News Forum - After 600 days shut off from the world, Australia re-opens in a flood of emotion

[Thaiger]

There have been tears of joy at Sydney airport today as loved ones reunited for the first time in nearly 600 days. Sydney and Melbourne have re-opened to international travellers, permitting vaccinated Australian citizens to return without quarantine. Since the start of the pandemic, families and loved ones have been separated, with thousands of Australians stranded overseas due to one of the world’s toughest border lockdowns. Nearly all travel into the country was stopped, earning Australia the nickname, “the hermit state”. The only way for Australians to return was to submit to a strict (and costly) 14-day hotel quarantine at […]

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[mickkotlarski]

About bloody time!!!!!

[Poolie]

Oh sh**.......................

[Jason]

I hear ya Mick! Yes, it's a welcome relief. You would have noticed that the returning and leaving travellers were only entering Sydney and Melbourne. In fortress Queensland, we're still getting vaccinated and it's going to be slow. We've done such a good job of suppressing and eliminating Covid (only 19 cases in quarantine) that people don't see the need. Maybe it will take a full scale Delta outbreak??

[Thommo]

Bkk- Melb  Melb-Bkk  no quarentine 

[mickkotlarski]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

I hear ya Mick! Yes, it's a welcome relief. You would have noticed that the returning and leaving travellers were only entering Sydney and Melbourne. In fortress Queensland, we're still getting vaccinated and it's going to be slow. We've done such a good job of suppressing and eliminating Covid (only 19 cases in quarantine) that people don't see the need. Maybe it will take a full scale Delta outbreak??

Lets not even mention it any further Jason. I've heard of delta+  or the non pc version India+strain is on the horizon. Feel sorry for Queenslanders though. A mate in Cairns described it same way as yourself...a fortress. Unless your a class 1 ninja, no in or out. China down under.

[Jason]

No worries Mick, I've booked for March and hopefully by then, things will be better. We can hope can't we?