Andrews said that “this hyperinfectious variant is moving at high speed” and, to prevent it, the government needed to enact a short, strict block so that people would not unintentionally infect others before they realized they had contracted the virus.
“We are facing a new type of enemy. A virus that is smarter, faster and more infectious,” said Andrews of the variant. “Until we have a vaccine, we need to do everything possible to keep this virus under control.”
Australia has not yet started launching coronavirus vaccines.
“Tennis Australia continues to work with the government to ensure the health and safety of everyone,” the organization said in a statement.
Tennis fans told CNN that attending and hosting the Open, one of the biggest events of the year in Melbourne, was something residents felt they had deserved after so many weeks of surveillance. People can still watch the tournament if the block is not extended beyond 5 days, but the middle Open weekend is usually the most popular.
“It hurts today. Victorians know, better than anyone, how deeply,” he said.
Andrews said people will only be able to leave the house for four reasons: shopping for what is necessary; care and care; exercise; and work, if deemed essential by the government.
Buyers and fitness enthusiasts will only be able to travel up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from their homes, unless they don’t live so close to stores.
Most retail businesses will be forced to close, in addition to essential stores like supermarkets and pharmacies. Restaurants and cafes may offer take-away service. And meetings in private homes and in public are prohibited.
“By limiting our movement, we limit the potential spread of the virus,” said Andrews.
Open obstacles
Victoria’s blockade is the latest in a series of obstacles that the organizers of the annual tennis tournament have faced in their efforts to host a successful event during a pandemic.
The tournament was originally delayed for three weeks, and the government ordered players from abroad to be quarantined for 14 days. The initial plan was to allow quarantined players five hours a day to practice, but several people connected to the Open tested positive for the virus while in quarantine – forcing 72 players to go through a more intense quarantine, which they were not allowed to leave. your rooms for 14 full days.
Then, with only a few days to go before the tournament, a security guard at one of Melbourne’s quarantine hotels tested positive for the virus – forcing his close contacts to isolate themselves until they were free of the infection.
Organizers expected up to 400,000 fans to attend the tournament this year in a socially distant way, about half the number that was in last year’s competition, and fans showed up on Monday for the first day – relishing the fact that they are some of the few people on the planet able to watch live sports during the pandemic.
With the news of the sudden blockade on Friday, many games were already happening, with fans having their last glimpse of the action for at least five days.
Notably, Serena Williams kept her hopes of a record 24th Grand Slam title after surviving a small scare.
The American saved two set points in her match against Anastasia Potapova, but recovered to win 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.
Talking about the blockade after his fight, Williams said: “It is difficult. I think it will be a difficult day for everyone. But I hope we can overcome this.”
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka battled Ons Jabeur 6-3 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the tournament.
Unlike Australia, however, Japan is struggling to cope with the increasing number of coronavirus cases. Cases have more than doubled in the past two months to more than 406,000, pushing Japan’s medical system to the limit, despite the fact that the country has the highest number of hospital beds per capita in the developed world.
CNN’s Chandler Thornton, Angus Watson, Ben Westcott and Paul Devitt contributed to this report