Australia Closing State Borders

It's put my niece in a bit of a quandary. She's a midwife and, although she works in Brisbane, she was supposed to be going to work in a remote outback hospital for a month but now she's not sure she should go in case she can't get back.

In regard to unhitching and hitching trailers on the ferries, with the volume of truck traffic passing through the main channel ports and tunnel changing power units would hugely restrict that volume of traffic by over two thirds of present.

Hitching or unhitching a trailer takes approximately ten to fifteen minutes even when the diver is experienced and familiar with the vehicle and couplings.

Anyone need only imaging the above being carried out on a ferry full of trucks or tunnel train when the trailers can only be approached one or two at a time.

On lesser volume ferries such as Zeebrugge etc on night crossings, changing power units is allowed but must be booked well in advance so as to allow all other vehicles to disembark before hitching operations can begin.

grandMattie absolutely, no reason why not.

Pamela shared a useful article. Other places are closing their borders, except for freight, so should we.
I’m pleased Gagajo managed to get home, she did the responsible thing. We’ve had enough warnings that this was going to happen.

Re. Lorry drivers. Perhaps they could do what they used to in Jersey. Put the trailer on the boat and a new driver takes it off in their own cab. That way fewer risks of germs coming in...

My daughter is a doctor, a GP. I have said on other threads that she has been told she may have to be ventilator trained and go to work in the hospital on the front line. She is already a key worker, and her husband is in the same profession. They have very young children, six year old twins and a two year old. There is enough risk in this country, especially for key workers, without importing a whole lot more. I would prefer that my grandchildren still have parents at the end of all this, and I think most Gransnetters will feel the same.

We should have absolutely NO planes arriving from Spain, Italy, or Iran bringing people to Britain from countries with such high infection rates. It’s madness. I have already agreed with you grandad that deliveries need to continue despite any risks. Any risk that can be stopped should be stopped, because that means it’s a lesser number of possible risks in the community.

maddyone with every respect, but I feel that in your above posts you have not really thought this matter through.

I stated in my pos @11:35 that sixteen to twenty thousand trucks per day cross through the UK channel ports and tunnel in both directions. Therefore a considerable percentage of those drivers would originate from journeys begun in Spain, Italy and Portugal being they are the largest EU member states that export fresh food into Britain.

In the above, if only two or three thousand of that total volume (it is probably much higher) of truck drivers originate from the above EU member states it will undoubtedly be well above the numbers arriving by air, especially at this time.

I would agree that Britain at this time could consider an embargo on all travelling from such Countries as Iran and China but that would still leave all those trucks and Drivers crossing into Britain every day as a large possible source of infection.

It should also be remembered that Italy and Spain have at present the highest infection rates in the world in regard to the Covid-19.

Queensland borders will close Wednesday midnight.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

In the Times.

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.

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

“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 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.

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!

It doesn't really bear thinking GagaJo.