Australia Open 2022: All you need to know about COVID-19 protocols

The Australian Open (AO) 2022 is starting
Monday. However, with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to wreck havoc, there
will again be COVID-19 protocols in force at Melbourne Park like the previous
edition. Tennis Australia, the organisers of the year’s first grand slam tournament, has
decided to allow only 50% of the vaccinated crowd in Melbourne Park as a part
of the Victorian government’s COVID regulations.

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What
are the COVID-19 protocols in place at Melbourne Park?

“In line with the latest Government guidelines,
all patrons aged 12 years 2 months or older must be fully vaccinated against
COVID-19 or have a valid medical exemption,” Tennis Australia said.

“On arrival, patrons will be asked to check
in using the Service Victoria app and show AO staff their COVID-19 digital
vaccination certificate,” it added.

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Tennis Australia said unvaccinated players
will be subject to more testing than their vaccinated counterparts after the
Victoria government exempted Novak Djokovic on the medical background. Meanwhile, Djokovic lost the bid to restore his Australian visa on Sunday, a day before the start of the Australian Open and said he will cooperate in leaving the country. 

Tennis Australia made it mandatory for all
players, coaches, fans and support staff to get vaccinated to enter Melbourne Park.

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All the players had to produce valid
vaccination certificates upon their arrival in Australia. As Djokovic failed to produce valid vaccination documents he was detained by the Australian border force.

As per the tournament’s COVID-19 protocols,
vaccinated players will continue to be exempt from being called a close contact
when someone close to them tests positive

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Unvaccinated players who test positive for
COVId-19 before an event, or who are deemed a close contact of someone who
tests positive – and have to withdraw, will not receive ‘prize money
compensation’.

ATP will not pay any player if he or she tests
positive for COVID-19 and has to isolate himself or herself. Transport for unvaccinated players may be increasingly
restricted.

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Wearing masks is mandatory for support
staff, officials and fans.

What
is the vaccination status of players competing at Melbourne Park?

According to ATP, 65% of participants are
vaccinated. Daniil
Medvedev has also declined to reveal his vaccination status, while the world
No, 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas only reluctantly received his vaccination in October.