Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Well Christmas is now set.....

Northern Northern Beaches 5 visitors (once per day, not rolling batches) from the same zone. Resident cannot leave zone.

Southern Northern Beaches 10 visitors (once per day) can come from Greater Sydney but not Northern Northern Beaches. Residents Cannot leave zone

Greater Sydney 10 visitors (once per day).

I think kids under 12 don’t count towards household limits during 24-26/12. (Edit according to ABC, kids under 12 count towards limits for Northern Northern Beaches)

Recommended more vulnerable think twice whether to participate. Aged care restrictions have specific rules relevant to their zone.

Post automatically merged: Dec 23, 2020

I think you'll find the repositioning rules for residemt airline workers has been in place before this week.

What changed this week was limiting the hotels at which foreign aircrew can stay.

Perhaps but I thought rules were tightened for both foreign and Australian international flight crew.

 

[milehighclub]

Perhaps but I thought rules were tightened for both foreign and Australian international flight crew.

Australian crew must now get tested. This was the only change for them.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Part of the problem we can see now that we have escaped and are able to look back, is that when you are in the midst of the mess you don't realise how bad it is. There is no ability to work out what is normal and to be able to transition to a mindset that you have to get out of the situation. I know for us our minds were fully occupied observing what was happening with the numbers, trying to stay safe as possible and in the other ear dealing with the fallout of the election chaos. We now realise that our stress levels were through the roof. Speaking with an Australian friend who continues to live in SD where the cases have risen from 400 a day 5 weeks ago to 3500 a day, they feel paralysed to even think about making a change. They have taken a siege mentality of locking themselves away to stay safe. They can't even entertain taking the steps to get on a plane and come home as the fear is real of catching something on the flight.

It has really been a terrible time - the riots affected master FM quite badly as well - he just couldn’t believe what was happening.

We would love him to return and you are right I don’t think people will realise how much it has affected them until things normalise again. Our son is running 7km a day and I think that helps mental health

 

[Flying mermaid]

If Dr FM still keen to fly back, there are probably other options - just need to investigate (different entry/transit rules of each relevant country) and have some luck getting a spare seat

Dr FM’s friend has found a flight back from London via LAX - long flight but at least Bub will get born in Australia. Dr FM just sitting waiting to see what happens. Hopefully if Singapore is going to cancel they will do it sooner rather than later!

Feel very sorry for people who don’t have the money to look at other options

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Personal emotional issues for that person aside, I'd have thought the anger be more suitably directed towards the government who relies on others for resources to implement their own knee-jerk policy agenda.

The alternative would have been a real hard border closure. No one crosses except for essential services (food and ambulances). No crossing the border in country towns to go to the supey. No going to the doctor on the other side of the river. No exemptions period.

That option wasn't popular first time around and everyone demanded flexibility.

Flexibility comes at a resourcing cost.

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

The alternative would have been a real hard border closure. No one crosses except for essential services (food and ambulances). No crossing the border in country towns to go to the supey. No going to the doctor on the other side of the river. No exemptions period.

That option wasn't popular first time around and everyone demanded flexibility.

Flexibility comes at a resourcing cost.

At the end of the day, PM was pretty clear no ADF on state borders after the current engagements at the time expired.

 

[milehighclub]

Perhaps but I thought rules were tightened for both foreign and Australian international flight crew.

“This was in line with government approved protocols. Since then the protocols have changed and operating crew won’t be travelling on normal domestic flights after operating international repatriation flights."

Looks like there has been further changes. Dr Chant talking about positioning crew on empty flights was the first I had heard of it, but this must also be an additional change.

There is a full statement from QF here

Qantas Responds - STATEMENT ON CABIN CREW COVID CASE

Keep up to date with Qantas' latest news and information, media releases, articles, images and more with the Qantas News Room.

www.qantasnewsroom.com.au

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

“This was in line with government approved protocols. Since then the protocols have changed and operating crew won’t be travelling on normal domestic flights after operating international repatriation flights."

Looks like there has been further changes. Dr Chant talking about positioning crew on empty flights was the first I had heard of it, but this must also be an additional change.

There is a full statement from QF here

Qantas Responds - STATEMENT ON CABIN CREW COVID CASE

Keep up to date with Qantas' latest news and information, media releases, articles, images and more with the Qantas News Room.

www.qantasnewsroom.com.au

Thanks

So if I read it correctly my guess appears right - arrived Friday before changes took place.

They say flight from Darwin to Sydney?!?! I’m so confused

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Some small details of today’s NSW new cases to 8pm yesterday

Seven of the locally acquired cases are linked to the Avalon cluster. Investigations continue into the source of the Avalon cluster, which now numbers 97. Four of these cases are residents of the northern area of the Northern Beaches.

I’m not sure if they included the 2 or 3 under investigation, so cluster could be 100

 

[lovetravellingoz]

“This was in line with government approved protocols. Since then the protocols have changed and operating crew won’t be travelling on normal domestic flights after operating international repatriation flights."

Looks like there has been further changes. Dr Chant talking about positioning crew on empty flights was the first I had heard of it, but this must also be an additional change.

There is a full statement from QF here

Qantas Responds - STATEMENT ON CABIN CREW COVID CASE

Keep up to date with Qantas' latest news and information, media releases, articles, images and more with the Qantas News Room.

www.qantasnewsroom.com.au

Thankyou.


So Qantas and Chant have stated completely different versions of what the protocol is.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So the good news today is that there is just the one cluster and not two.

Good news too that NSW test numbers remains very high, and that Vic numbers have also jumped and with no further positive tests since the news of the 15 year old.

8 new cases is also quite good as people will continue to return positive tests for a while, and not everyone will become positive quickly. Which is why second tests are important for all close contacts even if they initially test negative.

Bad news is that we still do not no who patient zero was, and how and when it was transmitted out.

Chant has re-affirmed that the genomics show that the LA Pax is not patient zero. They just have a strain very close to the Avalon strain, but they are not the parent of the Avalon strain.

While the QF case sounds alarming it probably is not. However tightening of protocols is probably prudent.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

There is a full statement from QF here

Qantas Responds - STATEMENT ON CABIN CREW COVID CASE

Keep up to date with Qantas' latest news and information, media releases, articles, images and more with the Qantas News Room.

www.qantasnewsroom.com.au

Fascinating reading. In the extensive media statement, Qantas only uses its name twice. The primary reference is not to a Qantas repatriation flight, but to a 'Federal Government repatriation flight'.

Qantas states ICAO figures of just 44 cases of covid caught on board since the start of 2020. This is against 1.2 billion passengers. This needs further analysis because flights didn't stop until March/April. I don't believe there have been 1.2 billion passengers between March and now?

(I am also surprised in the repeated need to identify the gender of the flight attendant. I would have thought gender neutral terminology would have been more than sufficient.)

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

So the good news today is that there is just the one cluster and not two.

Good news too that NSW test numbers remains very high, and that Vic numbers have also jumped and with no further positive tests since the news of the 15 year old.

8 new cases is also quite good as people will continue to return positive tests for a while, and not everyone will become positive quickly. Which is why second tests are important for all close contacts even if they initially test negative.

Bad news is that we still do not no who patient zero was, and how and when it was transmitted out.

Chant has re-affirmed that the genomics show that the LA Pax is not patient zero. They just have a strain very close to the Avalon strain, but they are not the parent of the Avalon strain.

While the QF case sounds alarming it probably is not. However tightening of protocols is probably prudent.

By next week or 1/1/21, patient zero of the Avalon cluster will become effectively irrelevant - like NZ cold store cluster.

High testing rates have been narrowing where patient zero could have infected others.

Then it sort of becomes academic and useful for future protocols perhaps.

The good likely trend is that NSW is possibly under the almost 200 cases eventually reached by the NZ cold store cluster, so I would say good job overall Northern Beaches, despite the couple of issues here and there.

 

[milehighclub]

So Qantas and Chant have stated completely different versions of what the protocol is.

Well that is because the protocol has changed. As HappyFlyerFamily mentioned, this happened before the new protocols came into place. Whilst Dr Chant had not mentioned any requirement for Australian crew to be transported on empty flights until today, I assume this was introduced on either Tuesday, along with the protocols that international airlines must follow, or today, after finding out about the case. Either way, QF has already changed the protocol.

I don't believe there have been 1.2 billion passengers between March and now?

That is a year to date figure I believe.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That is a year to date figure I believe.

That's right - year to date rather than March/April until now, which would put the potential infection much higher than 1:27 million claimed by IATA/ICAO (which are representing airlines, not consumers).

 

[Lynda2475]

That is a year to date figure I believe.

And a global figure, it doesnt seem an unrealistic number given lots more flying going on in other parts of the world than here. Plus Covid existed before March, so why would you want to exclude cases before March?

 

[I love to travel]

Why has SA not reported today?

 

[Anna]

Are you sure it’s from this year ? QF stopped printing QFF numbers on Boarding Passes in 2019.

It's one of those QF kiosk checkin paper slips - do they still have QFF number on this year? It's a beautifully preserved piece of flimsy paper if it's been used as a bookmark since Dec 2019. It was in a book that was just published in November 2020. But no I can't be sure.

Post automatically merged: Dec 23, 2020

Why has SA not reported today?

They just did. No new cases. Parafield cluster officially closed.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

And a global figure, it doesnt seem an unrealistic number given lots more flying going on in other parts of the world than here. Plus Covid existed before March, so why would you want to exclude cases before March?

While the virus was out and about then, very little testing was being done before March. So quite likely to have had passengers fly who were positive but were not tested.

And even from March on it took many jurisdictions a long time to test at meaningful levels.

 

[jase05]

Why has SA not reported today?

Not sure
About an hour ago a media report said zero cases and declared the Parafield outbreak over.
Seems to have been deleted