Anyone else re-thinking overseas travel?

based in reality or hopefullness?

 

I've done two return trips from Barcelona to Sydney in the last 7 weeks, the coronavirus isn't a concern for me at all. Plenty of people wearing masks enroute though on the Sydney legs. Here in Spain it's not much of an issue, haven't seen a single person wearing a mask.

That said... they did have to cancel the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona because of all the companies pulling out (6000 people from China were coming) so it has cost the city a lot, over 500 million euros.

 

No way he's going to Europe mid year!

 

We are booked in to travel to Bali in May and wife is pushing to cancel the booking. I don't what to do

 

Listen to ScoMo’s press conference this morning (2 hours ago). He has made the decision easy for you.

Part of it was:

“The travel advice to every Australian is ‘Do not travel abroad,'” Morrison announced at Parliament House.​

“Do not go overseas. That is very clear, that instruction. For those who are thinking of going overseas in the school holidays, don’t.”​

Morrison said it was the first time Australia has ever declared a worldwide Level 4 travel ban.

 

Is it a "Please Don't?", or, a "You Will Not!"

Is it advice, or a directive?

 

The first sentence clearly states advice but after that it is an instruction and ban.

 

I assume you are kidding.

Have you listened to that press conference yet? I will get you a directive (if that is what you are seeking ), do listen to it. It went for one hour and it would be the best ScoMo has ever given.

The indented parts of my post were direct quotes. He said “Do not go overseas”. There was no “Please don’t ...”, no “We would like you to consider not traveling ...”. I say again:

He said “Do not go overseas”.​

I thought the message was absolutely clear. Was it advice, an instruction, ...

Who cares? Don’t do it. ScoMo has invoked Level 4 Travel Restriction INDEFINATELY ON THE WORLD.

Have you read what Level 4 entails? A piece of advice (if that is what you are seeking), google it and read it.


In his press conference, he had a message for hoarders. It was “STOP IT” (direct quote).

Was it advice? Was it an instruction? You will need to ask ScoMo. TBH, I don’t care, STOP IT was the right message. He also said it was unAustralian, ...

Other matters covered included:

• Why schools are currently opened. I now understand why. To me, it makes prefect sense.
• He also said to stop getting your health advice and COVID updates from social media as a lot of it is BS
• He covered changes to Aged Care visits, etc to protect this vulnerable cohort of Aussies. This group gave us this great country, they are in the greatest danger, ... How can we just leave them to die (as I have seen in some PC posts).
• He covered off changes for our First Australians (another high risk cohort), especially in remote areas. There will be exclusion zones
• ...

The world Is facing the biggest health crises in over 100 years. Nations are shutting their borders indefinitely to stop COVID cases from being imported externally. Community transmission is currently low. It will increase so the world is grappling with how to slow that down. Nations are working together sharing what works, what doesn’t work. They believe they can win this battle.

Australia needs to do the same, come together, work together to win this battle. Recent behaviour from some Australians gives me real doubt about whether we will. I got tears in my eyes listening to the press conference. Not tears of fear but tears of doubt in my fellow Aussies.

My parents and grandparents (all deceased) lived through WWI, the Great Depression, WW2, ... I remember listening to their tales of those events, the huge sacrifices they made for the good of this Nation, etc. To win the COVID war, us Australians will be called upon to makes sacrifices. Current behaviour by some is a worry (in fact it is deplorable).

I hope and trust that was the past and going forward we will do this (a lot) better as a Nation. Look at what Aussies did in the first half of last century (which we are all proud of) and make them proud of how we deal with this battle.

My apologies for the long post. Let’s move on from whether it was advice, a directive, ... TBH, most of it was common sense; unfortunately, sometimes it ain’t that common.

I will go back into my cave now .

 

I reckon you should just ignore Dad and go out anyway

Read between the lines of DFAT's "Come home now, ASAP by commercial means". This is a clear signal that the option to close the borders to foreign travellers is now on the table, and may be exercised at any time. Once that happens the means of getting home will become even more limited as flights will become more scarce...(reminder, QF is at 90% cut with the current situation, VA is cancelling ALL international services by end of month)

Though you could probably get a great deal in Bali at the moment, its a classic cost benefit analysis!

 

I wasn't contemplating going overseas - I just wanted to know how firm he was being. I haven't watched the press-conference, too busy with self-isolated kids and running a business! So thanks for the update, I appreciate it.

 

We're booked to Bali in late April. I hope things have calmed by then, but it's not looking likely.

Closed borders is my biggest concern - there's a huge difference between 'not wanting to come home', and 'not being able to come home'!

 

No chance of normality by April. Indo will be dealing with a massive pandemic. Likely ban on arrivals from Indo by then as well.

I cannot foresee that AU will ever close the border to citizens / permanent residents if they land. Wont happen. You could be quarantined of course. That may be a technicality however as you may simply not be able to get home. Only the foolhardy would take that risk and deal with the consequences if things go pear shaped.

 

ScoMo said the current situation will be for at least six months ... doesn't mean you need 6 months of food but also don't be expecting to travel any time soon.

First grandchild is being born in Adelaide in June ... might be a road trip on the cards instead of a quick fly down

 

Yup agree. It's the flights leaving Indo that's the concern.

 

Qantas received a bailout of $715 million this morning. I hope I have reported that correctly. So what will they do with that money?

 

My parents are on the cruise which is stranded off the coast of Chile.. fingers crossed they make it back soon. It may require a charter flight from outside of Chile..

Unfortunately they embarked overseas a while back, and couldn't foresee things getting this bad.