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Forbidding Australians to return to Australia when their lives are at risk is very much the wrong decision. It's very, as much as I hate the term, very unAustralian to abandon other Australians who need help.

We have a strong history of always helping whenever we can, even when they aren't our battles. What we're doing here is very very wrong.

It was 3 weeks, whilst we ensured that we could take those coming in with a higher risk of transmission due to higher levels of infection to a more appropriate facility,

It wasn't like we said, stuff you all, we don't care.
 
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That particular bloke has been there for ~11 months. He stayed to look after his mother who, although an Australain citizen, chooses to live in India. he could have come home, with his mum, at any time over that 11 months.
In excess of 140k other Australians have managed it since last September.
We could be talking about different people, but here’s an update on the guy I saw.

Went to India last May to care for his dying father. He’s been trying since June last year to return with his mum. Hasn’t seen his wife and kids for a year.
Quarantined as per Aust Gov instructions in a quarantine hotel in Delhi before the repatriation flight, and subsequently tested positive for COVID - his mother is negative even though sharing same room.
Edit: They have both been vaccinated.

Many Australians in the quarantine hotel went in negative, then tested positive and got kicked off flight and out of hotel.
 
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We could be talking about different people, but here’s an update on the guy I saw.

Went to India last May to care for his dying father. He’s been trying since June last year to return with his mum. Hasn’t seen his wife and kids for a year.
Quarantined as per Aust Gov instructions in a quarantine hotel in Delhi before the repatriation flight, and subsequently tested positive for COVID - his mother is negative even though sharing same room.
Many Australians in the quarantine hotel went in negative, then tested positive and got kicked off flight and out of hotel.
Father's been dead for close on 12 months.
He stayed on to look after his mum who wanted to stay in India.
He says they've been trying to return.
Pardon me for being a tad cynical but I'd hazard a guess the wish to return only became critical when it hit the fan in regards infection rates there.
Meanwhile 140k others have managed to return from all over the world. The vast majority without having to access special repat flights.
 
The number of Indians that were refused entry to the plane coming back IMO shows that we were vindicated in doing what we did in terms of blocking flights regardless of the public outcry. For almost half of the flight to test positive to boarding shows how rampant it is there, and it is right to be ultra cautious in how we bring people back from India.

Howard Springs seems like the right solution, shame that the feds though are not pushing forward to provide more facilities such as these.
Slight correction Posh, half were positive or close contacts of those positive.
 
Forbidding Australians to return to Australia when their lives are at risk is very much the wrong decision. It's very, as much as I hate the term, very unAustralian to abandon other Australians who need help.

We have a strong history of always helping whenever we can, even when they aren't our battles. What we're doing here is very very wrong.

It’s a classic ethical dilemma know as the trolley problem.

1. would you kill 1 person to save 10?
2. Would you not kill 1 person but kill 10 others by not doing that?
3. Would you not kill 1 Australian citizen but kill 10 Australian citizens?
4. Would you not kill 1 Indian citizen but kill 10 Australian citizens.

Many societies pick 4 regularly in many many ways. We struggle with 3.
If the federal government built national quarantine capacity we wouldn’t have to pick 3 and may be able to help out on 4.
 
That's exactly what was said. And still being said by kicking off those with the virus or had close contact.
So those 40 should have been allowed to fly? What about those on the same flight that were not infected, what do you think their rights should include? Do they deserve some protection from the government? Or should they be forced to take their chances and fly with 40 plus infected?

no easy decisions in all this
 
A laboratory had its accreditation suspended when it pre-screened Aussies wanting to return from India on a Qantas flight, with three stopped from boarding now testing negative.
Qantas has confirmed a laboratory that pre-screened passengers for a repatriation flight from India had its accreditation suspended last month.

Not good but indicates some of the issues with organising repat flights from a place like India. Dodgy labs, dodgy medical staff who'll sell a negative test result.
 
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A laboratory had its accreditation suspended when it pre-screened Aussies wanting to return from India on a Qantas flight, with three stopped from boarding now testing negative.
Qantas has confirmed a laboratory that pre-screened passengers for a repatriation flight from India had its accreditation suspended last month.

Not good but indicates some of the issues with organising repat flights from a place like India. Dodgy labs, dodgy medical staff who'll sell a negative test result.

You would have thought the government would have confirmed that the lab they used was legit and of good standing. They must have been the cheapest.

So now we have 3 Australians kicked off a plane returning to Australia because the government's chosen COVID tester was dodgy.

Just one classic *smile* after another with #SloMo. Let me guess, when asked he replied with "I don't hold the swab, mate"
 
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You would have thought the government would have confirmed that the lab they used was legit and of good standing. They must have been the cheapest.

So now we have 3 Australians kicked off a plane returning to Australia because the government's chosen COVID tester was dodgy.

Just one classic *smile* after another with #SloMo. Let me guess, when asked he replied with "I don't hold the swab, mate"
Obviously yes it was a complete and utter "smile" to use that lab on top of the complete and utter "smile" to let Qantas pick that lab.
However there's also an extremely good chance that the 3 yesterday and now 12 today claiming they have now tested negative did nothing more than buy a negative test certificate.
Someone on the ABC today was suggesting that they use the Indian Government's testing facility at the airport - results back via 2 methods within 6 hours and no need to be locked up in a plague hotel for days. Maybe that's a better option.
However an abundance of caution remains the best approach.
 
However there's also an extremely good chance that the 3 yesterday and now 12 today claiming they have now tested negative did nothing more than buy a negative test certificate.

Really? Extremely good chance? What do you base that fact on?
 
Turnaround.
Not sure that stands up at all. They found out on Friday. News came out Sunday. Plenty of time for a test. I'd also assume there was some verification of the second tests which is what triggered the background check on the discredited lab. And finally, they still need to have another test of the Governments chosen lab before they can board.

So, in summary, most likely just made up *smile* to paint as negative a light as possible on those Australians trying to get back home.
 
Not sure that stands up at all. They found out on Friday. News came out Sunday. Plenty of time for a test. I'd also assume there was some verification of the second tests which is what triggered the background check on the discredited lab. And finally, they still need to have another test of the Governments chosen lab before they can board.

So, in summary, most likely just made up *smile* to paint as negative a light as possible on those Australians trying to get back home.
So in summary completely ignoring the fact that the purchase of negative test certificates is rampant, in India at the moment, in order to be able to shout WACISM!
Because for you everything is about WACISM
 
So in summary completely ignoring the fact that the purchase of negative test certificates is rampant, in India at the moment, in order to be able to shout WACISM!
Because for you everything is about WACISM

It's rampant everywhere, not just India. But there are mechanisms in place to verify certificates. Indian airlines have implemented these measures already.

Racism? I haven't mentioned race or racism in any of my posts. More made up *smile*?