Australian Open will run out of fans as “new enemy type” forces Victoria to block

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Authorities have identified 13 new cases involving an employee of a Melbourne quarantine hotel who tested positive for the so-called coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom on Monday. Five of those cases have been identified in the past 24 hours, Prime Minister Victoria Andrews said on Friday.

Andrews said that “this hyper-infectious variant is moving at high speed” and, to stop it, the government had to adopt a short and strict blockade so that people do not infect others before they realize that they have contracted the virus themselves.

“We are facing a new type of enemy. A smarter, faster and more infectious virus,” Andrews said of the variant. “Until we have a vaccine, we must do everything we can to keep this virus at bay.”

Australia has not yet started launching coronavirus vaccines.

Playing at the Australian Open, the first professional tennis Grand Slam of the year, will continue, but without spectators. Tennis Australia, which is organizing the event, has said it will adopt its broadcast-only emergency plan and offer fans refunds if they have tickets they can no longer use.

“Tennis Australia continues to work with the government to ensure the health and safety of all,” the organization said in a statement.

American Serena Williams, right, serves Russian Anastasia Potapova during the third round match at Rod Laver Arena, at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday.
Andrews acknowledged how destructive these restrictive measures will be for the people of Victoria, who endured one of the longest and strictest blockades in the world last year. For months, Victorians have been enjoying a normal life without a coronavirus, thanks to their previous sacrifices.

Tennis fans told CNN that attending and hosting the Open, one of the biggest events of the year in Melbourne, was something the locals felt they had won after so many weeks of vigilance. It is possible for people to participate in the tournament if the blockage is not extended in the last 5 days, but the middle weekend of the Open is usually the most popular.

“It hurts today. Victorians know, better than anyone, how deep,” he said.

Andrews said people will be allowed to leave home for only four reasons: shopping for basic necessities; care and care; exercise; and labor, if the government deems it essential.

Buyers and those who exercise will be allowed to travel only less than 5 kilometers from their home, unless they live so close to shops.

Most retail businesses will be forced to close, in addition to essential stores such as supermarkets and pharmacies. Restaurants and cafes will be allowed to offer bundled services. Assemblies in private homes and in public are also prohibited.

“By limiting our movement, we limit the potential spread of the virus,” Andrews said.

Victoria's Prime Minister Daniel Andrews is expected to speak at a news conference in Melbourne on Friday.

Obstacles to the Open

Blocking victory is the latest set of obstacles faced by the organizers of the annual tennis tournament in their efforts to attend a successful event during a pandemic.

The tournament was initially delayed by three weeks, and the government mandated that players coming from abroad be required to quarantine for 14 days. The original plan was to allow quarantined players five hours a day to practice, but several Open-related people tested positive for the virus while in quarantine – forcing 72 players to go through a quarantine. intense in which they were not allowed to leave the rooms for 14 days.

Then, just days before the start of the tour, a security guard at one of Melbourne’s quarantine hotels tested positive for the virus – forcing his close contacts to be isolated until they were free of infection.

This included over 500 players and employees of the Australian Open, who gave negative results, allowing the tournament to continue as planned.

Organizers expected up to 400,000 fans to take part in the tournament this year in a socially distant way, about half of last year’s competition, and fans took effect Monday on the first day – enjoying the fact that they are some of the few people on the planet who can participate in live sports during the pandemic.

As news of the quick lock came out on Friday, many games were already underway, and fans had the last piece of action for at least five days.

In particular, Serena Williams kept her hopes alive for a 24-grand grand slam title after surviving a minor scare.

The American saved two set points in his match with Anastasia Potapova, but recovered to win in consecutive sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-2.

Speaking about the block after her match, Williams said: “It’s tough. It’s going to be a tough few days for everyone I think. But hopefully we’ll get through this.”

Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka battled Ons Jabeur 6-3 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the tournament.

Spectators in the crowd watch the second round women's match between Coco Gauff from the United States and Elina Svitolina from Ukraine on Thursday in the fourth day of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
What follows could have major implications for the delayed summer Olympics in Tokyo, as the Australian Open has been seen as a model, albeit a smaller one, for how to safely host a sporting event with competitors arriving from worldwide.

Unlike Australia, however, Japan is struggling to cope with the growing number of coronavirus cases. Cases have doubled in the past two months, reaching over 406,000, extending the Japanese medical system to the brink, despite the fact that the country has the most per capita hospital beds in the developed world.

Although Japan’s leaders have promised that the Games will take place, obstacles stand in the way. The public remains opposed to hosting the event, and the Organizing Committee of Japan must find a new leader to replace Yoshiro Mori, who is resigning amid outrage over the sexist remarks he made last week.

Chandler Thornton, Angus Watson, Ben Westcott and Paul Devitt contributed to this report

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