International travel for Australians

DDs friend has been over since last summer as twoif her children are being educated here. You have to have permission to leave Australia, which I think is a bit strange. The friends husband arrives soon plus son and dogs! The friend doesn't want to go back to Australia as she couldn't get out quickly if there was an emergency situation with her children.

Hetty58

I think being unable to travel is - the very least of our worries. Yes, of course, those who rely heavily on tourism will suffer, but safety first for this year, at least.

Not for those who have family overseas, though.

I think many were hoping this may have receded now and travel would open up more in 2021.

I agree safety first but I worry that Australians and New Zealanders have not realised just how bad this virus is having not seen the impact on communities, may be resistant to have the vaccinations and a wave of the virus which may be still lingering could hit them when travel is resumed.

You have to have permission to leave Australia, which I think is a bit strange.

Yes, not even those with sick family members can get permission.

Callistemon

Hetty58

I think being unable to travel is - the very least of our worries. Yes, of course, those who rely heavily on tourism will suffer, but safety first for this year, at least.

Not for those who have family overseas, though.

I think many were hoping this may have receded now and travel would open up more in 2021.

I agree safety first but I worry that Australians and New Zealanders have not realised just how bad this virus is having not seen the impact on communities, may be resistant to have the vaccinations and a wave of the virus which may be still lingering could hit them when travel is resumed.

Some Australians couldn't go more than 5km from home for months on end. There has been a lot of suffering, at least in one state.

In Sydney ( and I’d guess across the state) over 40s can now book their Pfizer vaccines. As for entering Australia, my friend’s niece( an Australian citizen) has just been over for several weeks and is returning to Switzerland this weekend. 35k plus entered in March.

35k plus entered in March.
So you keep saying.

In the meantime, tens of thousands are stranded overseas, wanting to get home and thousands more want to go back there or to leave to visit sick relatives there or here.

Those statistics mean nothing when measured against people's distress.

Some Australians couldn't go more than 5km from home for months on end. There has been a lot of suffering, at least in one state.
I realise that and jobs have been lost because of the bans on travel.

Some Australians couldn't go more than 5km from home for months on end. There has been a lot of suffering, at least in one state.
Victoria, presumably, because the State Premier did not act swiftly, hence other states closing their borders to Victorians and staying relatively safe.

I was thinking this morning of all the parents, grandparents who can’t see their children until I don’t know when because of these travel bans.
I think I would be going slightly mad ?

Australia actually isn’t far behind the EU for vaccinations per 100 population. My sister and brother in law in Perth (59 and 64) have both had their first vaccines. They are disappointed that even when fully vaccinated they won’t be able to travel to the UK this summer, as both have parents in their eighties and nineties here.

Oh good, perhaps some states are better than others.

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-10/queensland-covid-pfizer-vaccine-rollout-explained/100058610

The under 50s will have to wait for supplies of the Pfizer jab apparently.
Of course, it is easier to administer vaccinations in urban areas but a fair proportion live more remotely.

Here is the update and roll-out is, in fact, quite slow, as is that in the EU overall. I can't see travel being resumed at the beginning of 2022 unless they speed up the programme and that won't happen if they can't get the vaccines quickly.

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/datablog/ng-interactive/2021/may/10/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-coronavirus-updates-tracker-australia-daily-live-data-stats-update-total-numbers-distribution-progress-schedule-tracking-new-cases-today-statistics-latest-news

I think vaccination levels must depend which state you are in, but it does seem strange not to allow people to travel once they’ve been vaccinated, given that they also have to quarantine when they get back home anyway. Maybe they will rethink that at some point?

It said at the present rate vaccinations could take 30 months.
I hope they speed up.

MerylStreep

I was thinking this morning of all the parents, grandparents who can’t see their children until I don’t know when because of these travel bans.
I think I would be going slightly mad ?

I not making light of things here, as my family are hoping to see us in NZ next year for a niece's wedding, but here's an idea sent by my relatives.
Disguise yourself as a dog to get in and see your family! Perhaps we could all charter a flight down under.
www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/charter-flight-touches-down-reuniting-pets-owners-separated-covid

It is very sad when you can’t see your family that live on the other side of the world very frequently but even in ‘normal’ times that must be an issue for many?
I’m afraid that as someone who lived in far away places as a child I take it in my stride. I would love to see my Aussie family much more frequently but I can’t. So that’s life. I can’t spend my life being miserable about something I can’t control.
I still hope though that DD doesn’t miss out on a family wedding, although as CafeAuLait points out. I’m not holding my breath.
My parents had to book a telephone call to their parents, we are so much luckier now.

Callistemon

^Some Australians couldn't go more than 5km from home for months on end. There has been a lot of suffering, at least in one state.^
I realise that and jobs have been lost because of the bans on travel.

Jobs have been lost all over the place. If there is another lockdown even more jobs will be lost all over again. I think the current situation is better on the whole. Tough if you have family overseas, as I do, of course. I haven't seen my parents in the UK for over a year and a half now.

It was necessary to lock populations down and to close borders at first. The UK should have closed its borders in the beginning, and is still far too slow to put countries on the red list when necessary. However when people are fully vaccinated it’s unreasonable to refuse to allow them to travel. Britain has vaccinated a large majority of it’s adult population but some countries still refuse vaccinated people entry. This is very difficult for many British citizens who are already fully vaccinated, because they have beloved family living abroad. If the tourist industry in countries such as New Zealand and Australia suffers, then the people need to look to their governments and see who is responsible for this deprivation of their livelihoods. And why their governments have not got on with vaccinating their populations. Their governments acted responsibly in the beginning but are now quite negligent in their duty to provide vaccinations to protect lives, and also livihoods.

I think the problem with letting vaccinated people in is that there are still studies underway relating to whether vaccinated people can carry and transmit Covid. There are still a lot of unknowns with the vaccines and what effect they are going to have in the big picture. I don't like it, having family overseas, but I think it is good to keep the borders shut in countries that are relatively Covid free. At least for now.

Dr John Campbell often has two Australian doctors on his utube blog They keep him up to date with what’s happening over there and are really good fun (well, as much fun as is possible during a pandemic). I’m actually going to miss the regular contributors to DrJohns blog when all this is over.

A lot of people are now suspicious of the astra Zeneca vaccine and are refusing to be vaccinated which is a problem. Our country is still closed to tourists though citizens are very gradually being allowed to return,depending on where they come from. We haven’t accepted tourists for quite some time so I am not sure how the person a previous poster mentioned got in. We have booked a holiday up to the Northern Territory so are hoping we won’t have to quarantine on the way or coming back. By that time we will be fully vaccinated. I don’t want to go into one of those germ factories they call isolation hotels !

I had AZ Nanna, with no side effects. Good luck travelling and hope the borders arent closed before you get home! Luckily Dan is on sick leave!

From my daughter in Sydney this morning.

Callistemon

^Some Australians couldn't go more than 5km from home for months on end. There has been a lot of suffering, at least in one state.^
Victoria, presumably, because the State Premier did not act swiftly, hence other states closing their borders to Victorians and staying relatively safe.

NSW was in a bit of a state at one stage due to cruise ship incidents. I think bad luck was at least part of it. It could happen to any state with one superspreader event.