Sir, – Thank you for accurately and thoughtfully portraying the strict Australian lockdown and travel isolation provisions (Kate Nic Dhomhnaill, "Quarantine the Australian way: Tight logistics and high cost", News, January 30th).
With Ireland debating the introduction of quarantine measures, this was a timely and relatable article, especially given that five million of Australia’s 25 million people (20 per cent) claim Irish heritage.
Your journalist accurately records that 750 of the total 909 Australian deaths were in the state of Victoria and have been traced to two breaches of our rules by international travellers.
Isolation in Australia is unavoidable, it is emotionally hard, financially costly and police supervision is essential to its success, with international travel to Australia discouraged by Australian authorities.
Even the Irish Australian Football League sportswomen selected to play for Australian clubs in the 2021 season went through this isolation and quarantine process. Most travelled last year and some even endured Christmas in isolation.
Now that’s tough, and a true indication of the commitment these women have to their professional sporting careers.
This weekend these incredibly talented Irish athletes stunned and amazed us on the playing field showing that we can win against the virus if we all follow the rules.
Getting a seat on a flight to Australia is difficult, as airlines struggle to find financial models that work. A year ago, nearly 900,000 air travellers per month arrived in Australia, that number is now 4,500.
Your chances of obtaining a seat on a flight increase if travellers are flexible in their point of entry where they arrive into Australia to quarantine.
Travel limits, closed borders and an accurate description of just how hard the isolation quarantining process is when travellers land in Australia help us all to better understand just how emotionally and financially difficult travel to Australia currently is. At the Australian Embassy in Ireland, we help where we can, but given all these challenges, we are actively discouraging travel to Australia and are requesting travellers to reconsider doing so. – Yours, etc,
GARY GRAY,
Australian Ambassador
to Ireland,
Dublin 2.