Covid spread results in extreme quarantines
Economic devastation is felt by airlines
AIRPORT VOICE, FEBRUARY 2021 3
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The world has gone from
restricting some fl ights into
their countries to temperature
checks at airports and now to
more restrictive quarantines
in an effort to stop the spread
of the Covid virus. Fear has
gripped nations to implement
severe restrictions. There are
efforts underway byIATA, One
World and other companies
to create a worldwide standard
for managing the virus
from tests, to vaccines to digital
passport which will hold
health information for use at
borders of all countries to identify
traveler state of health.
The economic ripple effects
from countries on airlines
and the related industries is
unprecedented and the fate of
companies is uncertain.
According to one person’s
travel person’s account, Hong
Kong has the mores restrictive
quarantine n the world.
Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region Minister of
Health Sophie Chan Siu-chee
confi rmed that a 14-day quarantine
was imposed on citizens
passenger which started
on February 1st with airline
crews beginning 2 week quarantine
February 20. followed
by a 7day surveillance.
All passengers and crew
must take a test upon landing
in Honk Kong and must wait
hours until the results are
in. If positive, passengers are
sent to a hospital. If negative,
they are put on government
buses and taken to one of 38
government hotels. They can’t
go home. In the hotel they are
confi ned to one room. A GPS
bracelets is put on and those
quarantined cannot leave the
room, no shopping nor visitors
Those found to be breaking
this quarantine could be
jailed.
“Under the premise of watertight
measures and stringent
prevention, we don’t have
other alternatives,” Chan
Siu-chee said in an interview.
“Also, the virus is more active
during winter and there have
been more mutated strains,
therefore, we hope to be more
stringent. We are sorry about
that.”
Hong Kong’s major airline
Cathay Pacifi c said hat it will
be forced to slash its already
massively reduced schedule.
A spokesperson said, “We are
now seeking more implementation
details, including timing,
from the authorities, so
that we can plan ahead to minimize
the impact on our air
crew, as well as our passenger
and cargo services.”
The quarantine impact is
enormous on this and other
airlines. No one is denying the
need for safeguards. It is just
a hodge pod of restrictions
making it diffi cult for international
for safe international
travel. Cathay’s pre-pandemic
fl ights were a 100,not 15 cities
world wide with similar
drastic reductions from other
is the same. Qantas has cancelled
fl ights to JFK for a year.
Many airlines are burning
cash in the millions of dollars
a day. Based on comments
from airline managers at JFK,
government aid and a common
health stsndard are imperative
to keep the industry
alive and people safe.
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tests at JFK Terminal One
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• Opportunity to get your swab taken
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We we will accept Insurance from airline employees.
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