Australia, New Zealand closing their borders

The Hill ^ | 03 19 2020 | Justine Coleman

[yesthatjallen]

Australia and New Zealand announced they would close their borders to non-citizens Thursday in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prime ministers from both countries revealed the plans to shut down borders, citing that most cases of the novel coronavirus came from overseas.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the ban would go into effect Friday at 9 p.m. and stay in place indefinitely, while New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the closure would occur at midnight on Thursday, The Guardian reported.

The bans in both countries would permit the partners or children of citizens or residents to enter the country.

“For the next six months we need to work together,” Morrison said during a televised news conference, according to The Straits Times. “We do need to moderate our behaviour and understand things need to change.”

SNIP

[taxcontrol]

I observe that both have “moats” that tend to keep people out. That tends to make the boarder closure a lot more enforceable. When you cant use a moat, the next best thing is a wall.

Build the wall to keep out those with illness. After all, it is for the children (and elderly and adults).

[where's_the_Outrage?]

Agree, they basically have no borders, what they are doing is stopping immigration.

[LouAvul]

Unfortunately our judiciary and Congress are flooded and infested with liberals who are deliberately sacrificing the United States to these diseased invaders. They are resisting us at every corner.

I would hope that our current crisis might awaken ignorant liberals. That's asking for too much, I'll wager. Liberal politicians are too stupid to do a real job (think, Mad Max Waters), so they depend upon illegal's votes.

[dangus]

Wait,,. what border?

[Hot Tabasco]

There’s a fellow freeper who I’ve come to know that lives in NZ and he was scheduled to come to the US in July and visit me. It will be interesting to see how long this ban remains in effect....

[DownInFlames]

The end of Quantas

[null and void]

After all, it is for the children (and elderly and adults).

As you say...

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

The false positive rate was 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's or one old fart’s life, it's worth it.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

At least they are honest when they say “six months” instead of “two weeks.”

[null and void]

The end of Quantas

They can still do short hops...

[Don W]

Australia is (physically) pretty much the same size as the USA, but with 7% the population. Qantas has a small but decent local market to help it weather this event. Hands down still the safest airline to ever exist

[EBH]

I do believe he said 6 months

[Jemian]

What about transiting through the airport?

[wardaddy]

I can’t blame them given the hysteria and it’s easy for them to do as islands

New Zealand has 21 confirmed cases

Australia which has had cases from fairly early into this due to travel from Wuhan has 600 confirmed and 6 deaths

I just noticed a strange thing ....the Faroe islands have 14 cases....

[SaveFerris]

[At least they are honest when they say “six months” instead of “two weeks.”]

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Smart decisions. Even Justine Truvada agreed with Trump to close Canada’s southern border. Now if only we (in the US) would close our southern border with Mexico (sigh).

[shaggy eel]

,,, still hope to get there but it may be later than sooner. I paid for the carriers just before Christmas and for the hotels in February - wondering if I’ll get my money back.

[shaggy eel]

,,, there's no "u" in Qantas. The easiest way to remember it is "Queers And Nymphos Trained As Stewards".

[shaggy eel]

,,, a lot of the Aussie short hops are done via JetStar, the budget carrier owned by Qantas. Both do international routes and domestic and JetStar competes with Air New Zealand on NZL domestic and trans Tasman runs. I bet there will be huge consolidation until things pick up in the travel sector.