Tag: Lockdown

NO MORE LOCKDOWNS ONCE WE REACH 70% VACCINATION TARGET

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

Australia has had one of the strictest lockdowns in the world and it’s been months and months that we have been battling against this deadly virus. Both mentally and physically, every Australian has struggled through this. Not being able to meet our loved ones, travel like before, or go out like we used to, this virus really did change our lives. But now it is time to rise up again. It Is time to fill our hearts with hope and embrace the excitement of going back to the old times, where we were one, we were together.

Under National Cabinet’s four-phase pathway out of the pandemic, when the nation starts hitting the 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination targets, we can start claiming back what COVID has been taking away from us. And when we do so, people must not be intimidated by the case numbers that will inevitably increase. The government will be able to handle the situation better with all the improvements in the health care sector which Australia has made to protect people from serious illness and fatality.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said, “we can’t live with lockdowns forever” and that at some point, the states and territories needed to conceded it’s “highly unlikely” that Australia will be able to return to COVID zero. Once the states reach 70 per cent of adult vaccinations, they must open up borders and lockdown will only be the last resort.

According to the data, if you take the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccination, people are 86 to 87 per cent less likely to end up in hospital or an ICU. A key next step in the plan will also be getting children aged over 12 vaccinated.

Just as we are seeing overseas in places like the UK, even when their case numbers tick up, their hospitalisations and deaths are not increasing at the same rate and remaining flatter and at rates like you see with the flu.

It is always darkest before the dawn, and these lockdowns are demonstration of that, but the dawn is not far away and we are working towards that dawn and we are hastening towards the dawn.

Hundreds of active Covid cases in the community should not delay Australia’s plan to reopen and end widespread lockdowns, Scott Morrison says, urging people to look beyond a “one-eyed focus” on daily case numbers.

Lockdowns are not a sustainable way to deal with the virus and that’s why we have to get to the 70 and 80% marks so we can start living with the virus!

This doesn’t mean people won’t get sick, but with achieving the vaccination targets, a strong public health system, retaining common sense public hygiene measures and more effective treatments for COVID-19, the nation can get on with the new normal, and treat COVID like other infectious diseases.

That is the light at the end of the tunnel on our journey. Australia has now had three days in a row of giving more than 300,000 vaccinations every day, and with more than 1.73 million vaccinations provided in only the previous week, we’ll see fewer hospitalizations and fatalities, allowing us to resume our lives. This is what living with COVID is all about. The case numbers will likely rise when we soon begin to open up. That is inevitable.

But the focus needs to be on the rate of people being hospitalised. That’s the measure that should now start to guide our response.

Rising cases need not impact the nations plan to reopen, and reopen as soon we can.

With this, there will be light again, harmony again. No borders will separate us from our loved ones, and we will be one again.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

As there are no quarantine or travel restrictions required in place, plan your journey to reunite with your family & friends with Gaura Travel in this year 2022. Find all available flights options with us.

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Tags AstraZeneca, Australia, covid-19, Double Doses, India, Lockdown, Moderna, Pandemic, Pfizer, Vaccination

Travel Guide

How is the World Dealing with COVID-19?

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

How is Australia dealing with COVID-19?

Travel is all set to make a comeback. As countries reach a new phase of the pandemic based on their vaccination coverage and policies, plans to open travel are taking place around the world. This involves a change drifting away from border closures or lockdowns and going in favour of coercive tactics and incentives to get people vaccinated. This also includes easing quarantine restrictions for those who have received the vaccine.

Australia has been one of the world’s COVID success stories, with infection rates approaching zero and most people going about their daily lives as usual. Australia’s tough conservative strategy has undoubtedly saved lives, but there are fears that same approach may now leave it isolated in comparison to other countries.

Known as the land of adventure, fun and beauty, concerns are that with the prolonged shut down from the world, Australia might lose its character of being an open and free country. Ernst and Young, an accounting firm, estimates that Australia’s economy is losing A$7.6bn (£4.18bn; $5.9bn) a month from the closed borders. With this, not only Australia is facing struggles with the economy but also its eminence around the globe.

How are other countries dealing with COVID-19?

Countries like England, Canada and Singapore have reached a good number of vaccinations with Canada fully vaccinating 14% of its population, Singapore 35% and England 47%. Unfortunately, Australia had a slow roll out of the vaccine and is lagging with only vaccinating 3.3% of its population.

In France, some visitors –including Australians – no longer have to even take a COVID test as long as they are fully vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine. From early July Canada is expected to exempt quarantine for fully vaccinated travellers, including non-Canadians. Amid this, claims are that Australia will not open its borders until mid-2022, implying a two-year plus period of isolation.

What’s next for Australia?

Tim Soutphommasane, a political expert at the University of Sydney says, “Australia is a trading nation; it’s an immigration nation. Our society, culture and economy are bound up in a globalized world. Australia should not be turning its back on the world now and become a hermit nation.” A country having more than 30% of its population as multicultural, it’s a challenge for the people to stay away from their families for so long. As Australia grapples with an uneasy tension, calls for a clear plan to reintegrate it into the world are mounting. People are demanding an exit plan to be implemented as they are in a limbo about their future.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison however has other views about the re-opening of borders. In a recent interview, he expressed the country could not use vaccinations alone as a reason to reopen borders. Asked if he would only open the borders when the entire world was vaccinated, the Prime Minister declared it a “moving situation” because “we can’t control what is happening in the rest of the world”.

Surely, we cannot control what is happening in the rest of the world, but we can learn to live with the virus and prepare for the new normal, perhaps.

World health organisation, which declared COVID-19 pandemic believes countries should keep borders open, trade & people moving despite coronavirus.

With the countries learning to open again and move on with the virus, do you think it will be too late for Australia to join in?

We believe Australia will ramp up its operations and soon we will be able to reunite all of you with your loved ones. When there’s hope, there is always a way! And nothing can stop us in being your best way home.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags Australia, Canada, covid-19, Economy, England, India, Lockdown, Quarantine restrictions, reunite people, Singapore, University Of Sydney, Vaccination, World

Events

This Yoga Day, lets work IN and not OUT!

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

We often find people diving onto their Yoga matts and transporting into a different paradigm. Into a different world. A world overflowing with positivity and peace. So, the question is, how do they do this? And what exactly is yoga? Is it just a form of exercise? Is it a religion, a philosophy, an ideology? or is it something completely different? Gosh! The list doesn’t end.

The word “yoga” literally means “union”. Derived from the Sanskrit word “yuji,” meaning yoke or union, yoga is an ancient practice that brings together the mind, body and soul. Have you ever imagined experiencing the entire universe inside of you? Well, that is EXACTLY what yoga does. It unites you with your inner soul, your inner world.

This International Yoga Day, lets make Yoga all about working in and not out. We all deserve it after coming out of a deadly pandemic right? Now is the time to open our hearts and focus our awareness into our inner selves.

Here, we give you 10 reasons to love yoga!

Can you run five miles but not touch your toes? You are not alone. Try incorporating Yoga in your life and in no time, you can twist like a Rubric cube (bad jokes are allowed). Yoga is all about balance. It increases your body’s flexibility while building internal and external strength. Through deep breathing It connects your body to your mind.
Tired of working long hours and slouching your way through life? Sounds painful. How about standing up straight and honouring your spine’s natural curves? Yoga not only teaches us to stand and sit straight, with shoulders relaxed and chin up but also improves our bodily alignment, eliminating the risk of injuries.
In need for some some blood rush and thinking of hanging your legs up the wall? How about we tell you that some yoga asanas have the power to instantly speed up your blood circulation? Yes! The Yoga asanas help increase circulation throughout the spine, glands and organs, giving our body the much wanted blood and oxygen.
Health is wealth, isn’t it? Today all we are so busy in our past faced lives that often we forget to take care of ourselves. Our bodies deserve to be treated. A few minutes of yoga is the right way to push that recharge button and say bye-bye to stress.
Dreaming about a flat stomach, toned arms and sculpted legs? Count us in too. Not only Yoga makes one more flexible, but also makes us stronger!
*Take a deep breath and relax*. Breathing in and out is the smallest reminder we can give ourselves to beat anxiety. With physical Yoga poses, controlled breathing, and meditation we can together learn to overcome this monster called stress.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ― Rumi. Yoga holds the power to heal the mind, body and spirit. Yes, it does. Let’s open our hearts and fasten the healing of body. Be it injuries, mental stress or any illness, a few moments with Yoga everyday can leave you healed, rejuvenated, and refreshed.
The best gift your body can give you is a good night’s sleep, right? In fact, practicing yoga before bedtime is the best way to release everything you’re holding onto mentally or physically before sinking in the peaceful sleep mode.
What’s a nicer way to connect with people than a fun yoga class? Yoga can transform your body, your attitude and your awareness. By connecting with people through Yoga, you have the power to exchange energies and refresh your soul.
Yoga is a transformational practice that strengthens the life force within. It teaches us to overcome internal and external obstacles that come with everyday life. It builds that emotional connection with oneself and teaches us to value life.

Enough said right? Now its time to take your yoga off the mat and into your life!!

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags Australia, covid-19, Guara Travel, India, Lockdown, Melbourne, Sydney, Transporting, Yoga

Travel Guide

Essential Travel Permitted

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

After months of dormancy due to the raging pandemic, Australia is gearing up for a return to small normalcy with borders reopening to India and permitting essential travel.

Australia opened its borders to India on 15^th May, and gave a green signal for the travel operations between India and Australia to resume. This comes as good news to more than 11,000 Australians who are stuck in India and wish to travel back to Australia.

Australian citizens have been grieving the loss of loved ones in India because of border restrictions preventing travel on compassionate grounds under any circumstances. However, with the decline in the COVID-19 cases in India, Australia has now allowed citizens to travel to India for compassionate and care giving reasons.

So if you are in limbo and not sure whether you can travel to India to provide care to your family, the answer is YES!

Who can travel to India from Australia?

Based on current health advice, individuals seeking an exemption to travel from Australia to India will only be approved for the following limited circumstances:

Critical workers providing assistance to India’s COVID-19 response.
People travelling in Australia’s national interest.
People seeking urgent medical treatment for a critical illness that cannot be treated in Australia.
People travelling due to the death or funeral of a close family member.
People visiting a close family member who is critically ill.
People seeking to travel to India to escort an Australian citizen or permanent resident minor back to Australia.

Gaura Travel resumes flights from India to Australia

Even in the devastating phase of COVID-19, our team was 24×7 there for our customers. We know a lot of you have been wanting to travel to Australia and have waited for the borders to reopen. We have amazing news for you, our flights from India to Australia and Australia to India are now open and operating. Flights for the month of July are available to Book Now. Whether you want to fly back to Australia or travel to India from Australia, we are here to bring you one step closer to your home.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags Australia, Australia to India, covid-19, Guara Travel, India, India to Australia, Lockdown, Melbourne, Sydney

Travel Guide

Pilot Plan to Welcome International Students in NSW, Will Start in the Second Half of 2021

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet affirmed today that NSW Health and NSW Police had been approved a Pilot Plan to allow International Students to come back to Australia. The plan will start on the second half of 2021, and it will intend to receive 250 International Students fortnightly.

The first students would arrive in August 2021 in Charter Flights, and they would not take seats off from the commercial flights for Australians returning to the country. The students would have the same quarantine requirements as any other returning traveller, but they will stay in a special accommodation with 600 beds and Universities will cover all the costs.

The NSW authorities will aim to increase at the end of the year, the number of students arriving every 2 weeks from 250 to 500 students. The idea is to rescue the $14 billion that the students bring to the state every year.

“Typically, we have more than 250,000 international students studying in NSW each year and they directly supported over 95,000 local jobs prior to the pandemic. If we don’t act fast, students will turn to other overseas destinations, and it could take the sector decades to recover.” said Mr. Perrottet.

“This program has carefully considered the personal, social and academic aspects of our students to ensure they successfully resume their studies and rejoin NSW’s vibrant multicultural community as soon as possible.” said Professor Barney Glover, NSW Vice-Chancellors’ Committee.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags 2021, Australia, India, International Student, International Students, Lockdown, Melbourne, Multicultural Community, NSW, Quarantine, Students

Travel Guide

India ready to bounce back | Drastic decline in COVID-19 Cases

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

The world has seen unprecedented changes due to Covid -19. When India, the second most populous country in the world was hit by a devastating second wave of COVID-19, it was hard to imagine how the nation would combat it. But how can we forget that India is no ordinary country? Over its rich history, it has showed countless examples of its unparalleled ability to pick itself up and fight back.

A nation of 1.3 billion people battened down their hatches and came together to show enduring resilience in the fight against the pandemic. With the endless efforts of the frontline workers, government, and the courageous citizens of the country, India prepares itself to bounce back!

The covid cases across the country have witnessed a drop in daily caseload count and several Indian states have started to relax lockdown curbs as coronavirus infections subside.

Initially, the second wave saw India’s daily reported cases spike to more than 300,000 infections daily. However now, with a little over 100,000 new infections across India, daily cases in the country dropped to the lowest level seen in over two months. The seven-day average of new infections in the country has dropped by over 68% from the peak.

The country has so far administered 20,57,20,660 anti-Covid jabs and the recovery rate of patients has increased to 90.34%.

These numbers provide a great deal of relief and hope.

India Unites as One

In the midst of a brutal second wave and a shortage of crucial life saving supplies, India’s COVID-19 patients, and their families turned to social media to save lives. Thousands of people and volunteers amplified the requests of people searching for hospital beds, ventilators and oxygen cylinders on social platforms. Twitter hashtags like #CovidSOS and #CovidEmergency became popular among users. Volunteers set up websites and apps to track vaccine availability. Many people also volunteered to make home-cooked meals for patients quarantining at home while others offered assistance with tasks like grocery shopping. It is amazing to see how the country came together to help one another weather the unprecedented crisis.

Gaura Travel Resumes Flights from India to Australia

Even during the most devastating phase of COVID-19, our team was there 24×7 for our customers. We know a lot of you have been wanting to travel to Australia and have waited for the borders to reopen. We have amazing news for you – our flights from India to Australia are now open and operating. Flights for the month of July are available to Book Now.

Fly back home to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane! What are you waiting for? Book your tickets today!

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags Adelaide, Australia, Brisbane, covid-19, Guara Travel, India, Lockdown, Melbourne, Quarantining, Second Wave, Sydney, Ventilators

Travel Guide

When Home Calls

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

When COVID 19 happened, at first we did not know the extent of the impact it would have on us.

At that time my parents were with us and were scheduled to leave for India in a couple of weeks. We told ourselves that the pandemic might well be a blessing in disguise – it probably meant that we as a family would get to spend more time with each other. My 6-year old son was over the moon that he would get to go on more walks with his grandad and get to eat more sweets made by his grandma.

I wish we could have foreseen what lay head of us. The Victorian government went on to announce a strict lockdown. Within weeks, the very house that my parents loved, began to feel like prison. Wearing a mask became a thing of dread and going out for walks soon dwindled into oblivion.

Naturally, all of this resulted in one overwhelming desire – to go back to their home in India.

My parents longed to be reunited with the country that gave them everything, including me. I would see my mother control her tears at the sight of anything that reminded her of India. My father would watch every little piece of news about India with renewed vigour and interest.

The longing they had for their homeland, sat like a thorn that refused to go away. If anything it developed into a source of tremendous stress.

But with commercial flights grinding to a halt, there was no way back home. Not right then anyway. During a casual phone call, a friend of ours told us that Gaura Travel started operating charter flights from Australia to Delhi.

So what did we do? Well, I immediately took my phone and was about to call them when my wife reminded me that it was almost midnight! I recalled what my friend had said – that they were open 24/7. I flipped my laptop open and hit their website. And sure enough, I was chatting to them within seconds.

The lady chatting with us was professional, warm and reassuring. This was exactly what we needed to counter the anxiety my parents were going through and the stressful situation we found ourselves in.

Her accurate and timely responses meant we could take an informed decision – within the hour, we had booked our tickets. Given the extraordinary circumstances, we certainly did not expect to see things moving so fast. The next morning my father hugged me, thanking me. Yes, there were tears too.

Surprisingly, Gaura Travel offered to take that on for us as well and before I knew it they called me, letting me know that the exemption had been approved! This was 5-star levels of service.

The day arrived. That trip to the airport wasn’t easy. Just as we were about to check-in, we met someone from Gaura Travel there. I mean, seriously, since when did a travel agency take the effort to come to the airport and ensure that their passengers were being looked after?

They were able to get my mother, who suffers from acute arthritis a wheelchair. And the smile on her face, when my son was wheeling her around the airport…yes, priceless indeed.

They had an incredibly smooth flight back home and settled into their home quickly. Us on the other hand? Well, we got back from the airport to an empty house, filled with sweet memories of my parents.

And a heartfelt thank you to an organization that has made it their business to help families find a way back home. My parents were reunited with the life and the land they love so much.

And for this, I cannot be more grateful to Gaura Travel. I recently read that they reunited 10,000 families through their charter flights – well, I consider myself very luck that ours was one of those too.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Tags Australia, covid-19, Delhi, Guara Travel, Home, India, Lockdown, Pandemic, Parents, Victorian

Why Gaura

Gaura Travel reuniting 10,000 families during COVID-19

Post author By harshal shah
Post date 12/01/2022

The start of the journey…

Gaura Travel a Melbourne-based travel company founded 14 years ago, decided in June last year to face the challenges that COVID-19 brought during 2020. When no commercial flights were operating to India and the whole world was in lockdown, Abhishek and Ashwini Sonthalia (CEOs & founders of Gaura Travel) repatriated Indian citizens from Australia with the help of their team. Since then, the agency has operated more than 40 charter flights reuniting 10,000 families.

Like any other travel company in Australia, Gaura Travel had to close its offices during the first lockdown at the end of march in 2020, however the contact center continued operating 24/7 to solve the doubts of the customers when the confinements started. The future looked tough; the sales decreased to zero and many refunds had been issued due to the unfeasibility of running flights. The uncertainty of this moment in time made the owners and their employees’ resilience more prominent than ever. They had to find new alternatives to keep the travel agency running. Ashwini and Abhishek started to knock on the doors of airlines and government institutions (in Australia and India) seeking for a way to help those in need of travel. After a couple of months, they got support from the Indian Consulate in Melbourne, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air to operate the firsts repatriation charter flights to India.

The idea was to create a couple of flights to find the best way home for Indians who wanted to return to their country. It was a big surprise for the company when those first two flights got booked out immediately. That was the moment when Gaura Travel opened more monthly flights from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide to the main cities in India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and many more without knowing how long it would be possible to keep doing it for.

A milestone for Gaura Travel

Last Friday, February 5th 2021, Akash Rajput an International Student of Deakin University became the 10,000th passenger of the repatriation charter flights to India from Australia organized by Gaura Travel. This accomplishment made the agency the largest operator of this new charter flight industry. “We didn’t know when we started everything that it would get this far, so it’s all thanks to the support of our customers and our team… we are going to continue on this mission of reuniting as many families as we can…” said Ashwini at Melbourne Airport when he congratulated Akash for being the passenger 10,000 who also got an upgrade of his ticket to Business Class.

“Mr. Raj Kumar, the Consul General of India in Melbourne one day told me, you will get plenty of opportunities in your life to make money but take this as an opportunity to make blessings” expressed Abhishek later the same day during the celebration event of “Reuniting 10,000 families”. The event was organized by the agency which included the attendance of people from the Indian community, the travel industry, the presence of Raj Kumar (Consul General of India in Victoria) and the Gaura Travel team members.

10,000 families have been reunited in India during the last 7 months thanks to the effort of Gaura Travel and the support of the Indian Consulate in Melbourne, Singapore Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Malindo Air. The travel agency will organize charter flights for at least the next couple of months (February and March), trying to continue reuniting more than 10,000 families in India during the first quarter of 2021.

Travelling in 2022 with Gaura Travel

https://gauratravel.com.au/flight-deals/

Book your tickets from Australia to India on www.gauratravel.com.au
Gaura Travel – YOUR BEST WAY HOME

Tags Adelaide, Australia, Brisbane, covid-19, Deakin, India, International Student, Lockdown, Malaysia, Malindo, Melbourne, Reuniting Families, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sydney