Well, that’s it. The genie is out of the bottle. Australia’s secretary of the health department has told a media conference today that he doesn’t think international travel will resume any time soon. Not only that, not until next year.
Wrap your head around that for a bit. 2022.
We’re now going to be keeping our international distance for a couple of years. Of course it’s not that surprising, with the acceleration of the pandemic in many other countries. But it sure is a massive blow. Especially if you’ve got family overseas, like I do. Hearing that just makes me choke up. I just want to see my beautiful little sister.
“And it’s likely that quarantine will continue for some time. One of the things about this virus is that the rule book has been made up as we go.”
Brendan Murphy
The pandemic has changed the way we live, and one of the most dramatic changes of all is international travel. It’s a hard realisation that we can no longer jump on a flight for a wedding, fly to one of those countries on your must-see list for your annual holiday, or head off to a conference or to work in the office overseas.
And with the Australian border essentially shut, of course there is the fraught issue of people wanting to come home. It’s devastating for tens of thousands of people. The ‘island continent’, which was the name of my high school geography book, has never seemed more isolated. We really are an island here in Australia.
I’m just devastated. It’s not official ‘news’ yet, but I’m certain this story is about to gather momentum.
Sure, we understand why the timeline is being pushed out even further. But we so don’t want it to happen. ‘Keep your distance’ takes on a whole new and painful meaning when it’s measured in time and closed borders.