Australian Open: 47 players in quarantine after positive Covid-19 tests on two charter flights

by



[ad_1]

Twenty-four players on a charter flight from the United States to Melbourne are required to self-quarantine for two weeks after a flight crew member and passenger – not a player – test positive. Both had tested negative within 72 hours of boarding the flight, which carried a total of 79 people.

23 other players are also in quarantine following the arrival in Melbourne of a charter flight carrying 64 people from Abu Dhabi. One person – again not a player – tested positive after the flight, despite submitting documentation of a negative Covid-19 test before takeoff.

The 47 affected players will not be able to leave their hotel rooms during the 14-day period and until they are medically cleared. They will not be able to practice.

Australian Open organizers released two statements on Saturday detailing how players would be affected.

“All the passengers on the flight are already in quarantine hotels and the positive case, who is not a player and had tested negative before the flight, has been transferred to a health hotel,” the second press release reads. at Abu Dhabi-Melbourne. flight.

Passengers who tested positive for the virus on the US flight were also transferred to a health hotel.

“Our hearts go out to the two people who tested positive on the flight and we wish them the best of luck in their recovery,” Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said in the organizers’ first statement.

LILY: Tennys Sandgren tests positive for Covid-19 then boarding plane for Australian Open

‘Rigorous testing schedule’

In a tweet that was subsequently deleted, French player Alize Cornet, who is in Melbourne but was not on either plan, called the situation “crazy”.

“Soon half of the players in AO will have to effectively self-isolate,” she tweeted. “Weeks and weeks of practice and hard work are going to be wasted for a Covid-positive person on a 3/4 empty plane. Sorry but that is insane.”

Originally slated to start this month, the Australian Open has been postponed from February 8 to 21 due to issues related to Covid-19.

While most of the best players in the world have gone straight to Melbourne, others like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have flown to Adelaide.

“SA Health has confirmed that there is no one with an active COVID-19 infection in the entire Adelaide-based tennis cohort,” the Australian Open tweeted later on Saturday. “Testing will continue daily.”

Ahead of Saturday’s developments, tournament organizers said the players “would also undergo a more rigorous testing schedule than most returning travelers.”

Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features and videos

All must undergo a 14-day quarantine, but are allowed to go out for five hours a day to train in strict bio-secure bubbles before a host of warm-up tournaments, all in Melbourne, in the week leading up to the grand slam. .

But these 47 players now locked in their hotels will be wondering how they can prepare properly or the first grand slam of the season.

CNN’s Dan Kamal contributed to this report.



[ad_2]

Source link