[Nicky91]

Tennis players have been flown in to the country on charter flights by tournament organisers

The sight of some of the world's biggest tennis stars touching down for the upcoming Australian Open tournament has frustrated many Australians unable to return home due to the pandemic.

Australia currently has a weekly cap on the number of international arrivals, with people having to undergo quarantine in a designated facility.

There are roughly 37,000 Australians waiting to return, ABC News reports.

A number of airlines have suspended routes making it harder to travel back.

On Friday, Emirates airline announced it would be stopping its flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Australian Open have been putting on chartered flights for the players and other members of staff.

Players had to test negative before boarding flights and were then placed in designated Australian Open quarantine hotels in Melbourne and Adelaide. They are, however, allowed out of their rooms to train.

But two people on a chartered flight from Los Angeles carrying players including two-times champion Victoria Azarenka and former world number three Sloane Stephens tested positive, meaning that all passengers on that flight will be confined to their rooms for two weeks.

Those players will have less than 10 days to practice before the tournament starts on 8 February.

Meanwhile former tennis world number one Andy Murray has been unable to fly out to Australia after the Briton tested positive for coronavirus.

However one player, Tennys Sandgren, who tested positive, was cleared to fly by organisers after his medical file was reviewed.

Sandgren posted on social media that he had been ill in November but was "totally healthy now".


More than 1,200 people have been brought to Australia for the tennis tournament

Their arrival, while so many Australians are still trying to return home, has drawn criticism.

"I can't comprehend the fact that one week they announce they're halving the caps for citizens and the following week they announce they've found 1,200 spaces for tennis players and support staff," Sarah, a key worker who lives in London but is from Sydney, told the BBC.

She has been trying to return to Sydney since October and her most recent flight was cancelled.

"All I want to do is return home. I've had to watch my sister's wedding on Zoom. My flight was timed so I get out of quarantine in time for her baby shower but it looks like I'll miss this and the birth".

On Saturday, the Australian government said it would arrange for a further 20 international repatriation flights to bring its stranded nationals home from "priority areas". Those returning would not be counted within the existing traveller caps, a minister confirmed.

Dr Alyse Brown is currently based in Cambridge in the UK and has flights booked to Sydney next month. She has been trying to raise awareness about the issue.

"While the Australians back home watch the tennis, I'll be reading on support pages the daily horror stories of stranded Australians entering into homelessness," she told the BBC, speaking before the latest announcement on flights from the government.

"It has always been apparent to us that Australia has means to get their people home, they just lack the political will to do so and this makes me unspeakably mad. It's heartless economic decision making and the tennis for us is just another group of people we see the government prioritised above us."

People have taken to Twitter using the hashtag #strandedaussies to share their views.

One user said: "Thousands of Australian citizens are still stranded overseas. I've been a huge tennis fan for close to 40 years, but this is just wrong. I will not be supporting this Australian summer of tennis."

Earlier this week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that if Melbourne cancelled the tournament, it would be picked up by another country.

What are the rules in Australia?
Australia has strict limits on the number of arrivals allowed to enter the country. Authorities say this is to ensure there is enough room in a government quarantine facility.

Unlike other countries, those arriving in Australia must quarantine in a designated facility or hotel instead of their own homes.

The cap on people entering was cut further last week after a hotel worker in Queensland contracted the UK variant of the coronavirus.

Until 15 February, New South Wales will have a weekly cap of 1,505 arrivals, Western Australia will permit 512 people and Queensland will have a cap of 500.

Victoria and South Australia have kept their caps the same. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territories had their own "bespoke arrangements" for those arriving.

The Australian government has operated a number of repatriation flights but demand has been high.

Last month, in an interview on the Seven TV network, Mr Morrison said Australians overseas were his "first priority in terms of people coming back into the country".

"We want you to come home and you have every right to come home," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-55683035

[Scarlett.]

International sports continuing during the pandemic makes zero sense, especially when the rest of us arent going further than 5 miles from our houses

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Scarlett.

International sports continuing during the pandemic makes zero sense, especially when the rest of us arent going further than 5 miles from our houses

we just need to keep our mouths shut and no complaining, they know what they are doing

they work with 'bubbles' no doubles matches (which is a no go amid a pandemic no distancing there)

commentators who want to travel to specific country also need 2 weeks of quarantine (or reporting on matches from a empty studio at home to avoid quarantine procedure)

the tennis organisations ATP and WTA have stood still long enough in first lockdowns, they got tired of that, and now more carefully wanting to play matches again

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Scarlett.

International sports continuing during the pandemic makes zero sense, especially when the rest of us arent going further than 5 miles from our houses

I agree.

I can well understand the anger on this issue.

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by joeysteele

I agree.

I can well understand the anger on this issue.

so can i, but i also can understand it wasn't fun for them either in first lockdowns, when everything had been cancelled, tennis was basically dead

i find it good they go looking for alternate ways to go through with these tournaments

[Niamh.]

Yeah it is getting annoying, feeling so restricted and watching sports stars travel, hug, shake hands etc and not just them, you hear stories about average Joe being fined for travelling too far to buy a burger meanwhile Piers Morgan is jetting off to the Caribbean, has he been fined or arrested?

[Oliver_W]

People in Wales are complaining that Doctor Who is currently filming too. It seems fame makes some immune!

[arista]

[There are roughly 37,000 Australians waiting to return, ABC News reports.
A number of airlines have suspended routes making it harder to travel back.
On Friday, Emirates airline announced it would be
stopping its flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Australian Open
have been
putting on chartered flights for
the players and other members of staff.]



Of Course they matter
as all the World TV networks
show the Tennis.

The 37,000 non sport stars
are unlucky.

Sign Of The Times.

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Yeah it is getting annoying, feeling so restricted and watching sports stars travel, hug, shake hands etc and not just them, you hear stories about average Joe being fined for travelling too far to buy a burger meanwhile Piers Morgan is jetting off to the Caribbean, has he been fined or arrested?

Not a word about it, I expected it to blow up, instead it fizzled out

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

Not a word about it, I expected it to blow up, instead it fizzled out

Not even surprised, one rule for us and all that

[bots]

yeah, if i was unable to get back to my home country yet they let in a couple of thousand entertainers I would be pretty pissed.

Japan are still planning to hold the olympics and I just dont see how that can be considered responsible either

[MTVN]

I don't have a problem with it tbh, honestly watching professional sport is pretty much the only thing to look forward to atm and it is important to a lot of people. If they can do it safely then it's only a good thing imo. Also worth bearing in mind that for professional athletes they only have very short careers really - missing a whole year or more could easily be a tenth of their career and it can set them back massively in terms of match fitness etc.

[MTVN]

If Australia aren't doing enough to let their own citizens back in then that's a question for their government but people shouldn't take it out on the tennis players imo

[arista]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

yeah, if i was unable to get back to my home country yet they let in a couple of thousand entertainers I would be pretty pissed.

Japan are still planning to hold the olympics and I just dont see how that can be considered responsible either

Maybe the Brazil Covid Variant
will halt that.

[arista]

New Update
47 tennis players have been told,
to stay in their rooms
after some from their Charter flight
have been confirmed to have Covid-19.


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