By soon,we mean this week,now that aleaked email from the Women’s Tennis Association has opened up what appears to be a back door. The email says vaccinated players will be able to enter freely and unvaccinated players will be subject to 14 days’ hotel quarantine,after which it’s play ball.
This doesn’t stack up on so many levels. Politically,it flies in the face of federal Immigration MinisterAlex Hawke’s declaration last week that once the international border opens up next month,all visitors without exception will have to be fully vaccinated. There is no Djokovic clause,conferring honorary immunity on VIPs.
But on Monday,these waters were muddied.Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula talked about an ongoing “conversation” with the federal government,who said in a statement that Australian Open players may face “no quarantine,or reduced quarantine arrangements,depending on their vaccination status”.
Politically,all this jars with the Victorian government’sdouble vaccination mandate for authorised workers,specifically including professional athletes. Local sports bodies accept this,up to andincluding the AFL. However much needle there is in this summer’s Ashes series,all on both sides will have been jabbed.
Besides,how incongruous would it be to mandate full vaccination for crowds,but make it as-you-please for players? Read the whole room,not just the locker room.
Premier Daniel Andrews has said that until the end of next year at least,unvaccinated Victorians will be excluded from all but the most basic pursuits. You can mount an argument against the severity of this. You can even argue that it is an anomaly of federation,since NSW seems likely to allow a freer regimeas soon as December. But you can’t argue that there should be a special category for visiting tennis players.