2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

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#2687320 6-Apr-2021 16:28

Much has been said about how the TT Quarantine Free Travel was necessary to save the tourism industry. I just can't see many tourists taking advantage of it to be honest. I think its most appealing to families who have been separated for over 12 months and haven't been able to see each other. When you travel to see family, you're not exactly spending like a tourist. For a start you're unlikely to be staying in a hotel, renting a car or dining out as much a tourist.

vexxxboy

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#2687325 6-Apr-2021 16:35

DS248:

Not just coincidence that AirNZ laid on extra capacity from that date.

all the Australian airlines were doing the same thing , the PM looks a bit silly saying that date meant nothing in her earlier press statements.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

freitasm

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#2687328 6-Apr-2021 16:40

The press release:

New Zealand’s successful management of COVID means quarantine-free travel between New Zealand and Australia will start on Monday 19 April, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced today.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the conditions for starting to open up quarantine free travel with Australia have been met.

“The Director-General of Health considers the risk of transmission of COVID-19 from Australia to New Zealand is low and that quarantine free travel is safe to commence,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“Our team’s success in managing COVID-19 and keeping it out over the past 12 months now opens up the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones and resume Trans-Tasman travel.

“One sacrifice that has been particularly hard for many to bear over the past year has been the separation from friends and family who live in Australia, so today’s announcement will be a great relief for many.

“The bubble will give our economic recovery a boost and represents a world leading arrangement of safely opening up international travel while continuing to pursue a strategy of elimination and keeping the virus out.

“We have worked hard to ensure travel is safe and that the necessary public health measures are in place.

“Quarantine free travel will not be what it was pre-COVID-19, and those undertaking travel will do so under the guidance of ‘flyer beware’. People will need to plan for the possibility of having travel disrupted if there is an outbreak.

“Just as we have our alert level settings for managing cases in New Zealand, we will also now have a framework for managing New Zealanders in the event of an outbreak in Australia, which involves three possible scenarios: continue, pause, suspend,” Jacinda Ardern said.

COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said to ensure New Zealand remains on top of COVID-19, the Government has added further layers to manage risk at the border.

“To be eligible to travel to or from New Zealand on a quarantine-free flight, people must not have had a positive COVID-19 test result in the previous 14-day period and must not be awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test taken during that period,” Chris Hipkins said.

“When those in Australia decide to come to New Zealand, they will be making a booking on a green zone flight. That means that there will be no passengers on that flight who have come from anywhere but Australia in the last 14 days. They will also be flown by crew who have not flown on any high risk routes for a set period of time.

“Passengers will need to provide comprehensive information on how they can be contacted while in New Zealand, complete a pre-departure health declaration and won’t be able to travel if they have cold or flu symptoms.

“When they fly, they will be required to wear a mask on their flight, and will also be asked to download and use the NZ COVID Tracer app while in New Zealand.

“On arrival, passengers will be taken through what we call the green zones at the airport – meaning there will be no contact with those who are arriving from other parts of the world and going into managed isolation or quarantine.

“We will also be undertaking random temperature checks of those arriving as an added precaution.

“Final infection control audits for airports in particular are occurring over the next two weeks and are a requirement for each airport to operate. The Ministry of Health expects to have completed these and to have reported on them on 16 April.”

Chris Hipkins said it is estimated the bubble will free up 1,000 to 1,300 rooms per fortnight within MIQ.

“Of these, we will retain roughly 500 spaces as contingency should they be needed for the Trans-Tasman arrangement.

“We also have a small number of facilities that we consider to have only been suitable for travelers in quarantine from low risk countries. With the opening of travel, we will look to decommission these facilities – but in the meantime we are considering whether they could be used for other low risk countries, such as the Pacific Islands.

“As a result of this, we do not anticipate a large number of vacant quarantine spaces to come on stream. There will, however, still be thousands of spaces in MIQ for Kiwis. That’s how we have helped 130,000 safely return home through our managed isolation facilities.”

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#2687333 6-Apr-2021 16:43

To discuss the quarantine-free travel (QFT) please use Trans-Tasman bubble (Quarantine-Free Travel) (geekzone.co.nz)

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#2687624 7-Apr-2021 06:57

Apparently some "fully vaccinated " in uSA got covid and some died, CDC investigating.

I think first reported by detroit free press who are based in michigan

https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/246-fully-vaccinated-michigan-residents-get-covid-3-die-report/

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#2687625 7-Apr-2021 07:08

Batman: Apparently some "fully vaccinated " in uSA got covid and some died, CDC investigating.

I think first reported by detroit free press who are based in michigan

https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/246-fully-vaccinated-michigan-residents-get-covid-3-die-report/

Is that the same Michigan that leads the US (and based on their data just about leads the world!) when it comes to infection rates?

Rikkitic

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#2687640 7-Apr-2021 08:13

Batman: Apparently some "fully vaccinated " in uSA got covid and some died, CDC investigating.

I think first reported by detroit free press who are based in michigan

https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/246-fully-vaccinated-michigan-residents-get-covid-3-die-report/

Don't trust anything you see in the NY Post. It is a Fox-style tabloid Murdoch rag. If you don't see it reported in trustworthy media, ignore it.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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vexxxboy

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#2687661 7-Apr-2021 09:13

Batman: Apparently some "fully vaccinated " in uSA got covid and some died, CDC investigating.

I think first reported by detroit free press who are based in michigan

https://nypost.com/2021/04/06/246-fully-vaccinated-michigan-residents-get-covid-3-die-report/

that article is just scare mongering , they admit that the people could have had covid before the final dose and they are not sure if the vacine was fully working as it may take longer than 14 days for some people.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

chatterbox

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#2687676 7-Apr-2021 09:19

freitasm:
sbiddle:

Case I (the Papatoetoe high student who is the sister of the KFC worker) only got her +ve test result back after case L (the sister who is the KFC worker) had completed her shift. The family were then immediately all moved to the MIQ quarantine facility where case L then tested positive a few days later on the 26th.

A family case, not the first in a cluster. I would have stayed home.

Except she didn't know the sibling would test positive. Household members of casual plus contacts aren't typically required to isolate and she had completed her shift by the time the advice changed.

I personally wouldn't isolate if I lived with a casual plus contact. If it's not mandated by the ministry of health, what do you tell work? Why would you take sick or unpaid or even annual leave?

Fred99

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#2687708 7-Apr-2021 09:59

sbiddle:

Is that the same Michigan that leads the US (and based on their data just about leads the world!) when it comes to infection rates?

Infection rates and death rates in Michigan since the start of the pandemic are very close to the US average.

The present trend / spike in cases in the US by state correlates closely with % of infections being the more transmissible (and more deadly) B1.1.7 variant. Michigan looks bad now because 70% of new cases are this variant.

Hospitalisation rates are dropping for vaccinated age groups (over 60), but there's an increase in cases and hospitalisations for younger age groups, so the overall trend is slightly up for US totals:

Fred99

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#2687724 7-Apr-2021 10:25

vexxxboy:

that article is just scare mongering , they admit that the people could have had covid before the final dose and they are not sure if the vacine was fully working as it may take longer than 14 days for some people.

OTOH if immune escape is happening, what's being reported (in sources other than the NY post) is just what you'd probably see. Hence the cases are undergoing "further review" to try to find out what's going on.

Batman

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#2687831 7-Apr-2021 12:09

Senecio:

Much has been said about how the TT Quarantine Free Travel was necessary to save the tourism industry. I just can't see many tourists taking advantage of it to be honest. I think its most appealing to families who have been separated for over 12 months and haven't been able to see each other. When you travel to see family, you're not exactly spending like a tourist. For a start you're unlikely to be staying in a hotel, renting a car or dining out as much a tourist.

we'll see about that https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-travel-bubble-the-australian-destinations-kiwis-are-heading-for/QGK6RSMWK3E2W4XNDZWATVQM4U/

plus someone said QT have hiked their prices 40%