Weighing up the flight risk
DEPUTY CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER PROFESSOR PAUL KELLY SAYS STUDENTS ARE IN THE BOX SEAT FOR THE FIRST STAGE OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Q If state borders opened today would you be happy to travel? Do you think we can take planes safely? A
Yes and yes. With so few cases in the community – less than 600 active cases, with many people who have come from overseas and are currently in quarantine – the risk of opening borders or plane travel is very low. Our air travel industry is implementing measures to make that even lower. Q Countries in Europe are talking about international tourism restarting. When could that happen here? A
The most effective measure we used from February 1 was to introduce restrictions at the international border and it’s likely that these will continue for some time. When we look at what is happening internationally with some five million cases and some countries severely affected by the pandemic, now is not the time to open up fully to international travel. Having said that, of course we are actively looking at the situation in particular sectors – like international students. This would only be permitted under strict conditions to manage the risk of introduction of COVID-19 into Australia. Q
How big a rise in cases is deemed manageable as we lift the lockdowns? A
We have a welldeveloped surveillance plan for this next phase which includes a number of metrics to plot our way forward. It’s not a single magic number of cases. We will be measuring such things as geographical location, the number and size of clusters of infection, whether they relate to overseas travel, or if there’s community transmission. Q With the latest Queensland case possibly occurring from a trip two months ago, how can we start easing restrictions? A
This is a new virus, barely six months’ old, and we are discovering new information every day. This includes the potential for reinfection or for disease that lasts longer than the average one to two weeks. We are ready to respond to new cases as they arise. This particular case highlights the need to maintain international border measures, as the disease is still circulating in a major way in most countries around the world – far more so than here in Australia. Q Companies are advertising cruises in Australia next year. Is that a bit premature? A
Cruise ships are a particularly risky setting for this highly infectious disease. We have worked very closely with the cruise ship industry to improve their infection control practices and case finding methods. At this stage we cannot provide a definitive timeline for the return of cruise travel.