COVID-19: Western Australia dances to a different drum – Vaccinate or piss off

WA Premier Mark McGowan has always had the best trigger finger for reactions to COVID-19. He has now brought the idea of Vaccine Passports to eligibility to cross state borders.

From Tuesday 17 August, visitors to WA from NSW will need to show proof of having at least their first COVID-19 vaccination, and a negative test taken in the last 72 hours. This procedure will be extended to any state classified by WA as ‘high-risk’.

WA Premier Mark McGowan is a bit of a hard-arse on these matters, which are immensely attractive to his electorate. He doesn’t think he will be on his own either:

‘I think this is actually a template for other states to look at, should they want to put in place measures to protect themselves from the raging outbreak in New South Wales.’

Mark McGowan

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

OMG – we are going to have passports at state borders!

I exaggerate, but the idea of having to prove vaccine status at airports or other border crossings just to travel between states seems silly at first, but on reflection, maybe this is the new paradigm of living with COVID-19: the Delta strain (which sounds like a new series of the Star Trek franchise) – at least for now.

We are in unchartered territory. Who knows what new issues will confront us next.