At what point could a travel bubble between Covid free Solomon Islands and Australia be considered?

At what point could a travel bubble between Covid free Solomon Islands and Australia be considered?

Posted by : frank short Posted on : 17-May-2021

In the Solomon Islands 10,000 have been vaccinated against coronavirus and more are expected to be vaccinated in the coming weeks and months – very encouraging – but not yet having reached the level of herd immunity we have heard about as a pre-requisite to thinking of what we have come to know of travel bubble arrangements.

I ponder the question today, however, for several reasons which are these.

Tourism operators and business owners are reportedly struggling in the absence of tourists.

The economy is suffering from the loss of tourism.

A travel bubble arrangement between the Cook Islands and Australia is set to commence on 17 May, tomorrow.

There exists a travel bubble flight arrangement between Australia and New Zealand, and Air New Zealand has resumed air passenger flights to Perth in Western Australia.

The Solomon Islands has effectively and competently prevented Covid and remains free of coronavirus.

Testing for Covid is available in the Solomon Islands and intended air passengers to Australia could be given documentary proof of having been tested before boarding a flight and shown to be free of the virus.

Likewise arriving passengers from Australia could be tested for Covid on arrival and their Covid passports (documents) checked. At the Henderson Airport there is now a functional Quarantine Station facilitated by Australia.

Bubble travel arrangements cannot operate between Australia and Papua New Guinea or Fiji due to the presence of Covid infections in those two countries.

In the Solomon Islands there are many domestic holiday spots reached by Solomon Airlines and with cut price packages on offer.

My musing on this topic reflects my personal thoughts, but clearly a subject that might one day might have to be considered assuming the Solomon Islands continues to be free of Covid while the economic situation further declines and citizens feel the pinch of the serious loss of the tourist trade, once very nearly the mainstay of the country.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

www.solomonislandsinfocus.com

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