Perth VTL cancelled: WA axes quarantine-free arrivals ...

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will not begin 'For Eligible Passengers Only' (FEPO) flights from Singapore to Perth from 5 February 2022 as ... Skiptocontent Searchfor: Search Close CloseMenu 'Westralia'chickensoutofitsinternationalborderreopening,pushingbackquarantine-freetraveltoandfromSingaporeindefinitelyinthewakeofOmicron. OneofthemostanticipatedinternationalborderrelaxationsforSingaporeresidentshasbeenthepotentialfortwo-wayquarantine-freetraveltoandfromWesternAustralia,withregularflightsbetweentheLionCityandPerthoriginallysettoreconnectfamiliesandeagertouristsstartingon5thFebruary. Unfortunatelyit’sbadnewsfromWesternAustralia’sPremierMarkMcGowan,whohaschickenedoutoftheideainwakeoflargeOmicroncasenumberselsewhereinAustralia,byannouncingthathis“setinstone”dateforborderreopeningisbeing…well…unsetfromstonecompletely! ADVERTISEMENT McGowanhadpreviouslysaidonly“anunforeseencatastrophe”woulddelayborderreopening. Thelatestplan InapressconferenceyesterdayeveningMcGowansaidthatWesternAustraliawillnowcontinuetoimposeits“hardborder”untilfurthernotice. Thisrequiresinternationalarrivalsto: haveanegativeCOVID-19test72hoursbeforedeparture;andhaveG2Gpass;andquarantinefor14days;andconductCOVID-19PCRtestingondays1,6,9and12. “FromFebruary5ththehardborderwillstay…”“…itwouldberecklessandirresponsibletoopenupnow.”MarkMcGowan,WesternAustraliaPremier WesternAustraliawillalsoimpose14daysquarantineoninterstate(domesticAustralia)arrivals,whocanenteriftheyhavehadaboosterdose(ifeligible)andhavereturnedanegativerapidantigentest(RAT/ART)within24hours. Thestatewillreviewitsfutureborderdecisions“overthecourseofthenextmonth”,accordingtoMcGowan,effectivelymeaningthedelayforborderreopeningisindefinite,giventhatanynumberofreviewscouldconcludethe‘statusquo’shouldremaininforce. WhatitmeansforSingaporeAirlines SingaporeAirlineshasbeeninabitofayo-yowithitsPerthVaccinatedTravelLane(VTL)lately. Whilethecarrierlauncheditsquarantine-freeVTLflightswithgustobackinmid-December2021,offeringflightsfrom5February2022,lastweektherewasastrangepostponementannounceduntilMarch2022,leavinglow-costsubsidiaryScoottolaunchtheVTL. SingaporeAirlineshasbeenflip-floppingonitsproposedPerthVTLflightscheduleslately.(Photo:AirImages/Shutterstock) ByMondaythisweekSIAhadachangeofheartandreinstateditsownPerthVTLplansfrom5thFebruary. SingaporeAirlineshasnowwipedallavailabilityonitsSingapore–Perthflightsuntil1stApril2022. DesignatedVTLflightsbySIAandScootinthePerth–Singaporedirection,however,arestillloadedfrom5thFebruary2022. AllSIAPerth–SingaporeflightsareonceagaindesignatedVTLservicesfrom5thFebruary2022 RememberthereisnothingtostopbothairlinesoperatingdesignatedVTLflightsfromAustraliatoSingapore,whichdonotrequireanyapprovalfromtheAustralianside. ADVERTISEMENT IndeedSIAalreadycommencedVTLflightsfromBrisbanetoSingaporeon15thJanuary2022,aweekaheadofQueenslandrelaxingitsentryrequirementsforoverseastravellers. UpdatefromSingaporeAirlines(21stJanuary1pm) SingaporeAirlines(SIA)willnotbegin‘ForEligiblePassengersOnly’(FEPO)flightsfromSingaporetoPerthfrom5February2022aspreviouslyannounced,aftertheWesternAustralianauthoritiesdelayedthereopeningofthestate’sborders.SIAremainsguidedbyWesternAustralia’sregulations,andwewilladjustourflightsaccordingly.Wewouldliketoapologisetoourcustomersforanyinconveniencecaused.PleasenotethatSIA’sVaccinatedTravelLane(VTL)flightsfromPerthtoSingaporeareunaffected,andwillstartasplannedon5February2022.AffectedSIAcustomerswhobookeddirectlywithusmayuseourAssistanceRequestFormtoseekarefundoftheunusedportionoftheirticket,ifeligible. ThosewhorequireurgentassistancemayreachouttotheirlocalSingaporeAirlinesreservationoffice.Forbookingsmadethroughatravelagencyorpartnerairline,customersshouldcontactthemdirectlyforassistance. Whataboutotherairlines? ItnowseemsunlikelythatJetstarAsiawillpursueitsfourtimesweeklyPerthflightsfrom12thFebruary2022,giventhelatestborderrestrictions. JetstarAsiaisn’tlikelytocommittoPerthflightswhilenoonecanenterWAquarantine-free.(Photo: Plane’sPortraitAviationMedia /MalcolmLu) QantasisalsoloadingitsPerth–Singaporeflightsfrom27thMarch,butagain“what’sthepoint?”springstomind,unlessthereissomesolidindicationthattwo-wayquarantine-freetravelisapossibility. WhereyoucantravelinAustralia SingaporecitizenscannowtraveltoanyAustralianstateapartfromWesternAustraliaandQueensland,whichreopensitsinternationalbordersfrom22ndJanuary. DirectflightsareavailabletoAdelaide,Brisbane,Darwin,MelbourneandSydney,fromwheretravellerscanmakedomesticconnectionstotheAustralianCentralTerritoryandTasmania,bothofwhichareacceptinginternationalarrivals(basedontravelhistorywithinthelast14days). EligibletravellerscantraveltoQueenslandfrom22ndJanuary2022.(Photo:CityofGoldCoast) ThisallowsAustralians(includingpermanentresidents)andNewZealandpassportholdersusuallyresidentinAustraliatoflyintothesecitiesfromanyoverseascountry,whilethefollowingcitizensarealsoeligible,whentravellingdirectlyfromtheirhomecountries: SingaporeJapanSouthKorea ThesearetheprevailingrequirementsoftheAustralianFederalGovernmentforentrytothecountry,whicharenotstate-by-statedecisions. ADVERTISEMENT  ADVERTISEMENT  Summary WhilecountriesliketheUKareseeingtheirOmicronwaveastheendofthepandemicandareasontoloosenrestrictions,WesternAustralia(abitlikelikeChinaandHongKong)franklyseemsfrightenedofitsownshadowwhenitcomestoCOVID-19. Beforethepandemic,SingaporetravellersmadeupthelargestgroupofvisitorstoPerth,sothisnewswillwillcertainlybedevastatingforthethousandswaitingtoreconnectwithfamilythere,orsimplyenjoyaholiday. Sadly,afterdeclaringa“setinstone”dateforreopeningbasedon90%fullvaccination,‘Westralia’hasapparentlybeentotallyspookedbywhatseemstobethemildestvariantofthevirussofar. Let’shopethestatejoinstherestofthecountry,andtheworld,soonerratherthanlater. (CoverPhoto:Shutterstock) Sharethis:ClicktoshareonFacebook(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTwitter(Opensinnewwindow)ClicktoshareonTelegram(Opensinnewwindow)ADVERTISEMENT 9comments Don’tthinkMcGowanwillopenborderuntilnextsummer.Insteadofopeningnowinsummerwherecouldgetthisoutofwayintimeforwinterliketheeastcoasttherewillbeanotherboostermandateyet.WearethenewNorthKorea Reply Bitterlydisappointedwithcancellationof5February22forWAsInternationalvisitors.Aged91and80AustraliancitizenslivinginUKanditsbeen3yrssincewewerelastwithourDaughterand2GrandchildreninMandurah.Nowaycanwespend2weekscoopedupinanAustralianHotel.Bothhad3CoronavirusvaccinationsandgooutandabouthereinEnglandfreely.NotsureexactlywhatMcGowanishopingtoachieveinisolation,theRealWorldisfacinguptoitschallenges,he’sonlydelayingtheinevitablebecausea ALLhumanshavetolearntolivewithCovid….excepthim!! Reply TellsusWesternAustraliansalotaboutthehealthsysteminourstate.Premierandhiscroniesthehealthministerandhishealthchiefhaven’taclueofwhat’shappeninginthestateandrealisetheshamblesthehealthsystemisin.HowdowenowtrustorbelieveinaPremierthatpromisesandsetsinstonesomethingthatisoverturnedweekslater. Reply Well,it’sprettyobviousthatoutofallthemajorstatesinAustralia,WesternAustraliawillbeoneofthelaststatestoreopenitsbordersbothinterstateandinternationally,alsounwillingtobecome‘COVID-ified’.Thesituationiswhatitis,andwecan’tdomuchaboutit.Allwecandoissittightandwait. Reply Stupidheadline,thismorningIwillbepoppingdowntomylocalCafewithmywifeforbreakfast.Thenofftoapartythisafternoonwithfriends.NofearofCovid-19.Markisfarfromachicken.Thiswritercannotseeleadershipwhenitstareshimintheface.Ihadthepleasureofattendinganeventlastmonth,asMarkwalkedintotheroom,hewasgreetedwithathingthatclearlyshockedthishumbleman.1000peoplestoodupandgavehimastandingapplause👏.YoungAndrewhere,thatwrotethis,isadisgracetonamereporter.Ipersonallywillnotbefollowinghiswork.Icomefromafamilyof6kids.Myelderlymotherat87whomeIspeaktoevery2ndday,tellsmesheisnotsadcauseshecannotseemyselfandourchildren.Whomshehasnotseenfor2.5years,“becauseItakecomfortknowingyouaresafeson.Iexpectthishorriblediseasewillfinishofftherestofyourbrothersandsisters,likeitdidyoursister“.Iexpectthisisalsotherealityofmyfamily,Iwillbethelastmanstanding.AndIcanputthatdirectlydowntoMark’sresponsibleleadership.SoAndrew,quitefranklymate,youinmyopinionareasillylittlefool,scribbingonthemonumentofgreatness. Reply JesusChristwhataloadofuttercrapyoujustspouted. Youandyour“leader”havegottheCOVIDDread,anirrationalmentalillnesscausedbybeinglockedawayfromtherealworldfortoolong.YouandtheChineseappeartohavealotmoreincommonthanyourealized. Reply Whatadisgracefulcomment.MarkMcFOOLisjustdelayingtheinevitable.Apartfromhavingzerocredibility,hehascausedWAYmoreharmtootherswhounfortunatelybelievedinhislies,andarenowsufferingasaresult.Lookatthereportsoverthelastfewdaysofpeoplenoweffectivelyhomelessbecauseofthisfoolishandstupidman. Omicron,theleastdangerousofallCovidvariants,isalreadyinWA.Thegoodnewsisthatthevariantwillprobably“dealwith”thefoolofapremierbecauseincomingweeksasitspreadsuncontrollably(asitdoes),itwillbecomescleartoeventhemostfoolishpremierinAustraliathatthereisnopointindelayingtheopeningoftheborderandthecontinuedsufferingitiscausingtosomany,anylonger. HistorywilljudgeMarkMcGowanforwhatheis–anabsolutefoolwithnocredibility. Reply Hahahawhatacoward.ThementalillnessthatisCOVIDDreadreallyseemstohaveinfectedtheAustralians’“brains”.Itseemsthey’vegotalotmoreincommonwiththeChinesethantheyrealized. Reply indeedMcGowanisblitteringidiot!hepromisedtoopenupWAwiththe“setinstone”comment.2ndjabsincreasedonthisexpectation.Now,nobodywillbothertogettheboosterashisclaimscannolongerbetrusted.HehadtwoyearstoboostthehealthcaresystemanddidnothingbutscratchhisarsewhilethepeopleofWestraliavotedhiminagain.Sadly,mostthatvotedforhimdon’tseethatisisolationfromtherestoftheworldwillhurttheminthelongrunasthetrustwiththeoutsideworldisbroken.Butheprobablydoesn’tcareaboutthelongtermandmoreconcernedaboutgetre-votedinforanotherterm. 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