Australian Open strengthened as Craig Tiley confirms Grand Hyatt players test negative for coronavirus

Nearly 500 Australian Open players and employees who stayed in a quarantine hotel where a worker under contract with Covid-19 tested negative for the coronavirus, with 12 pending results, the director of the Craig Tiley tournament.

Tiley told Australian radio that 495 of the Australian Open’s 507 cohort of people who stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne have been screened out.

“Everyone’s negative so far,” Tiley told 3AW.

“We have a few pending. The rest are just the result of their tests later last night.

The Grand Hyatt’s Australian Open squad, which included 160 players, were tasked with getting tested and self-isolating until they get a result after health officials revealed on Wednesday that a hotel worker had contracted the virus.

Warm-up matches at Melbourne Park were canceled on Thursday but are scheduled to resume on Friday.

Players who test negative are free to participate in the six warm-up events at the Grand Slam venue to allow them to train after 14 days of quarantine.

Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, reported no new cases of community transmission on Friday.

Authorities have approved 30,000 fans per day, or about 50% capacity, at the Australian Open, which begins Monday.

“Spectators will continue to be allowed on the site, and we are still selling tickets,” Tiley said.