I'll jump in

[billt4sf]

Hello and it's nice to see some of the "old crowd" is still here!

Heard a good interview with Francis Collins, head of the NIH is the US yesterday. He laid out a situation that makes sense to me.

He stated that there is a "good" chance that there will be a vaccine by about the end of the year. Some are already in Phase 3. Allowing time for production to be ramped-up, and the most vulnerable people to get it first, he gave an approximate timeframe for things to be back to "normal" about a year from now - assuming that a high percentage of Americans actually get vaccinated.

Until such time as the virus is gone, or almost gone, he made the salient point that people will still need to practice social distancing and mask wearing.

If you want to watch it, it is here:


--------

In any case, this made me want to plan for diving in Indo! A year or more from now.

So I went looking for possible reservations, and I found that many trips are already booked-up, and I did not find the flexible cancellation policies that I had hoped to find. We are not willing to go to developing countries to dive with the risk of COVID around (you might be willing to, we are not) and I am also not willing to pony up thousands of dollars to be lost if COVID is not "solved" by then or the company goes under in the meantime. Hundreds of dollars - maybe yes.

Just because the country may have its doors open, doesn't mean we want to walk through them.

What's a poor diver to do?

- Big Bill

 

[Centrals]

I am ready to travel when I am ready! But at the moment Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand are off limited to me for anything let alone scuba diving.

Vaccine could be another political issue!! Would it be accepted worldwide? Who is going to authenticate it?

Wait and see and the mean time..... life is really boring when I cannot looking forward to a trip aboard!

 

[drrich2]

What've read recently is if a vaccine is approved in the U.S. later this year, production will take time to scale up and large quantities might be out around April. I don't recall the exact wording, but I think that was the basic idea. Considering that recent reports show surprisingly few people plan to get it right away, I hope that'll leave more for those of us eager for it ASAP. Not wishing harm on anyone, but if you turn your nose up at something on offer that I need, hey...

Thanks for the mention on the lack of flexible cancellation policies. Rather like the Galapagos trip last January, a trip to Indo. is on my 'hope to be blessed with one' bucket list. Probably a one trip thing (since I also hope to be blessed with retirement next year, and the money will drop way down if so). Don't want to set all that up and have it fall through.

 

[Indah]

We will continue our booking policy. You flight ticket is all you need to confirm your reservation. You can pay at the resort when you arrive or when you check out.

 

[Indah]

Hello and it's nice to see some of the "old crowd" is still here!

Heard a good interview with Francis Collins, head of the NIH is the US yesterday. He laid out a situation that makes sense to me.

He stated that there is a "good" chance that there will be a vaccine by about the end of the year. Some are already in Phase 3. Allowing time for production to be ramped-up, and the most vulnerable people to get it first, he gave an approximate timeframe for things to be back to "normal" about a year from now - assuming that a high percentage of Americans actually get vaccinated.

Until such time as the virus is gone, or almost gone, he made the salient point that people will still need to practice social distancing and mask wearing.

If you want to watch it, it is here:


--------

In any case, this made me want to plan for diving in Indo! A year or more from now.

So I went looking for possible reservations, and I found that many trips are already booked-up, and I did not find the flexible cancellation policies that I had hoped to find. We are not willing to go to developing countries to dive with the risk of COVID around (you might be willing to, we are not) and I am also not willing to pony up thousands of dollars to be lost if COVID is not "solved" by then or the company goes under in the meantime. Hundreds of dollars - maybe yes.

Just because the country may have its doors open, doesn't mean we want to walk through them.

What's a poor diver to do?

- Big Bill

Thanks for the video. How much protection by the vaccine would be acceptable for you to travel to Indonesia? 75%? 50%? This was not mentioned in this excellent interview and I did not read anywhere else yet that a vaccine will protect you fully. Of course, if all people would be vaccinated in Indonesia, the risks would be neglectible. But that would take many years, if ever. How to convince the young an healthy to get a (or two) shot?
Shortly, would you come to Indonesia if you are les than 100% protected by the vaccines you received? And in relation to this and keeping a distance to others, would you prefer a live aboard or resort? Maybe we will have a future with a combination of fast vaccine, testing, masks and distancing? Anyway, it ill be different than before.
About the already booked-up trips: maybe the schedules are filled in with postponed earlier reservations. How to make a schedule if nobody realy knows if an when they can arrive? Most of the tourism related businesses here in Indonesia are from rest-mode , to sleep, to coma. If this takes another year of more, many will not be able to start again. And the ones which do, will have to be very inventive how to get and keep their business running. The first years the numbers of tourists will be far much lower than 2019.

 

[Rob669]

Hello Bill, good to read something from you again it's been a while (we met a few years ago over at Geko Dive in Padang Bay). I miss the posts about Luko .

I will be back in Indonesia just as soon as possible, I really miss it. I have recently bought a Triumph motorcycle with the money I have saved from not travelling, I think it shows my attitude to risk . The public's attitude in Indonesia will be the main factor for me in deciding when I go there again. I don't want to attract negative attention as a foreigner, justified or otherwise.

Thanks Indah for the effort that you are putting in with your posts. They mean I keep checking in on the site to find out about the latest updates.

Best wishes, Rob

 

[Centrals]

I have recently bought a Triumph motorcycle with the money I have saved from not travelling, I think it shows my attitude to risk

Triumph T120 Bonneville is my dream! Unfortunately it will remain as such!

As for scuba diving in the future, I will decide if the place is safe or NOT, malaria or yellow fever etc did not stop me from travelling.

 

[apenland01]

What've read recently is if a vaccine is approved in the U.S. later this year, production will take time to scale up and large quantities might be out around April. I don't recall the exact wording, but I think that was the basic idea. Considering that recent reports show surprisingly few people plan to get it right away, I hope that'll leave more for those of us eager for it ASAP. Not wishing harm on anyone, but if you turn your nose up at something on offer that I need, hey...

Thanks for the mention on the lack of flexible cancellation policies. Rather like the Galapagos trip last January, a trip to Indo. is on my 'hope to be blessed with one' bucket list. Probably a one trip thing (since I also hope to be blessed with retirement next year, and the money will drop way down if so). Don't want to set all that up and have it fall through.

I think the ramp up time will be very short. These companies making and conducting trials on vaccines are already in full scale production mode because the market is just too large to risk not having immediate inventory if they clear phase 3. Whichever company has the largest inventory stash wins the game, which they all know. It does no good to be the first to market and you can't get inventory. There will be a huge amount of vaccine once they clear phase 3.....

 

[StefinSB]

I think the ramp up time will be very short. These companies making and conducting trials on vaccines are already in full scale production mode because the market is just too large to risk not having immediate inventory if they clear phase 3. Whichever company has the largest inventory stash wins the game, which they all know. It does no good to be the first to market and you can't get inventory. There will be a huge amount of vaccine once they clear phase 3.....

Looks like we turned already the corner ...

 

[tridacna]

Looks like we turned already the corner ...

Explain?