BEVERLY HILLS, February 03, (THEWILL) – The coronavirus pandemic is not giving Tennis Australia, the organisers of the first Tennis Grand Slam of the year, a break. On Wednesday, approximately 600 players, staff and officials were again forced into isolation in Melbourne after a positive test was returned at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
As one of the allocated accommodations for various people who are connected to the Australian Open, the hotel was home to coaching crew and players in Melbourne for the event. Early reports say the person who tested positive was one of the support staff helping during quarantine at the hotel.
Daniel Andrews, Victorian Premier, confirmed the news and said that everyone in the hotel would have to isolate until returning a negative test, as per Australian health and safety protocols.
The Premier was quick to stress that whilst there may be some changes to the warm-up events scheduled for Thursday because of the need to test everyone, it will have no impact on the Australian Open scheduled start next week.
He assuaged any fears by saying: “this is one case, there’s no need for people to panic.”
THEWILL had reported on the progress made by the Australian authorities to keep the country COVID-19 free while keeping check on all those coming and going for the Grand Slam to the esteemed compliment of the tournament participants who have praised organisers in Victoria for their handling of the preparations, after their initial discomforts.
As successful as they have been so far, this is the first locally acquired case in Victoria in nearly a month. And, the information from the Victorian Government Health Department seemed to be more alarming than the assurance put out by Premier Andrews, especially at it concerns the Open.
Their official Twitter account posted this with the breaking of the news: “A Hotel Quarantine worker at the Grand Hyatt Hotel has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Anyone who has visited these exposure sites during the times below must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and remain isolated for 14 days.”
What that 14-day isolation period would do is throw a real spanner into the works for Tennis Australia’s ability to keep the Australian Open to schedule as it will certainly involve some players and staff already out of quarantine.
That will include those participating in the ATP Cup and other various warm-up events there are scheduled to be 62 matches taking place in Victoria on Thursday. It is going to be an organising nightmare to reconcile the need to adhere to the protocols and to prosecute the plans for the Open at scheduled.
What the organisers do to handle the dilemma will be a case study for other sports organisers who have plans to open their sporting calendars for the year but are worried about how exactly to handle the travelling for participants required in the age of a new wave of coronavirus spikes in cases and the spread of new and more infectious strains of the virus.
