<VV> Corona Virus

[Arlette Pat & Carl Kelsen]

G’day everyone,
Today, with some regret, I cancelled our Qantas International air tickets for flights which we have paid for, and which would have taken my wife and I from Australia to the USA in June / July this year.

During this trip we would have of course attended this years Corsa Convention in San Diego and very much looked forward to catching up with fellow Corvair owners. Later today, I will cancel my San Diego hotel booking.

Australia’s Qantas Airways will over the next two days operate its final scheduled flights to the USA and Canada. Qantas now considers the risk now far to great to continue operating scheduled flights to the USA.

I like the rest of world watches with REAL concern, as the number of confirmed case of this virus continues to rise in the USA and we wonder why your President Donald Trump firstly refused to acknowledge how serious the spread of this virus is and why he constantly wants to think it’s under control.

Many of us wonder how long it will be before this virus is ‘controlled’. On the basis of what I have read, I think its likely to be at best 6 months and it could well be two years before there is any meaningful improvement.

Australia, by world standards has only a few cases and while its to early to be certain, present indications suggest that we might be winning the battle with this virus. Our boarders are sealed. Qantas has cancelled its international services until May 31 and is expected to cancel all its international flights through to July 31.

So, my wife and I will, for the first time in 3 years be spending winter home in Australia.

I sincerely believe that this years San Diego Corsa Convention HAS to be cancelled TODAY. To even consider running this convention is at best ‘foolish’ but certainly dangerous!

In my view best outcome would be to simply move all the good planning to 2021. If this was done, then my wife and I would immediately book Qantas flights for 2021 and start to plan around this.

CORSA its time to ‘PULL THE PLUG’.

To my many valued American friends. PLEASE keep away from crowded places and keep safe as your country is sadly now the center of this worldwide virus
Thinking of all you.
Carl Kelsen
RHD 1965 Monza convertible
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia