MELBOURNE, Australia – Tennis fans will be prevented from participating in the Australian Open from 11:59 pm on Friday local time (7:59 am ET), while the state of Victoria is preparing for a five-day blockade amid a growing cluster COVID-19 suburbs of the city.
On Friday morning, with the state’s active case count reaching 19, the Victorian Cabinet met and decided that the safest course of action was to return to Stage 4 restrictions and put the state back in block for one minimum of five days, which means that fans are unable to participate in the Australian Open until at least the quarterfinals in Week 2.
“The UK strain is moving at a speed never seen anywhere in our country, and this is the advice I received from our health experts,” said Victoria Prime Minister Daniel Andrews during a news conference on Friday -market. “In terms of how tennis is going to obey, I’m going to let them talk, [but] sporting events will function as a workplace, but not as entertainment, because there will be no crowds. “
“I understand that many people will be worried and anxious, but I am confident that if we stay together, this short and sharp breaker will be effective. I want to be here next Wednesday announcing that these restrictions are coming to an end.”
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said the event organizers planned to play in a bubble environment.
“The game will continue, players will compete in a bubble not unlike what they have been doing for the past year,” said Tiley. “Those who will have authorization on the spot will be players and direct support teams, as well as employees who cannot do their work from home. … The essentials for the delivery of the event will be on site ”.
The state outbreak began at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne airport last week and has now increased to 13 cases – five of which were acquired locally on Thursday. All cases in the hotel are assumed to be the British strain of coronavirus, which is proving to be highly contagious and more difficult to contain than the original variant.
Stage 4 restrictions mean that there are only four reasons for Victorians to leave their homes. They must give or receive medical care; to buy essential goods or services; to work or study (if you can’t do it at home); and exercise for a maximum of two hours a day. Crucially, professional athletes have been defined as “essential athletes”, which means that the Australian Open and other professional leagues and sporting events can continue.
Panic broke out in the state on Thursday, when Brunetti coffee in Melbourne Airport’s Terminal 4 was added to the list of Tier 1 exposure sites, after a recently confirmed positive case of the virus was present at the site for more than eight hours on Tuesday afternoon.
Melbourne Airport confirmed that 29 domestic flights arrived and departed from the terminal during the period, before a thorough cleaning of the area was carried out overnight.
The announcement of the blockade is a significant blow to Tennis Australia, which has already faced backlash against its “tough quarantine” of international player arrivals last month, as well as having to deal with a daily audience limit of 30,000 in the first week.
Victoria residents are familiar with confined living. Between July and October of last year, the state was placed in a severe blockade while fighting its second wave of COVID-19. The state’s active cases peaked on August 7 at 6,769, but the number dropped below three digits on October 17, allowing the Australian Open to take place, albeit a month later than originally scheduled.
The United States Open last September in New York was held behind closed doors, while the French Open the following month allowed only 1,000 spectators per day.