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> plenty of business and leisure travellers jet back and forth around the world. Not any more, the last few weeks have seen several countries completely preven
by Mediterraneo10 6y ago
> plenty of business and leisure travellers jet back and forth around the world.
Not any more, the last few weeks have seen several countries completely prevent people setting off for leisure travel, closing their borders not just to entry but to exit. Australia did it already early last year.
The argument is that those travelers will return at some point and bring new COVID strains back, but I’m uncomfortable with countries banning their own citizens from freely leaving, that sounds like old Eastern Bloc restrictions (which were also ostensibly about protecting the common welfare), and it could be that some leisure travelers, if they could only leave, would be gone indefinitely and therefore would not necessarily be coming back during the lifetime of the current epidemic.
- s_Hogg 6y agoAustralian here. Our rules allow you to leave if you've got a reason to be gone longer than 3 months. My sister lives overseas and has come back twice and been allowed to leave each time (at great expense). The rule is specifically about leisure travellers and business trips that could be done with zoom. If you've got a funeral to go to you get an exemption as well, for example.
- Mediterraneo10 6y ago> Our rules allow you to leave if you've got a reason to be gone longer than 3 months. What happens if an Aussie simply says "There are some countries out there that are relatively unconcerned with COVID right now, I would rather be traveling them for the indefinite future instead of staying home"? Would the state still prevent him or her from leaving?
- s_Hogg 6y agoSounds like leisure travel, I think would be your answer.
- Mediterraneo10 6y agoSo yes, as I said in my original post, preventing people from freely leaving their country for leisure travel is troubling.