As harsh as it may be, I agre with the policy. If international travel had been banned throughout the world from the very beginning, perhaps we may have averted many deaths and be back to 2019 conditions by now.
I believe that international travel has been just as much of a “super spreader” during this pandemic as any nursing home, maybe if not more so.
I understand it is up to folks to do what they choose. A child is mentioned in this article. The parents chose to leave the child in India despite the disaster all around them. Again, it is their right. But IMO it is not the right of them to expect others to remain in harms way because they chose to allow their child to.
IDK. Maybe that is harsh
This part has me scratching my head:
Coming home, even from a country with declining infection rates, often seems to require government connections, celebrity status or luck, along with $30,000 for a one-way plane ticket.
That is why I don’t think we have enough info. The Australian companies should be able to easily get their employees home.
Vicki, thank you for sharing the article on Australia’s rules. I’m not pleased with Australia’s decision to ban its own citizens from returning home. I do find this excessively harsh. I’m not opposed to mandatory quarantining and testing upon return. But barring its own citizens from coming home strikes me as draconian.
I am on the fence on this. I would like to know how many are still in India. I honestly can’t think they had planned to leave at all if they didn’t already. Off to see if I can find a number
I think my initial reaction was incorrect. …..for most. The story of the child not being removed sooner leaves my head scratching. But there are tens of Australian companies in India and possibly 3000-6000 Australians.
I honestly don’t know. Can you properly quarantine that many? Can that number secure immediate transportation out of India? Many other questions but I’m not sure there is an easy answer. I also don’t think we know enough to judge. And we have enough problems here to worry about.
So I will stay on that fence.
You may remember me saying that I believe 50% vaccinated (at least with 1 dose) is almost like the magic number in terms of getting the case curve to really bend downward. We saw that in Israel and the U.K. and are beginning to see that in the U.S. in states with at least 50% vaccinated. Generally, the hot spots are occurring in areas where vaccination rates are less than 40%.
I’m still concerned about Western Europe. Germany has peaked and is very gradually improving, but it’s the tiniest improvement. France is similar. The Netherlands, too. This is why many West European countries are not yet deciding about (fully) reopening, and are canceling all summer festivals and even some fall ones like Oktoberfest. None of the West European countries, except the UK, have reached the critical 50% vaccination rate. In fact, most are still in the 30s or less. It’s May 3rd. This has to hurry up, or else they’re in serious jeopardy of another lost summer. It’s not as if these countries will all continue to be in strict lockdown. But, restrictions will be in place in all likelihood, and these limits will be stricter than most of the limits we’ve ever instituted. So, to an American visiting it will feel like lockdown in some ways. The UK will be different. I sense that their reopening will actually accelerate and it will feel near-normal by June.
Regarding Australians abroad, I’m sure some, perhaps the majority, wish to stay put. But for those who do want to return home, I sincerely think that they should have that right of repatriation, essentially, and not have a prison sentence and massive fine waiting for them if they dare circumvent the rules. Even China allows its citizens to return en masse. And it’s a dictatorship. The Chinese who return must do a supervised 14-day quarantine. But at least they can go home.
C-19 for 5-4 is ready.
Comments are closed.
Your no-hype southeastern New England weather blog!
May be harsh but not as harsh as the horror in India
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/03/world/australia/covid-india-travel-ban.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR0QpR2FXIHMGyum2PlgpCgLZxdlbAp6YKCVj-SsFtkDTZLopmnsHf42JN0
As harsh as it may be, I agre with the policy. If international travel had been banned throughout the world from the very beginning, perhaps we may have averted many deaths and be back to 2019 conditions by now.
I believe that international travel has been just as much of a “super spreader” during this pandemic as any nursing home, maybe if not more so.
I understand it is up to folks to do what they choose. A child is mentioned in this article. The parents chose to leave the child in India despite the disaster all around them. Again, it is their right. But IMO it is not the right of them to expect others to remain in harms way because they chose to allow their child to.
IDK. Maybe that is harsh
This part has me scratching my head:
Coming home, even from a country with declining infection rates, often seems to require government connections, celebrity status or luck, along with $30,000 for a one-way plane ticket.
That is why I don’t think we have enough info. The Australian companies should be able to easily get their employees home.
My latest is on the importance of truthful, frank, and consistent public health messaging during a pandemic. https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2021/05/03/importance-of-laying-the-groundwork-for-improved-public-health-messaging-to-prepare-for-the-next-pandemic/?sh=63bb16e94b93
Vicki, thank you for sharing the article on Australia’s rules. I’m not pleased with Australia’s decision to ban its own citizens from returning home. I do find this excessively harsh. I’m not opposed to mandatory quarantining and testing upon return. But barring its own citizens from coming home strikes me as draconian.
I am on the fence on this. I would like to know how many are still in India. I honestly can’t think they had planned to leave at all if they didn’t already. Off to see if I can find a number
I think my initial reaction was incorrect. …..for most. The story of the child not being removed sooner leaves my head scratching. But there are tens of Australian companies in India and possibly 3000-6000 Australians.
I honestly don’t know. Can you properly quarantine that many? Can that number secure immediate transportation out of India? Many other questions but I’m not sure there is an easy answer. I also don’t think we know enough to judge. And we have enough problems here to worry about.
So I will stay on that fence.
You may remember me saying that I believe 50% vaccinated (at least with 1 dose) is almost like the magic number in terms of getting the case curve to really bend downward. We saw that in Israel and the U.K. and are beginning to see that in the U.S. in states with at least 50% vaccinated. Generally, the hot spots are occurring in areas where vaccination rates are less than 40%.
I’m still concerned about Western Europe. Germany has peaked and is very gradually improving, but it’s the tiniest improvement. France is similar. The Netherlands, too. This is why many West European countries are not yet deciding about (fully) reopening, and are canceling all summer festivals and even some fall ones like Oktoberfest. None of the West European countries, except the UK, have reached the critical 50% vaccination rate. In fact, most are still in the 30s or less. It’s May 3rd. This has to hurry up, or else they’re in serious jeopardy of another lost summer. It’s not as if these countries will all continue to be in strict lockdown. But, restrictions will be in place in all likelihood, and these limits will be stricter than most of the limits we’ve ever instituted. So, to an American visiting it will feel like lockdown in some ways. The UK will be different. I sense that their reopening will actually accelerate and it will feel near-normal by June.
Regarding Australians abroad, I’m sure some, perhaps the majority, wish to stay put. But for those who do want to return home, I sincerely think that they should have that right of repatriation, essentially, and not have a prison sentence and massive fine waiting for them if they dare circumvent the rules. Even China allows its citizens to return en masse. And it’s a dictatorship. The Chinese who return must do a supervised 14-day quarantine. But at least they can go home.
C-19 for 5-4 is ready.