Australian Open to plough ahead despite COVID-19

[ASFN Admin]

Australian Open tennis players arrived in Melbourne on the weekend, but it's been a rocky start. A handful of participants have tested positive with COVID-19 and frustration soared as they began the first days of strict quarantine. Hitting a ball against the hotel wall or bouncing it off the window. While players posted videos of improvised training inside their rooms, health authorities in Victoria reported nine with COVID-19 infections among passengers on Australian Open charter flights. Some players have lashed out online as 70 players on three of the charter flights have been sent to hard quarantine for 12 days and unable to hit the courts to train because of people testing positive with the virus on their flights. On Monday, Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews stood firm, and said there would be no changes in the rules, despite demands, including from world number one, Novak Djokovic, who asked to be moved to private housing: "I know there's been a bit of, bit of chatter from a number of players about the rules. Well, the rules apply to them as they apply to everybody else and they were all briefed on that before they came and that was the condition on which they came. So there's no special treatment here, people are being treated, because the virus doesn't treat you specially, so neither do we." Meanwhile, Australians criticised the government on social media, questioning how it could make room for 1,200 tennis players and their entourages for next month's Grand Slam that begins on February 8, but not its own citizens. Adding to the frustration for stranded Australians overseas, the head of the health department on Monday warned Australia may not fully reopen its international borders this year.

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