Novak Djokovic saga: Australia investigates visas of other tennis players

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Novak Djokovic saga: Australia investigates visas of other tennis players

7 January 2022

Australia has said it is investigating the visas of other foreign tennis players, after detaining Novak Djokovic in a chaotic row over vaccine rules.

The men's world number one remains in immigration detention in Melbourne and is facing deportation after his entry to the country was denied on Wednesday.

-snip-

In an interview, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said there was intelligence to "indicate there are some individuals here now that have not met the entry requirements and we have to investigate that," she told Channel 9 on Friday.

However, she did not say how many other players were under investigation or who they were.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-59903785

[Raftergirl]

1. At least two more in quarantine hotel

Link to tweet

?s=20

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/czech-tennis-player-renata-vor-ov-detained-by-australian-border-force-20220107-p59mq2.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Djokovic pictured maskless at public event one day after positive Covid test

Novak Djokovic faced fresh controversy over his attempt to enter Australia to take part in the Open tennis tournament after pictures emerged on social media of his appearances at public events after a positive Covid test was recorded in mid-December, which allowed him an exemption from the country’s strict Covid rules.

According to court documents released on Saturday ahead of the trial, Djokovic’s Covid-19 infection was recorded by the Institute of Public Health of Serbia on 16 December, which provided the basis for the medical exemption he received by the Tennis Australia and Victoria State government medical panels. He was then granted his exemption on 30 December.

However, pictures on social media of Djokovic attending indoor events without a mask shortly after his Covid-19 test was recorded raise questions about Djokovic’s infection.

On 17 December, a day after the Covid-19 test was recorded, Djokovic posted pictures of himself at an event commemorating his own postal stamp. On the same day, Djokovic was present at the Tennis Association of Belgrade for an award ceremony.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/08/novak-djokovic-relied-on-december-covid-infection-for-vaccine-exemption-court-documents-reveal

Link to tweet

Game, set and match?

[Raftergirl]

3. Deadline for medical exemption was 6 days before he "supposedly" tested positive.

It to me took TA had been told having CV was not an allowable exemption to get into the country.

“Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the Australian Border Force said Djokovic did not provide sufficient evidence to justify his vaccination exemption and he is now stuck in a Melbourne immigration hotel awaiting an outcome.

Djokovic had been relying on a Tennis Australia (TA) exemption certificate issued under the guidance players did not need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 if they could confirm they tested positive within the past six months.

“The following has now been clarified as a category for which you may be eligible for a temporary medical exemption: Recent PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (after 31 July 2021) where a vaccination can be deferred until six months after the infection,” TA said in a letter to players and their teams.

Djokovic missed exemption cut-off by six days

The same document also made it clear that any applications for a medical exemption needed to be sent “no later than Friday 10 December 2021” — six days before Djokovic tested positive — meaning a positive Covid test would have come too late for TA’s exemption guidelines.”

https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-court-documents-confirmed-he-tested-positive-for-covid-in-december/news-story/8bf69b691cc5734c6c08a2d6e4120351