Australia - Remote Quarantine (shades of Ellis Island)

[GADDay]

It looks like remote quarantine camps seems to be growing legs.

Howard Springs in the NT is already in operation.
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/13055008
Toowoomba in Queensland
www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au/story/7101288/toowoomba-quarantine-facility-gains-traction/

Avalon in Victoria
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/13157224

The premise, as I understand it is that flights will land at the airports adjacent to these purpose built facilities which will have capacity to house upward of 1000 passengers. All quarantine support workers will live on site (2 weeks on 2 weeks off).

It makes sense but to me brings another dystopian twist to the tale...

Not sure why I am posting. Just seems never ending. This pesky pandemic.

I think it is probably a sensible approach albeit not ideal for this in quarantine who would not doubt prefer to be at home. The quarantine situation sucks for us as my dh’s entire family live overseas, but it feels worth it as our lives are basically normal. We’re going out to dinner this weekend, I’m seeing friends for my birthday and my son is going to a small birthday party. We can both go in to our offices to work if we want despite being able to work from home. The current short lockdown/closing state borders where necessary/hotel quarantine approach has made all of that possible. The exit strategy is to immunise as many as possible (vaccine rollout is starting) to reduce the severity of cases and therefore the burden on hospitals when we do open up and we have inevitable outbreaks. For now we get on with our lives (Victoria ends their short lockdown today, for example) and only go overseas if absolutely essential.

@Changi

Erm I think @Changi is referring to the Australian policy of housing asylum seekers offshore in 'camps'.

I was actually thinking further back than that.

🐨

Whoops. Twice. Still.....

My Ds1 is in the UK. As are the rest of my extended family.

Amazing what normal/acceptable starts to look like after a while.

@Covidworries

Wow lool at the PPE they are wearing.

Is that a good or bad wow?

Hotels are pulling out of quarantine, and there isn't necessarily the correct protocols in place, this would make it easier, especially as the number of travellers back to Australia increases.

The real question for Australia/NZ is what is their exit strategy?

(Answer: they don't have one)

You seem to know a lot about it

The actual answer is vaccination, just like for the rest of the world.

Moving further away from population centres is a good idea, though I'm not sure Avalon entirely fits the bill.

What they need to do is pay the workers a shitload of money, support them in their work and hold them to account, rather as mineworkers are in WA.

Staff need to be incentivised. For too long they've been paid peanuts.

@echt

Moving further away from population centres is a good idea, though I'm not sure Avalon entirely fits the bill.

What they need to do is pay the workers a shitload of money, support them in their work and hold them to account, rather as mineworkers are in WA.

Staff need to be incentivised. For too long they've been paid peanuts.

Agree!! You would have to pay me a LOT of money to layer up in a gazillion layers of PPE in Darwin.

It's the equivalent of wrapping yourself up in several plastic bags and heading to the beach in Mid January.

Not to mention the risk of contracting the virus all the while living a FIFO existence.

I am thinking 6 figures would not cut it!

@GADDay

I am more worried about the 2023 line in the sand. We cant afford 2 way quarantine.

By 2023 I won't have seen my son for 3 years and my other family for 5 years!!!

I haven't seen anything about 2023 - where was that?

If the Australian authorities think that vaccination is the way out of this then why are they building all these facilities? The rest of the world will be out of this long before australia and new zealand who will be fighting sporadic outbreaks even after mass vaccination. I guess they could also send non vaccinated citizens to these camps too to "protect" the rest of society. Once its introduced gradually people will accept anything it seems

@FromEden

If the Australian authorities think that vaccination is the way out of this then why are they building all these facilities? The rest of the world will be out of this long before australia and new zealand who will be fighting sporadic outbreaks even after mass vaccination. I guess they could also send non vaccinated citizens to these camps too to "protect" the rest of society. Once its introduced gradually people will accept anything it seems

Because the infections are from travellers.

@FromEden

If the Australian authorities think that vaccination is the way out of this then why are they building all these facilities? The rest of the world will be out of this long before australia and new zealand who will be fighting sporadic outbreaks even after mass vaccination. I guess they could also send non vaccinated citizens to these camps too to "protect" the rest of society. Once its introduced gradually people will accept anything it seems

Why will we be fighting sporadic outbreaks after mass vaccination?

And if we are, why won't the rest of the world?

That's how we used to quarantine ships arriving. Where I live I can see the island, in the harbour, that was used from aroud 1840.onwards. It was a bit bleak, with the single men off on another island. But effective.

These vaccines don’t stop the spread of covid, they reduce the symptoms, so people are less likely to become so ill.

We will need quarantine for awhile yet.

COVID-19 vaccines

@ReefTeeth I’m assuming @FromEden thinks that outbreaks will happen because Australia has low cases of people who have had the virus, so no naturally acquired immunity.

I imagine for a lot of countries there could still be small outbreaks that happen once the vaccine programs have been rolled out. ( so people who can’t be vaccinated, people who opt out and people who the vaccine doesn’t work for)

It will however be much easier to deal with outbreaks once the majority of people have been vaccinated.

I’ve said before I don’t think that Australia will open up to the world immediately once the vaccinations have been rolled out. They will likely start off opening to certain countries first with testing still happening for travellers before and after their flight.

I did 2 weeks in Howard Springs last September. It was really quite pleasant. I had a little verandah to sit on in the fresh air, adequate internet for work regular phone calls from welfare staff to see if I was ok and generous (if a bit dull) meals delivered 3 X a day. I did this to be able to travel to another state in Australia. Would happily do it again if I had to.

@AviciaJones

That article doesn’t back up the statement you made.

What is says in the article is

scientists still “do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission”.

2023 reported in many outlets

www.traveller.com.au/air-travel-and-covid19-pandemic-international-longhaul-travel-may-not-get-started-until-2023-h1tto5

I think it’s a fabulous idea. It’s a shame the uk has not the space nor the initiative to do it. Surely it will do nothing but help Australia open up and function more normally quicker?

[quote Thedramasummer]@AviciaJones

That article doesn’t back up the statement you made.

What is says in the article is

scientists still “do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission”. [/quote]
There are many more articles that say it lessons the symptoms but they don’t know if it will stop the virus..

It’s best to be aware that these vaccines aren’t a quick fix, but could save many lives.

I don't think Australia has more initiative than the UK, God knows the quarantine hotels have been mired in poor practice, but that this latest move is made in the light of many errors.

It will be interesting to see how it's managed in a far more densely populated country such as the UK, and I don't mean that in some beady-eyed superior fashion. I have relations and friends I'd like to visit some day, so have a vested interest in its success.

That's always predicated on the Australian government ever letting us out, not being tennis players and all

The don’t know is the point I’m making, your initial post says they don’t stop transmission.

They simply don’t have the data available to say either way.

@eaglejulesk

The real question for Australia/NZ is what is their exit strategy?

(Answer: they don't have one)

You seem to know a lot about it

The actual answer is vaccination, just like for the rest of the world.

Thanks for the eye roll.

As much as I admire how Australia have handled things, I actually think this is one of the downsides of the quarantine system, that after awhile it gets unmanageable and more and more measures need to be brought in to make it work.
Anyway, I hope it works along with the vaccines and in both hemispheres we will be back to normality soon :)