Australian Open, clash on compulsory vaccination: Djokovic towards forfeit
The premier asks for an exemption, but the State of Victoria opposes: "We keep the unvaccinated out of pubs, cafes and restaurants, it will be the same for the Australian Open"
There is a tug-of-war over the possibility of introducing the vaccination obligation to participate in the Australian Open tennis next January.
"Non-immunized players will not have special permission to participate," said Victoria State Governor Daniel Andrews. If that were the case, defending champion Novak Djokovic, who never wanted to reveal whether or not he is vaccinated, could be ruled out.
The federal government wants to facilitate participation in the tournament, Prime Minister Scott Morrison had said that in the event of an exemption, the unvaccinated would be allowed to enter the country, but Andrews ruled out the hypothesis.
"We are blocking unvaccinated people out of pubs, cafes, restaurants, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and all sorts of other events. We will not ask for an exemption. Therefore, the problem is basically solved," he said.
Australia's federal government issues visas and controls borders, but during the pandemic, state governments run quarantine facilities and enforce vaccine mandates. This makes it unclear who should have the final say on the rules of the first Grand Slam of the year.
A WTA email leaked earlier this week hinted that players who were not vaccinated against the coronavirus would be able to participate as long as they completed the 14-day quarantine.
(Unioneonline / L)
