New developments suggest that participants of Australian Open 2021 will have take the quarantine rules very seriously after the authority makes it clear that the players will not be exempted if found breaching the rules. The first Grand Slam of the calendar generally starts from the third week of January, but the growing number of infections and restriction on the international arrivals in the state of Victoria pushed back the commencing date to February 8.
A statement from the Victorian Government says that the people arriving from overseas in Melbourne as part of the Australian Open tournament will be subject to the strictest measures in the world. The administration has outlined strict hotel quarantine arrangements for players coming to Melbourne.
The health security protocol is finalised after negotiations between the government officials, organisers, and players come to an agreeable conclusion. Disciplinary actions and penalty include hefty fines, disqualifications, and even criminal investigations in extreme violation of rules.
Every passenger who is boarding the flight to Melbourne for the Australian Open will need to get tested for coronavirus before leaving. Any individual that tests positive before departure will not be able to exit the city. Participants need to spend 48 hours in quarantine before they can go out for training. All players will be tested every single day in the hotel premises. Officials from health department will keep an eye on all the participants and tournament officials at all times to make sure safety measures, such as wearing masks, are being followed. This quarantine programme would be entirely funded by Tennis Australia.
Australian Open women’s singles defending champion Sofia Kenin acknowledged that it was not the most ideal situation. She said, “It is what it is. The rules are quite harsh, but it’s for everyone.”