Australian Prime Minister, Victoria’s Head of Government Disagree Over Unvaccinated Players at Australian Open

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victoria State Head of Government Daniel Andrews disagree as debate intensifies over whether tennis players who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 should participate in the upcoming Australian Open.

Causing a political uproar, the prime minister said Wednesday that unvaccinated tennis players could enter Australia for the first grand slam of the season in January, as long as they spent two weeks in quarantine.

“We want major events in this nation. Many jobs depend on it. We want Australia to show the world that we are open,” Morrison told Australia’s Nine network.

“If there is a special exemption that is justified for an economic reason … then this is possible, but you have to follow the health rules in each state.

“Serving a two-week quarantine for unvaccinated people, that’s sensible.”

But hours later, Andrews categorically ruled out that they would seek exemptions for unvaccinated players.

“What I want to make very clear is that the state of Victoria will not request any exemptions for unvaccinated players,” Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

“I am not going to ask or require that the people who sit in the main stand be vaccinated or that the people who work in the event be vaccinated if there are players who are not.

“We are not going to ask for an exception, therefore the issue is resolved.”

The head of state for the state of Victoria said that even if unvaccinated players received an exemption to quarantine in another state, they would not be allowed to enter Melbourne Park.

The head of state’s statement that unvaccinated players would be free to play the Open comes after Immigration Minister Alex Hawke ruled out the same situation last week.

“I supported the opinion of Minister Hawke, which I assumed was the opinion of the Federal Government and that does not appear to be the case,” Andrews said.

“The Federal Government has made a 180 degree turn.”

The political withdrawal was triggered by world number one and nine-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic having repeatedly refused to reveal whether he is vaccinated against COVID-19, and further noted last week that he was not sure if he would return to Melbourne in 2022.

The vaccination debate surrounding the Australian Grand Slam has arisen since the Victorian Government imposed a mandatory vaccination policy for professional athletes.

But with less than three months before the scheduled January 17 kickoff of the richest and largest event on Australia’s annual sporting calendar, it is still unclear how that rule will apply to the Open and foreign travelers.

Hawke said last week that “our health advice is that when we open the borders, everyone who comes to Australia will have to be double vaccinated … that is a universal application, not just tennis players.”

But with the prime minister giving his opinion, it now seems likely that non-inoculated players will be able to compete in the Open under quarantine requirements.

“The same rules should apply to everyone. If I were not double vaccinated when I returned home to Glasgow, I would be serving two weeks of quarantine,” Morrison told Seven.

Victoria State COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar also entered the saga with some stern words on Wednesday.

“The Australian Open will be for vaccinated spectators and for vaccinated participants,” he said.

“We only want people vaccinated at these major sporting events.

“We have phenomenal experience and tradition of organizing incredible sporting events and doing it safely.

“We won’t change that now and the options are there for people to participate – go get vaccinated and get out of it.”