Coronavirus

[Ridley]

It's an amazing achievement.

Yep a sensational effort. Well done Big V!

But let's never go back to where we were in August.

 

[Althom]

Pakistan players told it's a privilege to be allowed in to New Zealand and they're on their last chance. Shoaib Akhtar's reponse:

"I want to give a message to New Zealand board that this is not a club team, it's Pakistan national cricket team. We don't need you. Our cricket has not finished. You will get the broadcasting rights money. So, you should be indebted to us that we decided to tour your country in such difficult times. You are talking about Pakistan - the greatest country on the planet – so behave yourself and stop giving such statement."

Pakistani cricketers always had a reputation for carrying on like princes and it seems not much has changed.

What an arrogant "smile"

 

[Althom]

It is a difficult one. International students provide a lot to our economy and the government seems hell bent on screwing universities, but the risk really is too high at the moment the way the virus is going crazy overseas. Not sure China can keep it out either given they have land borders.

Australians should just be able to return. Maybe a few can hitch a ride in Mathias' plane.

The other aspect is we still have freight coming here from overseas on boats, their crews are likely to be left on the ships but someone has to get the stuff off the ship, there will be some contact. In Melbourne all ships need a pilot from our port authority to go through the heads.

No contact with the rest of the world is not realistic.

So, we need to get the quarantine working better. I still think this means quarantine camps of some sort away from the city centre. Some sort of army camp, convention centre, disused university campus or the like could work and could be found near enough to the city to enable those who do get sick to be taken to hospital. Quarantine in the middle of the city seems a contradiction in terms.

DS

The ship issue can be a problem as indicated by the problems we've had in WA but they are certainly not insurmountable.

 

[Althom]

My personal view is we should bring any Australian citizen home who wants to come and use quarantine measures as needed.

Not sure now is the time to extend that opportunity to others however, the world is drowning and we are in one of very few lifeboats.

Interesting article in the paper this morning.
"In one case, it took 1800 calls and emails from Australian officials to fill 175 seats on a specially organised flight, according to the Courier Mail. The committee heard not enough notice, work obligations and health were some of the reasons Australians have had to turn down the offer."
Can understand if you're too crook to travel but if you're allegedly desperate to get back then ........

 

[The Big Richo]

Can understand if you're too crook to travel but if you're allegedly desperate to get back then ........

I wonder if the cost was a factor as well.

I was overseas when things kicked off in March and had a flight scheduled to come home a few days after they put the word out.

I looked at changing to an earlier flight and found the cost had increased by just under 10 times the cost of the original flight I had booked. I could understand people having trouble managing that.

 

[Ridley]

I wonder if the cost was a factor as well.

I was overseas when things kicked off in March and had a flight scheduled to come home a few days after they put the word out.

I looked at changing to an earlier flight and found the cost had increased by just under 10 times the cost of the original flight I had booked. I could understand people having trouble managing that.

Not sure that's the case with the Qantas flights now been arranged out of Germany and France. I heard on ABC radio this morning that they will cost about $2K which is not unreasonable in the circumstances. But the travellers need to get themselves to the airport in Germany or France which may pose problems for some.

 

[Althom]

I wonder if the cost was a factor as well.

I was overseas when things kicked off in March and had a flight scheduled to come home a few days after they put the word out.

I looked at changing to an earlier flight and found the cost had increased by just under 10 times the cost of the original flight I had booked. I could understand people having trouble managing that.

This was one of the special repat flights that goes at about $2k.

 

[waiting]

I wonder if the cost was a factor as well.

I was overseas when things kicked off in March and had a flight scheduled to come home a few days after they put the word out.

I looked at changing to an earlier flight and found the cost had increased by just under 10 times the cost of the original flight I had booked. I could understand people having trouble managing that.

Yes I’m sure that there are cases where the cost is so high.

 

[Althom]

Yes I’m sure that there are cases where the cost is so high.

There's, no doubt, been some profiteering.

 

[Althom]

Not sure that's the case with the Qantas flights now been arranged out of Germany and France. I heard on ABC radio this morning that they will cost about $2K which is not unreasonable in the circumstances. But the travellers need to get themselves to the airport in Germany or France which may pose problems for some.

Just looking at the rules for travel into France.
Member States of the European Union, Andorra, Australia, the Holy See, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Rwanda, San Marino, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand and the United Kingdom can enter metropolitan France without any COVID-19 restrictions!!!

Looks like there's virtually no restrictions on travel between EU countries although I'd guess there's limited flights/trains etc.

No borders within the EU not looking like such a good idea any more.

 

[Brodders17]

But the travellers need to get themselves to the airport in Germany or France which may pose problems for some.

If only the oz Gov was paying for a plane to fly around Europe, with staff on board, for 1 passenger......

 

[Brodders17]

I heard today the one international leader, in a country terribly affected by Covid, was encouraging big gatherings to happen during a significant national holiday. I didn't catch all the details, but surely no one would be so stupid, and surely if the leader was that stupid, no voters would be dumb enough to vote for such a person.

 

[Born_a_Tiger78]

I guess they cant know 100% there are no cases, unless they test everyone, so 28 days is the rule but there is no guarantee.

Close, however, it's actually called a creeping assumption.

 

[22nd Man]

I heard today the one international leader, in a country terribly affected by Covid, was encouraging big gatherings to happen during a significant national holiday. I didn't catch all the details, but surely no one would be so stupid, and surely if the leader was that stupid, no voters would be dumb enough to vote for such a person.

So eveyone travelling in the US for Thanksgiving voted for Trump? Didn't realise the yanks were that divided. But collectively they are so far behind I don't know if it will matter what they Do or don't do this weekend.

 

[22nd Man]

Tim Smith for Premier!

funnier thimgs have happened.......Churchill wins WW2 and gets voted out, Rudd and Gillard saved us from the GFC and got shown the door.