Strange behaviour isn't it.  One morning last September my wife and I were the first to arrive at the boarding gate of Sydney Airport at 5:15.  My wife went to use the amenities and I was sitting there alone for the duration when a group of seemingly Italian speaking passengers sat right beside me, ignoring all the other vacant seats.  They were chatting among themselves but obviously they had no intention to ask me anything or talk to me for any reason.  It makes you wonder why they chose those seats.  When my wife returned we had to find different seats as there was no more vacant seat next to me.
    The number of cases in Italy has been quite high.

Another well considered and well executed plan by Australia.

A group of Kiwi travellers have wrongly flown to Adelaide after arriving from New Zealand under the new trans-Tasman travel bubble scheme.

The Advertiser has learned the group of five New Zealand nationals “unexpectedly arrived” at Adelaide Airport over the past 24 hours from Sydney, SA Police said.

Of the group, three travellers arrived on Sunday and a further two this morning.

Police said the group had been placed in medi-hotels and were not refused entry despite SA not yet being part of the New Zealand-Australia travel bubble.

The group, who were flagged under “normal processes”, are deemed international travellers because SA is not part of the bubble, which only involves New South Wales and Northern Territory.

Authorities say they lawfully arrived in Adelaide.

But confusion reigned on Monday for Kiwi travellers on where they are allowed to go within Australia.

Commonwealth officials consider them domestic travellers once they have arrived in Sydney, while the SA Government considers them international arrivals.

NZ travellers receive a Federal Government document advising on where they can only travel but if they continue travelling to another state they must comply with local rules.

State and Fedetal Government have now boosted public messaging at airports, on planes and in fact sheets to notify NZ travellers that they will need to check the restrictions of other states and territories before they travel within Australia.

After inquiries from The Advertiser on Monday morning, a police spokesman revealed the arrivals and said they were completing quarantine “as per normal arrangements with international travellers”.

“There will be an increase in public information to ensure sufficient information is being disseminated in SA and NSW to advise travellers of the requirement to quarantine if on travelling to SA,” he said.

Speaking later at a western suburbs school on Monday, Premier Steven Marshall said the airport’s systems immediately identified the groups.

He said the group had identified themselves as from New Zealand.

“Our systems in South Australia have worked extraordinarily well,” he said.

He said chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier was closely looking at easing the borders with New Zealand.
“We are looking very closely at the arrangements in regards to our borders with New Zealand,” he said

“They’ve done extraordinarily well. Professor Nicola Spurrier is looking at those numbers and we’re hopeful that we might be able to lift that border restriction with NZ when it’s safe to do so.”

There are currently more than 1200 travelers in SA-based hotel quarantine.

Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram told a Senate Estimates inquiry in Parliament on Monday: “Once a passenger leaves the international terminal, once they depart the customs controlled area at the back of the baggage hall, they cease to be an international passenger or traveler. They’ve entered Australia.

“The travel bubble stops at the International terminal in Sydney Airport,”

I'm convinced this country has gone mental.  

Psychologists are seeing a huge increase in OCD/anxiety disorders, and it seems to have been replicated by jumpy pig-headed State bureaucracies and Governments.

Got some verified data for the ‘huge increase’?

As for Enzeders getting caught up in our region specific quarantine restrictions - it is not for Australia to inform them, that is up to the traveller.

New Zealand can have one of three ways:

VOA - as it currently is, meaning Australia has no idea of their intent to travel until they get the border.

Apply for a Visa to enter - not at all what NZ wants, but at least then Australia is aware of an intent to travel and information can be made available - but it won’t be read anyway, so there is little point.

Don’t come here at all (my preference) - in line with current travel advice from the NZ government which cautions against ANY foreign travel.

New Zealand’s government travel advice states that New Zealanders need to check what Covid restrictions are in place BEFORE travelling, they clearly have not been is not a problem of the Australian Government - at any level.

Got some verified data for the ‘huge increase’?

A family member who is a psychologist in Victoria.  A friend who is a Clinical Psych has seen the same thing.

And reported in the media too:
https://www.smh.com.au/national/lockdown-babies-a-lonely-time-to-be-a-new-mum-20200925-p55z6h.html

"Royal Women’s Hospital psychiatrist Lia Laios said coronavirus had added complex layers of logistical and emotional stress to women who are expecting or have given birth. She is now treating a growing cohort of anxious, distressed and depressed women.

“Even if women haven’t had any pre-existing obsessive compulsive symptoms, we are certainly seeing more OCD symptoms in pregnancy or in the postnatal period," Dr Laios said."

If you didn't know, Sydney's International and Domestic Airports are completely separated.

Absolute rubbish. it's one airport with two sets of terminal buildings. Zurich, for example, also has two separate terminal buildings (if you didn't know).

Great airport Zurich regardless of however many terminals.
After Immigration and with 'Nothing to Declare' - just walk out and down the escalator to the station beneath and all the wonderful sights beyond. Before Covid Business Fares were usually cheap too via Thai and Swiss.
One thing, don't expect to get a luggage trolley unless you have the necessary Swiss or US coins which is highly unlikely for those of us flying from Oz.
Those really were the good old days.

Not once but twice other passengers boarded (first lot at Gisborne and the second at Kyneton) and sat DIRECTLY behind me despite the otherwise empty carriage and big yellow signs on the windows telling them to maintain distance where possible. One passenger seemed completely surprised when I and pointed to the sign right next to her asked her to move while the Gizzy group were downright hostile and told me that if I didn't like it I should move.

With morons like this is it any wonder that we have been in lockdown for so long. If people don't get it by now what hope is there?

Same on a number 11 tram here on Saturday. The first row of seats is roped off and clearly signposted "These seats are not to be used." I sat in the second row, and the nearest passenger to me was at least 4 metres away. You guessed it; a pair of bimbos hopped on, ducked under the rope and sat immediately in front of me. When I pointed out that they were in the wrong place I was invited to "get a life". Fortunately, the driver heard it all and told them, in no uncertain terms, to shove off. One of them threatened to report him, and I had pleasure in inviting her to do so, since both the driver and I would have great pleasure in watching her make a fool of herself in any subsequent enquiry. I gave the driver my business card, although I don't expect him to need it.
Rules don't apply to them; they are bullet proof; anyone who insists that they should do the right thing is ridiculed - as you say BG, with morons like this, it's no wonder we've been locked down.

Went out on the bike this arvo (20/10) for the first time in months.

• About 80% were wearing masks correctly.
• There was the inevitable young female jogger 'legally but not sensibly' without a mask spreading dog germs far and wide.
• 10% (all females) had noses out of their masks.
• The remaining 10% were young men who are not subject to Australian Laws of any description.

Andrews and Co. proudly report each day that the police have issued fines to a handful of people for 'refusing to wear a mask'. Does that mean that non-wearers get a second chance. I could get them 100 fines in a few hours just by looking over my back fence. Only mugs attempt to do the right thing but, sadly, they will suffer regardless.

Yarra Bend Park today at lunchtime, I counted five adults without masks - questionable if they were jogging. Three of the young and beautiful upon whom no virus would dare to encroach, and a couple of bulletproof young machos were completely without masks. I reckon I would have passed and/or observed at least 60 or 70 people who were all doing the right thing. Not too bad, really.

Geez people, this is simple, that so many (I suspect) Victorians don’t get it is partital explanation as to why Victoria is in this position in the first place.

There are NO restrictions to entering Victoria, much like DPRK, Chairman Dan of the DPRV allows vistors, it’s just that the rest of us are not allowing you to visit.

If someone chooses (or most likely due to suffering a mental disorder) to enter Victoria they are allowed to do so. It matters not where they are from, be that an Australian state or territory, or some international place.

There were NZ people who entered Victoria for personal family maters (where the dotted every i and crossed every t to make sure they could enter Victoria)

Geez people, this is simple, that so many (I suspect) Victorians don’t get it is partital explanation as to why Victoria is in this position in the first place.

There are NO restrictions to entering Victoria, much like DPRK, Chairman Dan of the DPRV allows vistors, it’s just that the rest of us are not allowing you to visit.

If someone chooses (or most likely due to suffering a mental disorder) to enter Victoria they are allowed to do so. It matters not where they are from, be that an Australian state or territory, or some international place.

There were NZ people who entered Victoria for personal family maters (where the dotted every i and crossed every t to make sure they could enter Victoria)

Aaron has an obsessional  dislike, a haughty arrogant view, of anybody not from Adelaide. Our Melbournian, and now our Trans-Tasman,  brothers and sisters seem to particularly rile him through their very existence. A man who considers any Davoren Park local naturally superior to all residents of Toorak and Parnell. He even hangs out in downtown Adelaide cottages to confirm his obnoxious prejudices, boasting about such behaviour afterwards.

Plenty of good honest people from Davoren Park and the North

You have no truck with me on that point, I judge the man by his actions, not his city or suburb of origin, nor the church he attends, unlike Aaron and his anti-Victorian tirades.

I know what was meant

Yes, indeed. Meanwhile, Belgium is facing a Covid Tsunami, as have London, France, Spain, Iran and various other places apparently. With luck, and if everybody just does what they're told, it won't happen in Australia.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54602999

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-54422324

https://english.mojahedin.org/i/iran-coronavirus-news-116000-deaths-20201004

With luck, and if everybody just does what they're told, it won't happen in Australia.

And that's the crunch, isn't it?  We still have our share of morons in Victoria (and elsewhere if you count Frydenburg) who seem to believe that Andrews is running a huge vendetta against everyone. After the hotels stuff up, he's being ultra cautious and I don't blame him. There are some issues I don't understand, such as why hairdressers and not nail salons, but he's not playing a game, even when he's having to contend with either the "I don't care" or the standard Aussie "What can we get away with" cliques. The resurgences in England and parts of Europe would make anyone cautious.

With luck, and if everybody just does what they're told, it won't happen in Australia.

And that's the crunch, isn't it?  We still have our share of morons in Victoria (and elsewhere if you count Frydenburg) who seem to believe that Andrews is running a huge vendetta against everyone. After the hotels stuff up, he's being ultra cautious and I don't blame him. There are some issues I don't understand, such as why hairdressers and not nail salons, but he's not playing a game, even when he's having to contend with either the "I don't care" or the standard Aussie "What can we get away with" cliques. The resurgences in England and parts of Europe would make anyone cautious.

And just imagine the smeg storm/pile on Andrews if the virus were to get away again.
With the resurgence OS, should the same happen In NSW and I hope it doesn’t, the gold standard remember, should we expect the same from Commentary from Joshy, or the sound of crickets?

The only new case in Vic overnight might actually be ongoing virus shedding or a false positive of a person previously infected in July, not a new infection.  So today might be our first 0 new case in Vic for several months.

Dan reckons more opening up announcements this weekend.  I hope in time for the Saturday night Grand Final....

The only new case in Vic overnight might actually be ongoing virus shedding or a false positive of a person previously infected in July, not a new infection.  So today might be our first 0 new case in Vic for several months.

Dan reckons more opening up announcements this weekend.  I hope in time for the Saturday night Grand Final....

Dan was very clear this morning that restrictions won't be eased until Sunday if everything keeps going well.

I love my footy more than anyone but he is right. Lots of people are going to ignore the rules and go to their mates place anyway. Opening up so lots more people can go to each other's houses is an unnecessary risk at this stage.

The only new case in Vic overnight might actually be ongoing virus shedding or a false positive of a person previously infected in July, not a new infection.  So today might be our first 0 new case in Vic for several months.

Dan reckons more opening up announcements this weekend.  I hope in time for the Saturday night Grand Final....

Dan was very clear this morning that restrictions won't be eased until Sunday if everything keeps going well.

I love my footy more than anyone but he is right. Lots of people are going to ignore the rules and go to their mates place anyway. Opening up so lots more people can go to each other's houses is an unnecessary risk at this stage.

He's such a spoil sport.

The only new case in Vic overnight might actually be ongoing virus shedding or a false positive of a person previously infected in July, not a new infection.  So today might be our first 0 new case in Vic for several months.

Dan reckons more opening up announcements this weekend.  I hope in time for the Saturday night Grand Final....

Dan was very clear this morning that restrictions won't be eased until Sunday if everything keeps going well.

I love my footy more than anyone but he is right. Lots of people are going to ignore the rules and go to their mates place anyway. Opening up so lots more people can go to each other's houses is an unnecessary risk at this stage.

Granted there have been some monumental stuff ups by Andrews and his senior public service sycophants whose poor memory seems a prerequisite for their jobs. Leaving aside Andrews' manner and his, perhaps, dictatorial desires one must admire his determination to see us through this epidemic of such monumental proportions. Others would have sold out to big business, unions or public pressure long ago.

If there is to be a third wave (Heaven forbid) it will be as a result of the many ignorant, stupid, selfish, arrogant Victorians who believe this is all over and who refuse or fail to wear masks either properly over the nose or at all. Others who will gather in large family or mutual interest (football) groups in contravention of the rules and common sense will be equally to blame.

We are so close - don't stuff it up now.

I can say that the awareness of hygiene keeping with the general public is deteriorating over the past years.  A pre-COVID trip on route 11 tram saw an underage girl coughing all the way to West Preston, mostly into the people, and her parents didn't intervene.  On the Steamrail train to Shepparton one member of the family in the adjacent compartment also coughed loudly all the way, which didn't sound like being covered by a tissue.  Of course we were able to shut the compartment door to keep the cabin to ourselves, but the noise could be heard all the way.

There was an interesting comment i read on an Advertiser article the other day that said; Its one thing for Daniel Andrews to only care about covid case numbers but it is another thing for him to actually care about over important numbers such as the suicide rate, unemployment rate, divorce rate, business failure rate, emigration rate, domestic violence rate, consumer confidence rate, etc as a result of his ongoing lockdowns in Melbourne.

Leaving aside Andrews' manner and his, perhaps, dictatorial desires one must admire his determination to see us through this epidemic of such monumental proportions. Others would have sold out to big business, unions or public pressure long ago.

There's the rub, though, isn't it? He's an elected representative of the people. He ain't a dictator, much as he might like to be.

If the people want the state open, it is his job to act on that. Not run his own race because he's Boss Hog with a team of nincompoops who struggle to remember the time of day yet alone anything more important.

Much as I hate Mark McGowan and his border stance, by all reports, his border closure is popular with the people who elected him. His keeping it closed, while probably not constitutionally legal any more, would fit in with the "doing what our state wants". The Peoples Republic of Danistan on the other hand, not so much...

Should just have a referendum on it, like they did for the gay marriage thing. "Do you want Australia to have open domestic borders, and no restrictions except international travel?" Yes or no. 50.00000001% of the votes needed to decide.

Should just have a referendum on it, like they did for the gay marriage thing. "Do you want Australia to have open domestic borders, and no restrictions except international travel?" Yes or no. 50.00000001% of the votes needed to decide.

Plebiscite, not referendum. A Referendum is ONLY to change the Constitution, something like "Should Section 92, Free Intercourse between States(!) be repealed?"