Health Declarations - Are we behind the times ?

[Davo70]

Flew to HKG for a holiday in May and also went to Macau for a day. On both occasions entering HKG, and also when arriving in Macau, the required health declarations specifically asked about exposure to swine flu. On returning to Australia (PER) was amused to find the health declaration form only referenced avian influenza. Are our authorities a couple of ailments behind the times ? What have others experienced at the various international arrival points to Australia ?

[straitman]

Flew to HKG for a holiday in May and also went to Macau for a day. On both occasions entering HKG, and also when arriving in Macau, the required health declarations specifically asked about exposure to swine flu. On returning to Australia (PER) was amused to find the health declaration form only referenced avian influenza. Are our authorities a couple of ailments behind the times ? What have others experienced at the various international arrival points to Australia ?

So they have recycled the old forms. Is this really an issue or is it saving our Tax $$$.

ps It's a lot simpler than the essay you need to write to get into NZ

[tuapekastar]

Flew to HKG for a holiday in May and also went to Macau for a day. On both occasions entering HKG, and also when arriving in Macau, the required health declarations specifically asked about exposure to swine flu. On returning to Australia (PER) was amused to find the health declaration form only referenced avian influenza. Are our authorities a couple of ailments behind the times ? What have others experienced at the various international arrival points to Australia ?

Welcome to AFF Davo70!

Pretty sure my last return to OZ (thru SYD), the forms referred specifically to Swine flu, but I guess maybe they're just economising and using their old stock in PER?

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

in someways i see these declarations as a bit pointless

you can be infected and shedding the virus for 24 hrs + before you actually have any symptoms.

if you've got the thermal imaging running then it's relatively easy to take someone to the side who shows as a bit too hot for comfort

[djfuzz]

We filled out those forms pretty much everywhere we went in Asia on the DONE4 (even transiting in NRT), but not in the US, UK or UAE.

The one we got entering Australia at SYD was as you mentioned, but I'm not sure it matters what's on the form so long asthe key information - countries travelled, symptoms and seat number - are there. FWIW, we had a few pax who were sick on the plane and could not leae the aircraft (or our seats) until after an AQIS official had examined them.

They did also have the thermal sensors, which must provide some comfort when screening pax as well.

[Davo70]

So they have recycled the old forms. Is this really an issue or is it saving our Tax $$$.

Not an issue at all. Like I said....found it amusing. Reminded me of any number of M*A*S*H episodes where characters poked fun at surplus forms, food etc re-surfacing for the Korean conflict.

[samh004]

ps It's a lot simpler than the essay you need to write to get into NZ

Oh yeah, I couldn't believe how big that form was. Was crazy!

Not looking forward to coming back to Australia now, if I have to fill out yet another silly form.

[serfty]

Oh yeah, I couldn't believe how big that form was. Was crazy!

Not looking forward to coming back to Australia now, if I have to fill out yet another silly form.

The form is no longer needed for entry into NZ ...

[harvyk]

I just loved the complete lack of instructions they gave to both the aircrews and the people on the ground in relation to the forms. The best one I experienced was when we where transitting in AKL a couple of days after they brought the form in.

It took us half an hour to fill in the forms (three of us inc a infant), which the aircrew insisted we had to fill in even though we where only transitting AKL. We then walked past the health inspection people, and they said "no you hand your form in at customs", we explained we where only transitting and their response was "oh, well we don't know what you do with your form in that case".

We then handed the forms to them and told them "you deal with it" as we had spent the time filling in the form, we where not going to then go through the airport without someone taking them. This was at 1:30am and we where looking forwards to a 5 hour wait before our next flight left AKL...

[FlyboyAl]

I had a similar experience in May coming home from LAX. we arrived at around 5am or something, and after filling in the stupid form on the plane, I walked around Auckland airport holding it in my hand. No one wanted it, so I took it back on the plane with me.
All seemed kind of pointless.

The only good thing about transiting in Auckland was I got a steal of a deal on some scotch. DEFINITELY made the transit worthwhile