to stay in a quarantine hotel overnight as qld had regional Victoria as a hotspot), was able to fly unrestricted to NT (as regional Victoria was not a hotspot). Appears he became infected with the delta variant during that 1 night stay in Brisbane quarantine. Notified by NSW health that the hotel was now considered a hotspot, but not considered so by Qld or NT. Isolated and tested and came up positive
900 contacts identified
rumours of a 3 day NT wide lockdown (possible), or reimplementation of biosecurity zones (less likely)
Read about that today. Been in prison hotel quarantine here in Sydney for almost a week and it is in total lockdown for 2 weeks 😩😩
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Old Jun 26, 2021, 3:38 am
  #704  
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Originally Posted by A1pax
Read about that today. Been in prison hotel quarantine here in Sydney for almost a week and it is in total lockdown for 2 weeks 😩😩
If you do not live in Sydney or NSW you may not be allowed to go another state.
NSW Govt link---> https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rule...r-restrictions Has links to the other states

All apparently originally from the limo driver of an airline crew (airport--hotel) getting Covid-19, that has now effected millions of people

Edit
The mine problem
NT mine in lockdown, 900 FIFO workers isolate after man tests positive to COVID-19
A mine in the Northern Territory is in lockdown, with potentially 900 people exposed to COVID-19, after a worker tested positive to the virus.
<snip>
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the man caught the virus at a quarantine hotel in Brisbane and was potentially infectious between June 18 and 24.
“We are assuming it is the Delta variant, the worst-case scenario, and it is better to over-prepare than underestimate the risk,” Mr Gunner said. More than 900 people have left the mine site and travelled to Perth, Brisbane, Alice Springs and Darwin airports during the risk period.
<snip>
Edit 2
27 Jun (abc.net.au)--->Darwin sent into snap lockdown after NT records four coronavirus cases
<snip>
The four new cases are all related to a worker at a major Central Australian gold mine who tested positive to COVID-19 late on Friday night. Two of the new cases are on the mine site, one has since travelled to New South Wales and is being managed by that state's health authorities, and one flew from the mine to Palmerston on Friday. The three positive cases still in the Northern Territory have all been taken to the quarantine facility in Howard Springs.
<snip>
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Jun 26, 2021 at 8:25 pm
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Old Jun 26, 2021, 3:45 am
  #705  
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
If you do not live in Sydney or NSW you may not be allowed to go another state.
NSW Govt link---> https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rule...r-restrictions Has links to the other states
We're in lockdown and we are all wearing masks!
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