Summary

The contamination source of Sydney's Northern Beaches Covid-19 outbreak (December 17th 2020) is from failure to adequately quarantine overseas travellers. This outbreak has since re-entered Victoria after being virus free for 61 days. There has been considerable debate about closing borders between states. However the real national problem is failure to quarantine overseas travellers (and support staff). After a failed Victorian hotel quarantine programme and now a failed Sydney quarantine we have undeniable empirical evidence that trying to quarantine the virus once on-shore is extremely difficult with our current facilities and procedures. The purpose of this petition is to place pressure on the Australian Government to adopt tighter restrictions BEFORE overseas travellers get to Australia. Logic follows that this will reduce the amount of infected people reaching our shore, thus reducing risk of Covid-19 escaping quarantine again and again. 

The proposal is as follows:

Only let Australian citizens and residents come back that are:

1. Vaccinated OR
2. Tested negative prior to travel

I understand Australian citizens have a right to come back home; I am not disputing this. However when considering the hardship Australians have endured to bring this virus under control these added restrictions are completely reasonable - especially in the light of recent outbreaks that risk us going back into a lockdown!

See below for further information. 

Context and Problem 

Victoria has endured the toughest and longest lockdown in the world. This was started by our ineptitude to quarantine Covid-19 with the hotel quarantine programme. Sydney's latest outbreak again shows our inability to quarantine the virus; not because the processes and procedures aren't good, but because this is exceptionally hard to do without purpose built facilities, and very stringent controls (I.e. Biosafety Level 3  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_level_3). Australia had this virus under control and we are one of the luckiest countries in the world because we're an island country that is easy to protect once Covid-19 is under control. Why would you risk bringing back overseas travellers with unknown Covid status (yes even Australian Citizens) when it has been proven twice that this virus cannot be contained? It seems even more naive to do this when there are new strains of the virus that are reportedly more contagious. Other countries have all closed their borders, however Australia in its infinite wisdom has a false sense of security. All it takes are minor slips (or just bad luck)  and you have a patient zero again.

Unfortunately there are no easy options - all that's left are the best of bad choices. I understand Australian citizens have a right to come back home; I am not disputing this. But this must be balanced with the health OF ALL AUSTRALIANS living in AUSTRALIA that must be taken care of first and foremost. If you want to get down to the rock bottom choice it's this: Is the unconditional freedom of the few overseas travellers worth the deaths and chaos that this virus will undoubtably cause if it spread again?

The Proposal

Only let Australian citizens and residents come back that are:

1. Vaccinated OR
2. Tested negative prior to travel

Both Japan and New Zealand have adopted pre-departure tests. Australia should too!

Your Right

Australia has been through enough and overseas travellers are too much of a risk to everyone. Aussies living here have sacrificed months of their personal freedoms to exterminate the virus. They should have a say in determining if they are willing to go through further lockdowns because of mishandled overseas arrivals. I created this petition after there were 3 new reported cases of Covid-19 within Victoria (on 30/12/2020) linked to overseas arrivals (from Sydney). Enough is enough. Sign this petition now if you believe we need tougher restrictions on overseas travel back into Australia during this pandemic.