SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday mentioned unvaccinated tennis gamers could be allowed to enter the nation to play on the Australian Open in February in the event that they underwent a compulsory two-week COVID-19 quarantine.
Morrison’s feedback contradicted these of his immigration minister Alex Hawke, who mentioned final week that tennis gamers and different athletes must be double vaccinated to enter the nation.
The Prime Minister’s assertion is nice information for Tennis Australia, who need Serbia’s world primary Novak Djokovic and different high gamers whose vaccination standing is unclear to have the ability to compete on the Grand Slam.
“All the identical guidelines have to use to everybody,” Morrison instructed Seven Information.
“Whether or not you are a Grand Slam winner, a primary minister or a enterprise traveller, a scholar or whoever. Identical guidelines. The states will set the principles concerning the quarantine as they’re.”
The state of Victoria, the place the Melbourne Park venue of the match is located, will virtually definitely implement the quarantine rules to the strictest extent.
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews is vehemently against letting unvaccinated individuals into the nation however mentioned on Tuesday the state would “handle the chance” if the federal authorities determined to permit it.
Djokovic has declined to reveal his vaccination standing and mentioned final week he may not play on the match L1N2RE2EQ, “issues being as they’re”.
The coverage shift is prone to show controversial in Victoria, which has grimly endured six lockdowns for the reason that begin of the worldwide well being disaster.
Skilled athletes within the state are underneath a vaccine mandate, which additionally covers coaches, officers, media and different workers concerned in elite competitors.
Meaning tennis gamers would possibly properly be the one unvaccinated cohort on the Australian Open, the place ballkids, followers and umpires will want proof of vaccination.
Event organiser Craig Tiley had heralded the coverage change in discussions with the lads’s ATP and ladies’s WTA excursions final week.
Presently round 70% of the highest 100 women and men gamers are vaccinated.
For the final version of the match in February, Tennis Australia spent tens of tens of millions of {dollars} on biosecurity, together with placing Djokovic and different elite gamers in luxurious lodging in Adelaide to serve their quarantine interval.
If Djokovic decides to go to Australia, he might be favorite to win a document twenty first males’s singles Grand Slam title — transferring him out of a tie with Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
(Reporting by Renju Jose and Nick MulvenneyEditing by Chris Reese and Ken Ferris)
