COVID-19: NSW to trial home quarantine in October

If you are double-vaccinated, and returning to NSW from overseas after the end of September, then you could be part of a trial of 175 people who will be able to quarantine at home for 7 days, instead of in a hotel for 14 as is currently required.

NSW Health will be doing the selection, and they are expected to pick from non-Australian residents, NSW residents and even Qantas flight crew.

The move was announced by Stuart Ayres, Tourism Minister, in a sign that hotel quarantine will be phased out.

The home quarantine trial will run over 4 weeks, with about 30 people each week.

Test participants will be selected before they board flights into Australia, and will total around 125 excluding Qantas flight crew.

All participants will need to be double vaccinated using a Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved vaccine, so that’s AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna. None of those Sino or Russian vaccines for the TGA!

Participants will not be charged anything for the home quarantine trial and will be transported to their homes at government expense

2PAXfly Takeout

The aviation industry has a difficult road ahead when it comes to sustainability. It’s going to require a relative revolution in technology, with ‘electric planes’ or hydrogen planes, or some form of jet engine that doesn’t require a carbon based fuel. And that is going to require the development of an alternative to jet engines probably.

It’s a big ask. It will take time to develop.

This move to home grown and manufactured SAF is a first step – maybe even a baby step in a very long road of innovation. In the long run, US$200 million won’t even touch the sides.

I know most returning passengers will prefer this, and in reality, so would I. But, I still hold on to the idea of being forced to remain in 5-star luxury for 2 weeks as being desireable, even though I know it would mess with my sanity!