Tennis fans will be barred from attending the Australian Open as Victoria prepares for a five-day deadlock in response to new COVID-19 cases.
Why does it matter: The blockade comes after an outbreak at a Holiday Inn near Melbourne Airport, which was used to accommodate returned travelers.
News management: The group of hotel-related cases grew to 13 on Thursday night, with five new cases appearing on the AP.
- Until Friday morning, the active number of the state was 19.
Where is it: Life had returned to near normalcy in the state of Victoria, with bars full of unmasked patrons. But now, more than 6 million Victorians will be able to leave home alone for shopping, work, exercise and care.
- Schools will be closed from Monday to Wednesday, meetings are banned, and masks will be needed everywhere.
Yes but: Tennis players are classified as “workers” and will be allowed to continue their matches. The minimum number of staff required for the safe conduct of the event will also be present, while all others will be required to work remotely.
The background: The Australian Open hoped to receive nearly 400,000 fans and avoid a “bubble” with players “in quarantine” upon arrival.
- Tennis Australia faced adverse reactions, but the strategy has worked so far, with players expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to play in front of fans.
- Now, the tournament will continue without spectators, just like the US Open in September in New York.
On the field, Australian Nick Kyrgios almost upset no. 3 Dominic Thiem in front of an electric crowd that went into the block immediately after the match (around 7:00 ET) – and knew that they would not return for at least five days.
- The match took place over five sets and was very exciting, with a lot of thin serving from Kyrgios and a ton of tiles from Thiem.
- Serena Williams advanced to the fourth round, where she will play Aryna Sabalenka no. 8 for the first time.