Yeah, I don’t think it’s specifically against the law per se, but unless you can afford to charter a flight, I don’t know why an airline would bother staffing a commercial plane to fly out. I’m sure there’ll be a flurry of activity flying in over the next couple days, but I’m concerned even if I could get a flight out tomorrow that I wouldn’t be able to get back and would be stuck until potentially June or later in a country where I would have no job, no insurance etc.
And then there’s the whole directly defying a government order/recommendation which I don’t particularly want to do if I can avoid it.
There is no "ban". It is a Level 4
advisory. They cannot stop you leaving when you have a reason to travel, AND are not showing flu-like symptoms, AND have not been to one of the banned countries in the previous 14 days.
Virgin is cancelling international flights from the end of this month.
Qantas is still flying, with reduced/changed services, as of today.
Can't comment on other airlines.
Keep in mind that there are a large number of people who fly for non-tourist reasons, so there is still a demand for flights, albeit a reduced one.
There are a lot of incorrect rumours floating about in the media and online at the moment. Don't listen to them, but do your own research:
- Go to your airline's site and read their information.
- Go to the US DHS site and read their information on the travel restrictions, (there is currently nothing on the US CBP site and US ICS site).
- Go to the Aussie Smart Traveller site and read what the Level 4 advisory means.
If it was me travelling, I would still go. My wife flies in 8 days, and we are watching the flow of official information closely on a daily basis, and right now there is nothing stopping her flying.
