Australia Closing State Borders

Yes the states and territories are beginning to close their borders - we were the first here in Tasmania, an island, now the Northern Territory has also closed their borders.

Schools are starting to close, from Tuesday schools in Victoria are closing and I reckon other states will soon follow.

The borders should be closed here in Britain too. God knows why they aren’t, it’s utter madness.

We are in WA at the moment, hoping to return to the U.K. on the 27th.

No wine tour today. We will be able to get takeaways for supper tonight.

I’m hoping they won’t close the NSW border till after Friday so we can return to DD if our flight is cancelled. Things keep changing.

The government here thinks it’s safer to have the children at school, basically under control, rather than roaming the streets. Some private schools have closed and the state ones are following suit I think. All the states have different ideas.
The younger generation here seem to have a very casual regard to risk. The other night we were eating in a restaurant - all of us seated with lots of space between us. The pub over the road was heaving.

My granddaughters school In NSW closed tomorrow..but they've been kept at home today anyway

yes, sis has curtailed her campavan holiday and is flying back to WA today

Maddyone, I totally agree that the UK has been so laxed, it's unbelievable. I posted yesterday that we should have locked this country down from the start.
If China did it then we could have done it no problem. It's madness that so many talk about rights/freedom and democracy when there's disease all around us. How utterly selfish and thoughtless many people are !!

I totally agree EV. Official lockdown BEFORE it was ripping through the country. I think it's too late now. Many, many people incubating it. 2 weeks from now it'll be apocalyptic.

It doesn't really bear thinking GagaJo.

DD2 tells me the borders are still open in Queensland.

She can easily work from home and her company have been discussing doing this for two weeks now! She is very frustrated waiting for someone to make this sensible decision!

I completely agree with you EV. Upon first hearing what was going on in China my first thought was, close all borders to stop the spread. Relying on people to ‘do the right thing’ is farcical as we now see so many defying advice for the good of all. We are certainly not all ‘in this together’ !

We are now just sitting ducks hoping to get through this unscathed.

“China did it then we could have done it no problem.”

Build a new hospital in a week? I dont think so.

The Communist party have total control, everyone does what they are told, no dissent and there are party members (spies) in every street, every workplace to ensure discipline. Anyone who speaks out against the official line gets sent to a “re-education” camp. We just have to manage with democracy, the advantages and the disadvantages.

I know which country I'd choose in a crisis,. Davidhs and it wouldn't be the UK !

I'm with you EllanVannin. My Chinese friends are safe (medically). Their family members that WERE ill have been treated, found to be free of the virus and allowed home.

HERE were don't even KNOW if we definitely have it or not.

In the Times.

Incoming flight are Britons returning from overseas and should be self isolating on return, testing them and keeping them isolated until there is a result is not practical.

EllanVannin and Gaga
You’re both correct in my opinion, I think our government has been lax in the extreme in many ways, but still allowing planes in, especially from Italy, Iran and China is utter madness. It sounds as though you have managed to get home from your job Gaga, is it Switzerland where you were working? That’s good, you’re better at home.
Planes arriving from Italy I just haven’t got words!

Davidhs
But they won’t self isolate will they? That’s the problem. NO planes should be arriving from Italy, Iran, or Spain. To be honest I think the borders should be closed NOW. If British people haven’t bothered to get themselves home by now, then I think tough. They should stay where they are then till it’s over!

But you were very keen to get back here Gagajo according to your posts a few days ago. Now you are here, seems like you wish you were somewhere else!

there are no seats on the few planes available. DD and family are on secondment in NZ to end of April. The country is in lock down from Wednesday. They are very worried about being able to come back sooner if possible. DGD is disabled and their health insurance runs out... worrying times.

Not that easy for some Maddy. And when you say bothered what do you mean? We would have flown back a couple of weeks ago if we had been advised to do so and we could have got a flight. Getting in touch and getting an answer from airlines that don’t know what is happening is not easy. I got an email letting me know that they would reply within 14 days!
My DD rang her travel agent and they couldn’t help.

We are quite prepared to stay in Australia but if we make the decision to stay then it could cost us dearly and who knows when we could get back.
You could argue that cost isn’t everything and I agree but not everyone has a DD over here to stay with and not everyone has the financial resources to maintain a stay of perhaps many months.
If the airline and the U.K. made the decision we would have to stay. Our ability to care for DGC will be extremely helpful (after 2 weeks) and enable DD and her DH to work.

I check the airlines app about 3 or 4 times a day.
We are British, I wouldn’t expect to be let in any other country but my own.

To those who state that Britain should close all its borders, I would ask what they propose in regard to the trucks carrying forty percent of the United Kingdoms fresh food that cross into Britain through the Channel ports and tunnel each day?

Approximately sixteen to twenty thousand trucks pass either side of the channel ports each day some driven by British drivers who have been into Italy and Spain etc to deliver and the collect freight, while others are driven by European drivers wih any EU member state being the base for their originating journey.

So, suggestions, please.

Well it’s perfectly obvious isn’t it grandad that freight will need to travel. What is also perfectly obvious is that the passenger planes disgorging whole plane loads of people should be stopped. People are arriving from Italy, for God’s sake. What exactly is acceptable about that? They will undoubtedly be bringing more cases of Coronavirus to this country with it’s already over stretched health service. Since other countries, including EU countries, have already closed their borders to people travelling, why should it be either difficult or unacceptable for us to follow suit? It’s good sense!

Incidentally lorries carrying freight normally have one, or possibly two, drivers. Planes carry hundreds of people. I should have thought you could understand the difference.
Perhaps you could explain why you think it acceptable that thousands of people arrived last week in Britain via planes travelling from Italy, Iran, and China.

Queensland borders will close Wednesday midnight.