Virgin Australia says media reports that chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka called for Australia’s borders to re-open even if people die have taken her comments out of context.
A report on Queensland University of Technology’s website Monday quoted Hrdlicka highlighting to the university’s Business Leaders’ Forum the need for Australians to live with a level of COVID transmission for the country’s health and economic recovery.
“We can't keep (COVID) out forever," the report quoted the Virgin chief as saying.
"We're all going to be sicker than we ever have been in the past because we're not exposed to the viruses and challenges that the rest of the world is dealing with so we need to get the borders open for our own health and for the economy.
"It will make us sick but won't put us into hospital. Some people may die but it will be way smaller than the flu."
READ: World-first trial of super-fast COVID test sparks travel hopes.
The last comment generated headlines in national and local media suggesting Hrdlicka wanted international borders to reopen even if some people died.
In a statement clarifying the airline’s position, a Virgin spokesman said: “Virgin Australia has and will continue to work closely with both State and Federal governments to support the health and safety of the Australian community.
“We agree with State and Federal leaders that eradication of COVID-19 cannot be the goal for our country. The question is not if, but when we will be sufficiently vaccinated to protect our people and our hospital system to open our International borders.
“We must learn to live with COVID-19 in the community in a way that protects the health and safety of our people but also opens Australia up to the rest of the world."
The comments came after a Newspoll published earlier in the day revealed most Australians support the closure of the border until the middle of next year or until the pandemic is brought under control globally.
The potential timeline of mid-2022 was revealed in budget forecasts released May 11 and prompted national carrier Qantas to push back plans to restart long-haul international flying from October 31 to December 20
The Newspoll found 73 percent of Aussies supported the proposition with Coalition voters, women and people aged 50 and above its strongest proponents.
Business groups have been pushing for a quicker re-opening of the border but there is no sign that the government is bowing to the pressure or set to give a hard and fast date for easing restrictions.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told a doorstop Monday that the first step would be to allow vaccinated Australians to travel around the country, even if state restrictions were introduced from time to time.
“The second part would be to enable them to travel to safe countries,’’ he said, noting travel to countries where the virus was raging would be difficult and would hinder evacuations from those red zones.
The Prime Minister also indicated the government could support moves to safely bring back international students to bolster the country's university sector.
“I welcome the fact that universities are stumping up to work with state governments to put those facilities in place to support their customers coming back, their students coming back,'' he said.
“And as the Treasurer said this morning, we'll look at that very favorably, very favorably.”
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