Suspension of July flights and quarantine

Australia is arguably one of the best countries in the world to live in (it has four cities in The top ten according to The Economist) and one of those who were better able to deal with the situation of the epidemic.

With data as of Saturday 26 June, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, in Australia there have been a total of 30,457 infected (0.15% of the population) and 910 people have died and last month there were no recorded deaths.

If we compare the same data with Argentina, there were 4,374,587 infected (10% of the population) with 91,979 people died (100 times the number in Australia) and last month 16,391 deaths were recorded.

This comparison between Argentina and. Australia, allows us to analyze the July flight suspensions and hotel quarantines, and how even trying to copy Australia the Alberto Fernandez government continues to do everything wrong.

Let’s go back in time to March 20, 2020 when almost all countries simultaneously, some others, some less, activated protocols against the virus that emerged in China between November and December 2019.

On that day, Australia closed its borders, a decision it still maintains to this day and will remain so, at least until mid-2022. It was a strong decision, but it made clear that the authorities did not want residents to be exposed to the virus. There was a plan behind it. There are no gears and counter gears. (The country made an exception for New Zealand, which is considered a COVID-19-free country and has a very similar policy to that taken by Australia in dealing with the pandemic.)

Who must/should return to Australia (the procedure is still valid), must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days, with the costs borne by the citizen. This policy has been maintained since March 20, 2020. Again, there have been no fluctuations.

It has also restricted entry to about 2,500 Australians per day, a measure that has been heavily criticized, as thousands upon thousands of citizens from “below” wanted to return home and delayed their return.

But there were no black holes. Thanks to the fact that the country has no land borders, the only way to get there is by plane or by boat. So all the people who entered were controlled and isolated. Even tennis players from the Melbourne Open. (Not like in Argentina, where players of certain soccer leagues were exempted from quarantine in another unusual populist decision. Because players don’t get infected, or do they?).

Argentina chose another resolution. Quarantined all of its residents on March 20, 2020, closed its borders, but… (big but), kept them open to transport goods. There were no protocols, no tests, no quarantines, no plan. The first big black hole, was the thousands of trucks that continued (and continue) to enter day after day, from Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay. That is, from June 28, 2021, only 600 people per day will be able to enter using the quadruple protocol (pre-flight PCR test, antigen test in Ezeiza, seven-day quarantine and another PCR test on the seventh day), truck drivers will continue to enter the country without any Sort of restrictions, as they’ve done since March 20, 2020. As if the variables hadn’t come in through the trucks. It seems, for the Argentine government, that they have immunity (like the president himself and his officials who traveled abroad and did not comply with any protocol).

The second black hole was the lack of a system of massive testing and specific and immediate shutdowns in the areas where the outbreak was detected. This was done in Australia.

The third is the lack of controls on those coming from abroad. There was no specific quarantine, and everything was left to the goodwill of the citizens. Part of the state’s responsibility is to control, anywhere in the world.

Now, in this framework, after a year and three months of the policy implemented by Australia, Argentina has now decided that only 600 people will be allowed in per day and that they will have to quarantine for seven days in the hotel, while they are in the airline. On the other hand, the airline is promoting Argentinian, the leader, to return flights to New York through newsletters. Not understood?

What about all the flights that Aerolíneas Argentinas sold – in particular – while boosting its daily flights to Miami during the month of June? What about other passengers who traveled during the month of June with other companies to different destinations and who have been authorized?

Certainly some readers will say that in the affidavit signed upon leaving the country, it was made clear that the government is free to close the borders at any time and that what happens next is the responsibility of the citizen. A typical “disclaimer” is for one to sign a company that wants to disclaim any liability. But in the case of the state, this legal trick conflicts with the principles of “gender”, “equality”, “fraternity” and many of the words they use in their actions and speeches, but in reality it is far from that “equality”.

Because for the country of Argentina, those who can travel are not the same as those who cannot travel. They are almost criminals to be persecuted. Or maybe even worse than the criminals, because the perpetrators are free on the streets of Argentina. We all know.

Vaccines not arriving, second doses delayed, second doses to be changed to other vaccines, “it’s the flu”, VIP vaccination, anti-parades and rallies, saying for nearly three months that it was not necessary to use chinstraps, lack of real help for traders and professionals Independents and sectors most affected.

Neither we nor any other medium, travel agency or airline, really know what will happen with the July flights. We just know there will be chaos. Thousands of people are stranded abroad, for days or weeks, because there will be no flights to bring them back. This is what is known and will become true.

What about the July flights? The government’s team of scientists will go on to say that the axis of evil are the tourists (the majority who are back immune), that everything is under control and by the end of the year we will have herd immunity. Same promise made last year.