Australian Open WILL go ahead as ‘nearly’ every single tennis player tests negative to Covid-19 – after fears the tournament would be shut down after a mutant Covid outbreak
The Australian Open will begin in Melbourne on Monday as planned, tennis officials have confirmed.
Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley announced on Friday morning that the results are back for almost all of the 507 players and officials tested for coronavirus on Thursday.
Everyone has tested negative so far with just 12 results pending from those tested on Thursday night.
The Australian Open will go ahead as planned and will welcome tennis fans capped at 50 per cent capacity. Pictured is packed Rod Laver Arena at the 2020 Australian Open
Tiley also confirmed tennis fans will be able to attend the two week-long tournament with courts filled to 50 per cent capacity.
‘Spectators will continue to be allowed in the site, and we are still selling tickets,’ he told Melbourne radio staion 3AW.
‘The site will be an extremely safe place.’
The tennis grand slam was thrown into chaos on Wednesday night after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive to the highly contagious UK strain of the virus.
Around 520 tennis stars, officials and support staff were identified as casual contacts of the 26-year-old man who worked at the Grand Hyatt hotel.
More to come.