Sydney, Jan. 24 – The furore over the diagnosis of the 2021 Australian Open tennis tournament continues to fester, with three previously confirmed cases detected as infected with a variant of the New Coronavirus found in the United Kingdom.
The three patients include a man in his 50s and two men in their 30s, none of whom are participating players, according to several Australian media outlets on the evening of the 23rd, citing the Victorian state department in charge of outbreak quarantine at the tournament.
The three men arrived in Melbourne on a chartered Australian Open flight on Jan. 15 and have been quarantined in hotels after being diagnosed one after another since their arrival.
Genetic sequencing showed that they were infected with a variant of the New Coronavirus previously found in the UK.
Meanwhile, Portuguese player João Sousa said on social media that despite his negative test result for Coronavirus, he decided not to play in this year’s Australian Open in view of the strict controls and quarantine measures he may face upon arrival.
According to a release from the V.I. Quarantine Department, after adjustments, nine people of interest coming to Australia for this year’s Australian Open have been confirmed, and more than 70 players have been placed under mandatory quarantine due to confirmed cases among their fellow passengers.
