Australia vs. Hollywood for a la carte treatment of famous actors

Chris Hamworth, Idris Elba, Matt Damon, Ed Sheeran, Jane Seymour, Melissa McCarthy, Rita Ora, Ron Howard, Taika Watati, Tilda Swindon, Tom Hanks, Jacques Efron, Mark Wahlberg, Julia Roberts and Georges Jr.

These are just some of the celebrities and stars rushing to Australia, a country that has not only begun to overcome the pandemic, but in addition the government has lured Hollywood productions with tax breaks.

So a plethora of stars have flooded the country, especially Sydney, now called λογ Australia. Indigenous Australian stars such as Nicole Kidman, Kylie and Danny Minogue, Rose Byrne and Aila Fisher with her British husband, Sasha Baron Cohen, also returned to the distinguished guests.

In the midst of a pandemic, half of Hollywood fled to Australia, writes the BBC, as “life is beautiful in a country that has eradicated the virus to such an extent that people are free to enjoy beaches, bars and nightclubs.”

And in addition to shooting, we also have various. Parties. Idris Elba shows up at a concert, Natalie Portman goes shopping at a grocery store on Bodie Beach, Chris Pratt has a party at a hotel and Jacques Efron eats for a barbecue lunch at a Korean restaurant in China Town.

Heaps of reactions

Australians, however, are unhappy with the situation as they believe the government has two measures and two weights. One year after the country closed its borders, at least 40,000 Australians are still stranded abroad. One group has complained to the United Nations about human rights abuses. “No other country has prevented the return of its citizens in this way,” Sabrina Tiasa, who returned from the UK last month, told the BBC.

Why is this happening; Last year, the Australian government imposed a “traveler ceiling” on international arrivals, with the aim of reducing the risk of outbreaks. So often on flights to Australia, only 40 passengers are allowed. Costs have risen as a result of airlines giving priority to business and first class passengers. Flights from the UK to Australia cost from A $ 3,000 – US $ 15,000 (€ 1,940 – € 9,700) forcing many to spend savings and lump sum pensions. To this must be added the mandatory quarantine at a hotel on arrival, which costs A $ 3,000 per person. And there are tens of thousands of Australians unable to return home, and anger over the lack of government assistance is growing.

Thanks to that, the return trip of Margaret and David Sparks was canceled three times before the retired couple finally managed to board a repatriation flight last month. They were on holiday in the United Kingdom when the pandemic broke out and were trapped there for almost a year:

In various Facebook forums and groups, Australians who are still locked up abroad advise each other to always have their luggage ready. And leave “the cell phone open all night” so as not to miss a possible announcement of an emergency flight. The “Stranded Australians Abroad” group has applied to the UN Commission on Human Rights to intervene.

The government, again, argues that the cost of repatriation depends on the airlines. The government has adopted more flexible policies for those booking first-class tickets, its critics say. In January, it halved the maximum number of travelers, citing the threat of a British mutation. But after a few days he allowed the trip to more than 1,700 tennis players, agents and others related to the Australian Open.

And popular anger is overflowing…