Australian (Open) Tennis and COVID-19

[lovetravellingoz]

I was led to believe there was only 15 charter flights

I am only going by the media reports, and the media is not always correct. (ie CH7 news showed a graphic tonight that had all of Qld as an orange zone!)

Tiley said the toll on organisers had been immense with a 1,270-strong contingent on 80 charter flights, bankrolled by Tennis Australia, journeying to Melbourne and Adelaide this week.

Big name pulls out, strict player rules revealed as organisers chase Aus Open ‘miracle’

Big name pulls out, strict player rules revealed as organisers chase Aus Open ‘miracle’

www.foxsports.com.au

I have not seen any breakdown or list of the flights.

It may be possible that some of the 80 may have been connecting to other charter flights.

Though some locations like NZ (do they have an players competing this year?) may not have had many passengers.


Edit: Have found another article which has it as 18 now. See below.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

From Marta Kostyuk 11 hrs ago


And then 50m ago she added

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Dont know if it's the case now but at the very beginning, restaurants in Adelaide CBD were providing the meals. Everyone was very happy. I think possibly as she is a practising paediatrician that she has a very kind heart when it comes to the individuals.

Ok. Sorry I though you meant that they had a private chef.

Unless you mean that they were allowed to visit the restaurants.

 

[Pushka]

Ok. Sorry I though you meant that they had a private chef.

Unless you mean that they were allowed to visit the restaurants.

I'd reckon that chefs are part of their support staff? And I really hope they don't visit restaurants. I do know that on the first night that Djokovic had four pizzas delivered to his room.

Everyone is staying here.

Hotel and Apartment Accommodation SA | Majestic Hotels & Apartments

Majestic Hotels & Apartments are proudly South Australian family owned and operated hotel group, offering six properties across South Australia.

www.majestichotels.com.au

 

[jase05]

I'd reckon that chefs are part of their support staff? And I really hope they don't visit restaurants. I do know that on the first night that Djokovic had four pizzas delivered to his room.

Everyone is staying here.

Hotel and Apartment Accommodation SA | Majestic Hotels & Apartments

Majestic Hotels & Apartments are proudly South Australian family owned and operated hotel group, offering six properties across South Australia.

www.majestichotels.com.au

They definitely aren’t visiting restaurants.
Confined to their rooms apart from scheduled daily training. SAPOL assisting in security and transport also

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I'd reckon that chefs are part of their support staff?

I have not seen a breakdown. But I would imagine for most it will be a coach, physio etc I cannot really imagine anyone having a personal chef.

With Serana evidently her husband is there, presumably to mind their 3 year old when she is off training for 5 hours. Maybe he is a good cook?

I think that very few will have kids. Older than 3 get counted in their quota. Serena's daughter is 3 and so is not part of her support staff quota. Whereas her husband would be.

 

[SydneySwan]

I was led to believe there was only 15 charter flights

Logically that seems reasonable as that implies 85 per flight. 80 flights implies only 16 per flight so can’t be right. The 2 flights doing hard quarantine had 65 or so which implies about 20 flights.

 

[OATEK]

I'm not sure if I went to Paris/London/New York tomorrow and was put into quarantine that I'd know where to source better food from outside? These players are in a strange city.

Australia should be showcasing itself during this period with the best hotels, best food and best service. 500 tennis players raving about how good Melbourne is can't do harm for future tourism!

You must be kidding! I doubt the tennis "stars" would have trouble in any of those cities or here, either from past experience or through their entourage. AU should be showcasing its success against Covid, not bending over backwards to the AO and participants.

 

[jase05]

Logically that seems reasonable as that implies 85 per flight. 80 flights implies only 16 per flight so can’t be right. The 2 flights doing hard quarantine had 65 or so which implies about 20 flights.

Just found an article from NBC saying 15 charter flights

Australian Open qualifying complete; 15 charters to arrive

Thousands of miles away from Melbourne, the qualifying tournament has been completed for the Australian Open, with 16 men and 16 women set to join the singles main draw beginning Feb. 8.

sports.nbcsports.com

 

[zenyattamondatta]

I'm not sure if I went to Paris/London/New York tomorrow and was put into quarantine that I'd know where to source better food from outside?

Yeah, I reckon you'd probably struggle.

But most people would be fine.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Tennis stars' arrival angers stranded Australians

Players are flown in ahead of the Australian Open while thousands of citizens are waiting to return.

www.bbc.com

This article tells me something. It is the entire nation that is looking unbelievably unkind and ungraceful at the moment, in the eyes of those waiting to return and those worldwide watching on. Which is sad as it reflects rather poorly on the rest of the country when in all reality the Victorian government is the reason for it.

They will be going for record scores in the vocal gymnastics tomorrow as they try to once again explain themselves out of all but knowingly bringing COVID cases in to Victoria.

Also given they continually state and insist that Tennis Australia is meeting the cost for quarantine, I look forward to seeing the invoice that Victoria Police issue for PSOs guarding hotels...or will that be covered by....the magical taxpayer fairy....

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I was led to believe there was only 15 charter flights

Ok I have found this other article now (as well noting your more recent link with the one that states 15)

Australian Open organisers reveal plans to charter 18 planes from three different locations to fly players and staff to Melbourne​

• Organisers will lay on up to 18 planes to fly players to Melbourne this month
• The planes will be flown at only 20 per cent capacity to protect players and staff
• Planes will depart from up to three different locations around the world

Australian Open reveal plans to fly players and staff to Melbourne

The Australian Open will lay on as many as eighteen planes to fly players to Melbourne this month from potentially three different locations around the world.

www.dailymail.co.uk

So maybe the other journalist heard 80 when Tiley actually said 18.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So AO totals so far:

• 3 people have tested positive from arrival swabs = 2 passengers (though not players) and one aircrew on 2 flights (out of 15).
• The aircrew member and the passengers have been interviewed and transferred to a health hotel as per normal processes for positive cases.
• 47 players have had to enter the stricter quarantine process (No outside exercise or playing with a hitting partner).
• About half a dozen people tested positive and could not fly in.
• Number to fly in is about 1270. Though have also seen the number 1240. Presumably by now all should have arrived.
• Of those that flew in, not all tests results may yet be back.

 

[Must...Fly!]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1350521955141775360

At the 55 second mark...colour me shocked (not really)

 

[Pushka]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1350521955141775360

At the 55 second mark...colour me shocked (not really)

That's the thing I posted yesterday. He is in Adelaide in that photo on a bus, no mask. If this thing spreads into Adelaide because of Victoria holding the AO well, you know my thoughts. Of course we didn't have to allow them into SA but still.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

That's the thing I posted yesterday. He is in Adelaide in that photo on a bus, no mask. If this thing spreads into Adelaide because of Victoria holding the AO well, you know my thoughts. Of course we didn't have to allow them into SA but still.

Maybe someone in Adelaide should enforce a rule if it is being breached?

And as you say he is there because SA Gov wanted him to be in the state.

 

[Pushka]

Maybe someone in Adelaide should enforce a rule if it is being breached?

And as you say he is there because SA Gov wanted him to be in the state.

Totally agree something needs to be enforced. And have posted similarly on SA Health website just now. SA was asked for them to be here when the Hotel in Vic cancelled the contract so we sure weren't first cab on the rank and we agreed they come. As I mentioned. Well, the Govt did anyway. Most here are waiting for an issue to arise.

We were asking today why several of the highest ranked players are here.

 

[SydneySwan]

Some of the elite AO players in hard lockdown now;

Kei Nishikori
Sloane Stephens
Victoria Azarenka

VA is well known for sticking up for herself so I wouldn’t be surprised if she withdraws and asks to return to the US.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

#AusOpen

@AustralianOpen
·
9h

Update from Adelaide: SA Health has confirmed that there is no one who has an active COVID-19 infection in the entire tennis cohort based in Adelaide. Testing will continue on a daily basis

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Some of the elite AO players in hard lockdown now;

Kei Nishikori
Sloane Stephens
Victoria Azarenka

VA is well known for sticking up for herself so I wouldn’t be surprised if she withdraws and asks to return to the US.

Her last tweet.


victoria azarenka
@vika7

Made it to Melbourne! Thank you everyone so much for making it happen. I can only imagine how many hours of work and compromise it took for us to be here! Thank you

Sloane's only tweets since arriving have been about her grief from her grandma and aunt having both recently died from covid.