Coronavirus still plagues the world with no signs of letting up. Backpackers all over the world are facing some of the biggest challenges of their travels to date. Some of these challenges include canceled tours, canceled flights, and lost jobs. Worry is spreading everywhere among backpackers about what step they should take next.

Read about my last update here. In Australia, everyone is deciding now if they will leave or stay. With the lockdowns happening all over the world, the clock is nearly expired to leave the country. I chose a while back that I would be safer to stay here. Trying to go somewhere else in Australia is not worth it at the moment. Going back to the United States is even harder.

The new government regulations were created with the health and safety of the general public in mind. That does not mean it is easy for a backpacker to deal with, though. Currently, in Australia, the government has closed all bars and restaurants. The only exception is restaurants can be open for takeaway only.

Most backpackers with jobs in Australia are either working on a farm or working in hospitality. With most hospitality workplaces now closed, they have no work. Check here for the full list of business restrictions. Because of this, many backpackers now worry about living expenses.

Many of them feel like they would be better off going home now. The problem is the clock is nearly over to leave the country, so backpackers could be stuck here with no income. There are no easy options.

Even shopping these days is challenging. Shelves are still empty for some products because of the panic in the last couple of weeks. Supplies are arriving slowly to replenish the shelves, but now there are limitations on how much can be purchased. These limitations are most common on the cheap products that backpackers usually purchase. The restrictions mean backpackers can now only buy enough food to last a couple of days before they have to go shopping again. See photos below from my trip to Woolworths yesterday.

Another challenge facing Australia now is the border closures. Australia already closed the border days ago for all visitors coming from abroad. Now, most of the states in Australia are also closing their borders. Starting at midnight tonight, the Queensland government will not allow anyone to cross the border without a special exception. Even if they are granted this exception, they may still be required to self-isolate for fourteen days.

Only a handful of places so far are in full lockdown. There are no reports yet of a nationwide lockdown. But with the current trends, it is not IF there will be a total lockdown but rather WHEN. When this happens, we are hopeful that hostels will remain open and only have requirements to close their front doors.

That is all I have for now. I will provide another update soon as the situation continues to change. To everyone reading this, please stay safe and follow the recommendations of your local government, or nearby governments with better rules, so that we can try to contain this situation.