Australian Open to continue without Crowds amidst new Lockdown Rules in Melbourne

Melbourne, 12/2: Australian Open will continue without crowd for at least five days after the Victoria state government imposed a lockdown starting Saturday in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantined hotel.

“Australian Open sessions today and tonight will continue as planned with COVID safe protocols in place,” organizers said in a statement.

“We are notifying ticket holders, players, and staff that there will be no fans onsite at the AO for five days, commencing from Saturday 13 February.”

Cases in a quarantined hotel in Victoria reached 13, forcing the authorities to impose a lockdown. Those infections include the highly contagious UK variant.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday announced a five-day, state-wide lockdown starting a minute before midnight local time, imposing new restrictions that restrict residents to their homes except for work, to shop for essential supplies, care or caregiving, and limited exercise.

“We must assume that there are further cases in the community than we have positive results for, and that it is moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months,” Andrews told reporters.

“There are no fans. There are no crowds. These people are essentially at their workplace,” he said. “The minimum number of staff for it to be run safely – not just for the virus but other reasons – will be there,” Andrews said about Australian Open.