MELBOURNE, Australia – Just over 12 months ago, Novak Djokovic was crowned champion at the Australian Open for the eighth time, American newcomer Sofia Kenin won an initial Slam victory, millions of dollars were raised for the Australian relief fund fires and the tennis season was just beginning. And then the COVID-19 pandemic took over.
What began as a special topic of conversation around the Australian Open chillers quickly became an easy concern, as the virus began to spread faster than many had anticipated.
Three weeks after the world’s best tennis players landed in Melbourne, one of the city’s other international events, the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, was spectacularly canceled on Friday morning practice, leaving fans, organizers, teams and losing pilots.
Coronavirus has spread to Australia, as it has to many other parts of the world. In Italy, morgues overflowed, emergency rooms were full to capacity, and there were worrying shortages of masks and other personal protective equipment.
Sport was not immune. The NBA season has been suspended, European footballers have tested positive for the virus, throwing leagues into chaos, and Australia’s own winter sports codes lasted just a week before being stopped.
The Australian federal government soon closed its international borders, allowing only returning citizens and those with valid reasons to travel to Australia. A “hotel quarantine” program was implemented by the states, through which returning travelers were placed in hotels for 14 mandatory days, unable to leave their room until the two weeks had passed.
Australia had decent control over the virus, while many other nations around the world fought. In March, Australia faced about 300 cases a day, but the successful large-scale quarantine program reduced it to single figures by May.
But in mid-June, an outbreak broke out because of a hotel manager who caught him on a return trip, and cases quickly spread from there, with numbers rising from single figures a day to tens to hundreds.
On July 21, 721 cases were registered in Australia – almost each in the state of Victoria. It has become the focal point for the state’s – and the nation’s – response to the crisis.
The Victorian state government initially tried to block social housing in nearby neighborhoods, where a concentration of cases was found. Then came the postal code blockages, but it was finally announced that a “hard blockage” of the subway area was the way to end the spread in Melbourne.
Masks were mandatory when leaving the house, while people could leave only for “four essential reasons” – care, shopping for food and medicine, an hour of exercise and to go to work (essential).
Then, it was put into operation for an hour between 20:00 and 6:00. Residents could not travel beyond a 5-kilometer “bubble” around the place of residence. Visiting friends and even family (outside one’s own household) was forbidden, with severe fines being imposed on those who break the rules. It was, at the time, one of the toughest blockades in the world.
Initially, it was thought that the hard block would last two weeks – a “life cycle” of the virus. But two quickly became four, which quickly became “undefined.” The city center was a ghost town, day and night. The restaurants were closed, except for delivery and food. Non-essential retail stores have been closed, forced to move online. Gyms, swimming pools, golf courses and tennis courts have been closed. Melbourne’s iconic trams, buses and trains – although still running – were empty. The streets were deserted.
The mood was not much different from how millions of others around the world reacted to the pandemic. Extremely optimistic people were their shadows on Zoom calls or social networks, while frustrations unfolded under the news detailing the number of cases, government responses and the social side effects of the blockade. As the situation extended from weeks to months beyond what was originally promised by the government, apathy began to set in – Melburnians wanted their families, friends – a “normal” life. Buried in their homes for 23 hours a day, every day, it was energetic and mentally exhausting.
Sport had abandoned Melbourne. His football teams with Australian rules, his rugby and football teams were forced out of the state. The stadiums are dormant. It was weird. Victoria faced an uphill battle that had been lost many times in many parts of the world.
There was no lack of vocal opposition to people’s freedoms, but the vast majority of Victorians put personal freedoms aside for the greater good. The government provided financial assistance to businesses and workers who were forced to close as a result of the blockade.
People dug and a sense of belonging to Melbourne arose. The restaurants offered delivery packages with vacuum-sealed goodies designed to mimic the experience of eating out. Small businesses offered same-day delivery of items and delivered the goods themselves to stay afloat. Home training routines toured social media and gym equipment sold statewide.
People also traveled on the wave of emotions that came at every daily press conference related to COVID-19, led by Prime Minister Daniel Andrews. With the increase in numbers, anxiety, sadness and anger appeared and it was hard not to feel the negativity.
To put this in perspective, on the same day (July 21) when Victoria (and Australia) registered 721 cases, France registered 584.
In Victoria, things started to improve slowly. The harsh measures worked despite fierce opposition from parts of the media, the state’s political opposition party and the federal government. The collective efforts of 5 million Victorians have ensured that the number of cases has gone from an almost exponential trajectory in July to consecutive days of “zero new cases, zero deaths” by mid-October.
When Victoria tentatively reopened non-essential hospitality and retail at the end of October, the state registered zero new cases twice that week.
France’s second wave peaked at 86,582 new infections on November 7 alone.
Melbourne had brought the coronavirus under control and was about to have what the prime minister described as a “normal COVID summer”.
And so began the rebirth of the city. Melburnians were allowed to return to restaurants, pubs and cafes in limited numbers and for limited periods. Ordering food at restaurants was done on a large scale by QR code, masks were worn on tables and then could be set aside and everyone had to check wherever they went to help local contact locators in case of an outbreak.
But Band-Aid was not suddenly snatched away. The state government has lifted its segment restrictions; While restaurants were reopening, visiting someone’s home was still limited to just two adults a day, as modeling had shown that the virus was more likely to spread in the home, where people were more relaxed and close by.
On November 24, the state registered zero active cases of the virus for the first time since February 29. And, although there have been occasional cases since December, the city has enjoyed its “COVID-normal” summer, complete with concerts, music festivals, bars and clubs full, and again crowds at sporting events.
While some of the best tennis players in the world have complained about hotel quarantine or the harsh measures they have had to face since entering Australia, it is not surprising that Melbourneers in particular have not offered much. sympathy. They did the job – they put it in the backyard – and now they are reaping the benefits.
The overwhelming feeling was that those who do not want to adhere to the state’s grueling hotel quarantine measures to enjoy a “normal” Melbourne are welcome to stay where they are. After all, there are thousands of stranded Australians advocating with governments to open more quarantine rooms for stranded citizens abroad.
The mortality rate in Australia is about 1 in 28,000 people. Less than 1,000 people have died from coronavirus. The US rate throughout the pandemic is about 1 in 870 people, with over 460,000 deaths.
Yes, people wear masks, hand sanitation stations are on every corner and there is a limit of 30,000 people per crowd per day, but the Australian Open 2021 is not much different from last year. There are lines for ice cream and food trucks. The sun shines. Melbourne Park looks normal, proof of the population complying with the restrictions.
The atmosphere, too feels normal, in a sense. A few months ago, the Melbourneians may not have expected the tournament to take place at all. But what happened is a safe, welcoming and familiar experience.