Spectators should keep social distance indoors.
The capacity for Australian Open matches will be capped at 50%, given a continuous increase in cases and hospitalizations for covid-19, it was announced on Thursday.
Masks will also be required at the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, which starts on Monday, except when eating or drinking, and spectators will be required to keep social distance indoors.
“This update of measures for the Australian Open means that fans, players and workers should have a fantastic covid-free event,” Victoria State Minister of Tourism Jaala Pulford said in a statement.
A similar cap was imposed on last year’s tournament at the Melbourne Park complex, before a five-day lockdown was ordered in the city to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus that barred public access.
The matches were held with empty stadiums and fans were eventually able to return in small numbers.
Victoria reported on Thursday the record number of 953 patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and more than 220,000 active cases in the state.
Australian Open staff and players should be vaccinated against the coronavirus, but world tennis number one Novak Djokovic is not, sparking a global incident.
The tennis player arrived in Australia a week ago with a medical exemption because he tested positive for covid-19 on December 16, but the immigration authorities considered that the exemption was not valid, for which they canceled the visa and sent him to a center detention of migrants.
The tennis player’s lawyers managed to reverse the visa cancellation in court on Monday, but his stay in the tournament depends on what Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke decides. (I)
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