Emotional reunions in Sydney as Australia's international border reopens

Haven't seen my family in over 2 years. While I am not subject to a quarantine in my home country, I have to quarantine here for 10 days, which is impossible with my line of work.

I wonder how much Japanese citizens think (or care) about folks like me.

Just shame on Australia and any other country that has forced the separation of families for almost two years. There were and are other ways. Shame.

Vaccine hesitancy is very strong on the West Coast which has only achieved 63.1% fully vaccinated and 78.5% first dose but I'm okay with waiting until we have had a chance to see how it works out for Sydney and Melbourne but not happy to wait indefinitely. I've also given suggesting family and friends get vaccinated and although I hope they wont suffer once the borders are open I fear that many will.

No doubt some fellow West Aussies will be butthurt, but it's clear McGowan has no plans whatsoever. 

My question for WA is what happens with the commodity boom is over? These things are cyclical. The end of 2022 could be quite different in terms of commodity prices.

Need to be open to get other industries going, like tourism.

Just shame on Australia and any other country that has forced the separation of families for almost two years. There were and are other ways. Shame.

Shame? Ive got a few other words for it but they wouldnt be published.

The only reason the vaccination rates are up is people were forced to vaccinate!

If people didn’t vaccinate they couldn’t leave their homes so what choice did they have?

Absolutely shameful but the muppets in charge like scomo which turned Australia into another nth Korea should be and hopefully will be booted at the next election!

@Sanjinosebleed

Are you living in Australia to make that comment about NK?

No, didn’t think so..but dramatic mate..

Sure, there are some anti-vaxxers out there, but the vaccination rate is up because of the increase in cases in Syd/Melb as well as the population wants to get back to a normal life….

Yeah, whomever decided to have this pandemic was a real jerk, right? Maybe Australia should sit the next pandemic out or something. By the way, for what reason did the Australian government decide to have the pandemic and force the separation of families? I missed that article I guess, as I don't remember reading where they had decided that they would start a pandemic, thereby resulting in the separation of families.

Of course, some idiots say that a pandemic isn't something that happens by design, but is an "act of god". They must be wrong, right? Because, if they weren't wrong, then your post would be kind of silly.

I think you missed the point entirely.

Do you know about the travel rules for Australians over the last 18 months, both coming in and going out?

Do your research.

There is a reason if Australia’s is pointed out as one of the strictest border policies. Many, many other countries have used testing, quarantine and vaccination to make sure families could reunite as soon as possible and they were facing the same pandemic. After the first months of emergency there was no reason to enforce those rules, so much so that the Australian tennis open took place with players from all over the world and a certain Google guy was allowed in without any problem when his son had a health problem in the secluded island they had chosen to escape the pandemic. I stand by shame on Australia’s border policy.

BigYenToday  02:35 pm JST

Sanjinosebleed:

Please provide evidence that people were “forced to vaccinate”. Something other than some loon peddling disinformation on social media. Evidence, please.

You mean the no-jab, no job mandates? Or the vaccine passports that are supposed to exclude unvaccinated people from going to shops, restaurants, sporting venues etc? That would have a lot to do with it.

And don't tell me you're supporting Andrews' new law that he's rushing through parliament that will enable him to unilaterally declare a state of emergency by decree? Even the Victorian Bar Association is kicking up a fuss over it.

Please provide evidence that people were “forced to vaccinate”. Something other than some loon peddling disinformation on social media. Evidence, please.

You mean the no-jab, no job mandates? Or the vaccine passports that are supposed to exclude unvaccinated people from going to shops, restaurants, sporting venues etc? That would have a lot to do with it.

No-one is being forced.

But you must accept that if you don't get the vaccine, you don'g get to enjoy certain privileges.

Your actions - or inactions - have consequences. Don't get upset when they come to you.

In some countries, Australia (esp. Victoria) is being seen as cautionary tale of what not to do.

AustPaulToday  02:56 pm JST

@Sanjinosebleed

Are you living in Australia to make that comment about NK? 

No, didn’t think so..but dramatic mate..

Sure, there are some anti-vaxxers out there, but the vaccination rate is up because of the increase in cases in Syd/Melb as well as the population wants to get back to a normal life….”

yeh I’m living I’m Australia obviously you aren’t!

And what is the reason people want to get back to their normal lives and HAVE to get vaccinated to do so “austpaul”???

because the Nth Korean Govt locked them down and wouldn’t let them have a choice or let them out of lock down until they did. You can gloss over it by saying there was no mandate but that is complete BS. There is no choice if you want to get back to “normal”

60000 Australians locked out of their own country and not allowed back even if they were vaccinated..

yeh they nailed it!….NOT