Australia is one of the countries with the strictest rules in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian Open government will only allow players who are vaccinated or qualified as a “medical exception” to play. The best tennis player in the world, Novak Djoković, belongs to the latter group.
The Serb did not get vaccinated against COVID. He says his ticket to Australia was a positive test in the past six months after crossing the Australian border. Djokovic’s lawyers argued in court that the positive test number 7371999 was carried out on December 16 at 1:05 pm Serbian time. On December 22, Djoković was said to have tested negative – suggesting that he had recovered by that time.
“Der Spiegel” on the trail of Djokovic’s tests
However, the weekly “Der Spiegel” suggests something completely different. “A closer look at the allegedly positive PCR test, and especially its digital version, raises many questions,” argue German journalists who conducted their own investigation in cooperation with Zerforschung.
Digital data indicates that the positive test result is not at all from December 16. “The digital results include a timestamp for December 26 at 2:21 pm Serbian time. Such timestamps are usually generated automatically by coronavirus test systems. They indicate when individual tests are entered into the relevant database,” reads “Der Spiegel” .
The date of the second test, which was to be presented by tennis lawyers, agrees. The time stamp confirms that Djoković tested negative on December 22nd.
The Serbian testing system assigns each test an identification number. The number of the positive test for Djokovic, allegedly made on December 16, is 7371999. The number of the negative test for Djokovic on December 22 is 7320919, which is about 50,000. points lower. ‘We can reconstruct that these ID numbers are assigned sequentially,’ explain experts from Zerforschung, a research lab that deals with digital security.
Positive test before or after negative?
The investigation found: according to the ID numbers attached to the results of Djokovic’s tests, the negative test was performed before the positive test, not the other way around, according to Djokovic’s lawyers. This explanation sounds even more logical if we take into account the data from the Serbian Ministry of Health. On December 22-26, about 50,000 tests. This is exactly the difference between the first and the second ATP ranking leader tests.
Based on this evidence, the most likely explanation is that the positive test result was added to the official Serbian database on December 26, not December 16, experts from Zerforschung believe.
The journalists of “Der Spiegel” encountered one more problem. “We scanned the QR code belonging to the Djokovic test. On Monday at 13:19 German time, the message” Test result negative “appeared. An hour later, after another scan, the information was:” Test result positive “- we read.
Similar information was presented by the New York Times journalist Ben Rothenberg. – December 16 positive result includes QR code. When we scan this QR code, it will take us to a website showing that the test was negative, not positive, Rothenberg wrote. A few moments later he added, “I tried again and this time it’s positive. Who’s spoiling this page?” –
The “Der Spiegel” investigation suggests that Djokovic’s test results have been manipulated. Journalists asked the Serbian tennis player for a comment, but he did not respond.
Djoković may have broken the quarantine rules
If the new information turns out to be correct, Djokovic could have big problems. As infected on December 26, he should remain in isolation. Meanwhile, the media reported that he was training in Spain on December 31. Even if he did not use air transport, according to Serbian sanitary regulations, he should remain in home quarantine for 10 days. According to the Guardian, on December 26, Djoković was seen playing tennis in the streets of Belgrade. The material circulating on Instagram has been removed from social media.
Australian media does not leave anything behind. They claim that the Serb has exposed many people to health risks. – Information “Der Spiegel” is a real bomb that could ultimately undermine the credibility of Djokovic’s test results. This could be its end – we read in “The Sydney News Today”.
Australia’s immigration minister Alex Hawke admits that he is still considering canceling Novak Djokovic’s visa. It is possible that it will happen soon. There are more and more reasons for making such a decision. Time is also passing – on Thursday, at 5:00 PM Polish time, the draw of the Australian Open bracket will take place. The tournament starts on January 17th. Djoković will be able to appeal if he is asked to leave Australia again.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
