I flew back from Hamilton Island today after spending a few days up there. I was surprised that when I landed back into Melbourne there was no check of a permit, especially given that I was in a state that had a mixture of red, orange and green zones. My flight came from a green zone area so they obviously donât check. However upon arrival in Queensland on Monday they still checked our permits even if it was green.
Iâve seen a few headlines like this and the media are making a bigger deal of this than it needs to be. The supply is coming sooner. It is still a significant supply of vaccines which we are not going to have a shortage of at least until a very high proportion of the country is vaccinated. It is good news that it is ramping up earlier.
Itâll be because you came in from that green zone. Spoke with someone who came in from a red zone last weekend and said it was stricter than arriving from an international flight when they got to Avalon.
UPDATE 1: this morning Tasmanian Public Health Services released a list of exposure sites the Launceston General Hospital health worker visited June 23 and July 2. Anyone who has visited the exposure sites during the times and dates listed online is considered a casual contact and should isolate immediately and call the Public Health Hotline to arrange a COVID test as a precaution.
UPDATE 2: Victorian COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar said the health worker spent four hours in transit at Melbourne Airport on July 2, before boarding a flight to London. 61 passengers on board Qantas flight QF1542 (Launceston to Melbourne) were messaged by Victorian authorities this morning asking them to isolate until they received a negative COVID test.
I had my first Pfizer vaccine this afternoon at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with my younger brother (we are both in the early 40s). There was quite a long queue at the hub but we only had to wait around 10 minutes for our turn to get the jab.
EDIT: 3 hours later after my initial post, I can feel my arm is sore.
700 workers at the Granites gold mine in central Australia had been released from two weeks of self isolation, and are flying home. They were placed into quarantine after a single COVID case at the Newmont-owned mine. Newmont says it has a recovery plan in place and is working on a safe return to production.
Well done, I had my second at the Royal Exhibition Buildings during the week itâs was much quieter thany first dose on a weekend at Sandown. Much nicer atmosphere too with a violinist and pianist playing.
Only side effects were a sore arm where it went in and a ripper of a nightâs sleep.
There will be a number of people who are trying to get home who may have previously left, but it wouldnât necessarily be driving an increase in people wishing to leave.
Based on what a few people I know who have residency in other countries have said, if youâre leaving to go to a country you have residency in you qualify for the travelling abroad category rather than the compassionate category.