The Australian Open is thrown into chaos as 23 players travel on a charter flight to Melbourne with Covid-infected passengers on board – with almost 50 competitors now in hard quarantine
- Almost 50 Australian Open competitors were placed in strict confinement
- A passenger on a flight from Abu Dhabi tested positive for coronavirus
- The update comes after two infections were reported on a flight from Los Angeles
The Australian Open was launched into even greater chaos after 23 players landed in Melbourne on a charter flight with a Covid-infected passenger on board – bringing the number of physically confined competitors to 47.
The infected passenger, who is not a competitor in the tennis event, arrived at 8:20 am on a January 15 flight from Abu Dhabi
There were 64 people on the aircraft, including 23 players.
“All passengers on the flight are already in quarantine hotels,” the Australian Open said in a statement.
Patient Covid-19, who tested negative for coronavirus before the flight, was taken to a health hotel.
Tennis players, coaches and officials arrive at a hotel in Melbourne on Friday for a 14-day quarantine
Victoria Azarenka is one of almost 50 tennis players in hard lockdown. She is photographed during her flight to Australia this week
“The 23 players on the flight will not be able to leave their hotel room for 14 days and until they have medical authorization,” a statement continued.
‘They will not be eligible to practice.’
The Saturday night update comes just hours after it was revealed that two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is among 24 players confined to her hotel rooms after two positive coronavirus tests emerged from her charter flight.
The Victorian government’s Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) confirmed that a crew member and a non-player Australian Open participant tested positive after arriving on a flight from Los Angeles on Friday morning.
The two were transferred to a ‘health hotel’.
“All 66 remaining passengers on the flight were considered to be close contacts,” said the CQV statement.
Australian Bio Security team is seen entering Flight EY460 carrying tennis players and their support teams participating in the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday
‘Any players and supporters will not be able to leave quarantine to attend training.
“Players are being supported to access equipment in their hotel rooms to help them stay in shape during this period.”
Players were originally given an exemption to leave their quarantine hotel to train for up to five hours a day; however, an email from Tennis Australia confirmed that everyone on board the flight would now be in total blockade.
The email said: ‘Unfortunately, we were informed by health officials that two people on their LAX flight who arrived at 5:15 am on Friday, January 15, returned positive COVID-19 PCR tests upon arrival in Melbourne.
“The Chief Health Officer analyzed the flight and determined that everyone on board needs to be isolated and will be confined to their rooms for the 14-day quarantine period.
The Saturday night update comes just hours after it was revealed that two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is among 24 players confined to her hotel rooms after two positive coronavirus tests emerged from her charter flight
‘We know that this is not how you imagined your preparations for the AO would begin, but our entire team is here to support and do everything we can to help you overcome this.’
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley later released a statement saying that the 24 players who were on that flight will not be able to leave their hotel rooms for 14 days and until they have medical clearance.
“We are communicating with everyone on this flight, and particularly with the gaming group whose conditions have now changed, to ensure that their needs are met as much as possible and that they are fully assessed on the situation,” said Tiley.
In addition to Azarenka who won the title in 2012 and ’13, American Sloane Stephens and Japanese star Kei Nishikori were also on the flight.
Nishikori had coronavirus in August.
All passengers were asked to return negative tests within 72 hours of departure.