MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – Australian Open officials said on Monday that four more participants, including one player, have tested positive for novel coronavirus.
In Victoria state, health authorities have reported nine infections among passengers that arrived in Melbourne on charter flights for the tennis event slated for Feb. 8-21.
“All four are associated with the tennis, and they’re all tucked away safely in hotel quarantine,” said Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews.
Passengers who came in three Australian Open charter flights have been sent into hard quarantine, and they include more than 70 players who will not be able to train for 14 days.
“I think the people who tested positive thus far were probably exposed before they got on the flights,” Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.
“But it will be the test results in coming days that will give us a picture of whether anyone’s had infection transmitted to them on a flight.
“That’s why the rules are extremely strict for these tennis players and their entourage, as much as for any other international arrival.”
In the wake of the growing number of infections, experts have demanded the cancellation of the Grand Slam.
“It’s time to be selfish, time for Victoria to put ourselves first,” 3AW radio broadcaster Neil Mitchell said.
“Call off the Australian Open. It’s not worth the risk.”
Craig Tiley of Tennis Australia said on Sunday that the event would go ahead as planned but the governing body would look at changing the lead-up tournaments in a bid to assist players who are unable to train because of quarantine.
According to Andrews, the government will support holding the event and backed health officials to deliver it in a safe manner.
“We think we’ve struck the appropriate balance,” he said.
“If there was a sense from the public health team that that balance could not be struck, that it was too high a risk, well then we wouldn’t have had the event.”