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Four cases of coronavirus have been detected on charter flights carrying tennis players, coaches and officials to Melbourne for the Australian Open, forcing 47 players into strict hotel quarantine.
Health officials confirmed there were three positive tests for Covid-19 returned on Saturday and another on Sunday. None of the cases have so far involved players.
However, players on the two affected flights – from Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi – were in strict 14-day quarantine, unable to leave their hotel rooms or train, health officials and officials said on Saturday. tournament organizers. The Australian Open kicks off on February 8.
Health officials initially said two positive cases of Covid-19 – a trainer and an aircrew – emerged from a charter flight out of Los Angeles and the other positive test was a trainer on the flight from Abu Dhabi. Victoria State Covid-19 Quarantine Commissioner Emma Cassar told a press conference on Sunday that another positive test, from a member of a television crew, had been fired of the flight from Los Angeles.
All four cases had tested negative before boarding their flights to Australia.
Canadian star coach Bianca Andreescu said he tested positive after arriving from Abu Dhabi. Sylvain Bruneau said “the rest of my team is negative”.
Tennis Australia has confirmed that there were 24 players on the flight from Los Angeles and 23 on the flight from Abu Dhabi. These were among 17 charter flights from seven international destinations bringing up to 1,200 players, coaches, employees and officials to Australia for the tournament.
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley released a statement on Saturday, saying organizers are “communicating with everyone on this flight, and in particular with the group of players whose conditions have now changed, to ensure that their needs are met as much as possible, and that they are fully met. assessed the situation. “
Tiley told the Australian Nine Network on Sunday that organizers and players had been warned that there would be a “significant risk” of restrictions placed on players if there were positive results for Covid-19.
“We did it very clearly at the start,” Tiley said. “Now we have to manage an environment over the next 14 days for those who won’t be able to practice.”
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2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka were among a group of players arriving on the flight from Los Angeles.
British player Heather Watson said on twitter that she and the others who arrived from Abu Dhabi “are NOT allowed out of our rooms.” She released the notification that she and others who were on the flight received advising them of the quarantine.
“The Chief Medical Officer of Health has reviewed the flight and has determined that everyone on board should self-isolate and will be confined to their rooms during the 14-day quarantine period,” said the notification released by Watson.
Not being able to leave their room would mean that the only practice sessions they could have would be on exercise equipment left in all players’ rooms.
Other players will be allowed to train under strict conditions and with supervision for up to five hours a day, although those training sessions in Melbourne have been delayed as health officials waited to receive all of the tests. coronavirus.
Several quarantined players, including Sorana Cirstea from Romania, Belinda Bencic from Switzerland and Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan, complained in social media posts that the rules appeared to have changed between what they saw before traveling to Australia. and what was imposed in Melbourne.
Tiley said there were no plans to delay the Australian Open any further – it already starts three weeks later than usual.
Australia’s international borders are essentially closed to travelers, although there are exemptions in special circumstances.
Australia has done a relatively good job of containing the coronavirus, with 909 deaths nationwide.
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