Russian-born New Zealand tennis player Artem Sitak has delivered some much needed perspective to his fellow players complaining about hotel quarantine arrangements ahead of the Australian Open.
“A lot of Australians right now can’t get back home because of restrictions and all that, and we as foreigners, over 1000 people, are here in Australia. We’re going to be competing in a Grand Slam earning a lot of money… we’re still lucky to be here, unfortunate circumstances with the quarantine, but that’s how it is.”
In a series of Instagram stories, Mr Sitak revealed that “not a lot of players” were on a call he joined around a month ago with Tennis Australia, where they were warned they might have to go into hotel quarantine if positive cases were recorded on flights into the country, which has now happened.
“After that call, in my mind I knew that if someone tested positive on the plane, I’m going to have to be quarantined, so I was prepared to take that risk,” Mr Sitak said.
Earlier on Sunday, New South Wales recorded six new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
Five of those are the spouse and children of a man who was the single community transmission case announced on Saturday.
“The sixth person is a very close contact of them in very close proximity,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday.
“The cases are all very close to Berala and investigations are underway. We’ll have the genomic testing this afternoon to confirm that they are part of that cluster.”
One of the new cases, now in isolation, is a staff member at Concord Repatriation General Hospital who worked three shifts in the cardiology and radiology wards “while potentially infectious” on January 12, 13 and 14, NSW Health said.
“The person’s role involves minimal contact with patients. They wore a face mask during each shift,” the department said. Close and casual contacts are being notified.
Health officials want to see testing numbers increase across the state but particularly in the areas of Bankstown, Lidcombe, Auburn, Berala and Wentworthville.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Greg Hunt says the Federal Government is seeking further information from Norway in regards to “possible consequences of the Pfizer vaccine”.
The Norwegian Medicines Agency told Bloomberg 29 people have died after receiving their jabs. All were elderly people, over the age of 75, with serious underlying health conditions.
“We have immediately sought and I have been in contact with the Australian medical regulator, the TGA (Therapeutic Goods Administration), this morning, and requested that they seek additional information, both from the company, but also from the Norwegian medical regulator,” Mr Hunt said on Sunday.
Mr Hunt also confirmed there are no remaining hotspots, as defined by the Commonwealth.
Read on for all the latest updates.
Live Updates
Russian born New Zealand tennis player Artem Sitak had a message for his fellow players in hotel quarantine ahead of the Australian Open: To stop their whingeing because they would have been warned this could happen if they bothered to dial into a phone call a month ago.
He thanked all the people who sent him words of encouragement but said he “woke up to a lot of negativity on the internet”.
“Of course we all know the internet loves drama, and it’s a good story, but I wanted to clarify something,” he said via an Instagram story from hotel quarantine.
Artem Sitak is in hotel quarantine ahead of the Australian Open.
“We had a call with Tennis Australia about a month ago and not a lot of players were on that call, which was surprising to me, but hey that’s how it was.”
“They told us the risks they were going to be undertaking and they did mention if someone tested positive on the flight it’s going to be up to health authorities to decide whether to quarantine or isolate compartments of the plane.”
“After that call, in my mind I knew that if someone tested positive on the plane, I’m going to have to be quarantined, so I was prepared to take that risk.”
He said he hoped it wasn’t going to happen, but now that it has “I think we need to put some things in perspective.”
“A lot of Australians right now can’t get back home because of restrictions and all that, and we as foreigners, over 1000 people, are here in Australia. We’re going to be competing in a Grand Slam earning a lot of money and the amount of work Tennis Australia put in to organise all this is absolutely insane, I can’t imagine how much work, how many hours they were putting in to make this happen.”
“We’re still lucky to be here, unfortunate circumstances with the quarantine, but that’s how it is.”
A man has been charged after he allegedly failed to wear a face mask on public transport and bit a police officer on the stomach in NSW.
Police say the 43-year-old man was seen without a mask while travelling on a southbound train between Gosford and Woy Woy just after 3pm on Saturday.
When officers questioned whether he had a mask and asked for identification, he allegedly refused and became aggressive.
“As police attempted to arrest him, he tried to punch officers before OC spray was deployed,” police said in a statement on Sunday.
The man allegedly punched a constable before he was wrestled to the ground and bit the constable twice on his stomach and finger, causing cuts and bruises.
Read the full story here.
– Angie Raphael
Brisbane is no longer considered a virus hotspot, meaning there are now no hotspots Australia-wide, but that doesn’t mean life is back to normal in the Sunshine state.
Federal health minister Greg Hunt announced on Sunday morning Brisbane and surrounding areas were no longer a hotspot, but different states still have different rules for travellers, and local rules remain in place as well.
Borders were closed after six cases of the virulent UK strain that authorities are now confident they have a handle on.
Brisbane residents and those from surrounding local government areas like Ipswich and Logan can only travel freely to NSW and the ACT.
Other states like South Australia and Victoria require travellers to register and be tested.
Tasmania is still enforcing 14 day quarantine but may review that tomorrow.
For those staying in Brisbane you still need to wear a mask when indoors in places like shops or on public transport, and venues are still required to cap the number of visitors.
Dependent on whether the state records new cases this week those restrictions will be reassessed on Friday.
WA has recorded one new case of COVID-19 in hotel quarnatine.
The woman in her 30s tested positive after returning from overseas.
WA has now had a total of 887 coronavirus cases, 864 of whom have recovered.
The state conducted 1506 swabs for testing on Saturday.
Victoria’s COVID-19 Quarantine Commissioner Emma Cassar has said the state won’t be taking it easy on tennis players flying into the country for the Australian Open who are now complaining about the hotel quarantine conditions.
More than 120 close contacts who were on long flights with confirmed cases are in 14 day mandatory hotel quarantine.
“The program is set up to keep people safe,” Ms Cassar said.
“We will not be modifying the program or watering it down under any circumstances.”
Commissioner of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar has announced a fourth person among the Australian Open arrivals has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The case is a broadcaster from Los Angeles who was on one of the charter flights. Two other people have tested positive since arriving on that flight, along with a coach on a flight from Abu Dhabi.
Ms Cassar said it was important to note the four people had a negative test prior to boarding the plane.
There are 63 close contacts from the LA flight and 62 close contacts in relation to the Abu Dhabi flight case.
Ms Cassar said the rules “have not changed”.
“If you’re on a plane for 16, 24 hours with air that circulates throughout the plane, you are a close contact,” she said.
All positive cases are transferred to the health hotel – the Holiday Inn – “as soon as it is safe to do so”.
Training was delayed on Sunday due to outstanding test results. All player and training partner test results have been received.
“If the results come back by 3.30pm, there’s a small chance we could get people out this afternoon but … we will take no risks until all of those results are in,” Ms Cassar said.
“I’m really hopeful that that occurs because I know that it is really important to the tennis players.
“We want to make sure that this is a successful quarantine program for them.”
Ms Cassar said a “small few” quarantine guests are “testing their procedures” but there have not been any attempted escapes.
Players can be fined up to $20,000 for breaches of hotel quarantine requirements.
“Some of these challenging behaviours include, a player who opened his door to try and have a conversation with his training mate down the hallway,” she said.
Another person who shouted UberEats to others down the hallway had opened his door “and was praising himself for his great efforts”.
Ms Cassar said this person is not a tennis player but confirmed guests are allowed to order from food delivery services.
Commissioner of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Emma Cassar is due to hold a press conference at 2.30pm (AEDT).
Western Australia has reported one new case of COVID-19.
The case is a woman in her 30s in hotel quarantine who has returned to the country from overseas.
The state’s health department is monitoring 14 active coronavirus cases.
Victorians in Greater Brisbane have been able to return home after the Queensland capital was turned from a “red zone” to “orange” at 6pm on Saturday.
Hoppers Crossing resident Jacob Glover told The Age he had been caught up in the sudden border closure while on holiday.
The 20-year-old said he was greeted after his flight to Melbourne by “lots of people in protective gear” and told he had 70 hours to get a test.
“There was a guy saying you can get tested here … so I got tested at the airport,” Mr Glover told the publication.
“Now I’m at home waiting for my results. They said 12 to 24 hours… so hopefully I get my results soon.”
People who enter Victoria on an “orange zone permit” are required to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours and remain in self-quarantine until a negative test result is received.
California congressman Lou Correa has tested positive for COVID-19 before his second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
The Democratic Representative announced in a statement on Saturday he would not be able to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration as 46th President of the United States on January 20.
“Yesterday, I tested positive for COVID-19,” he said.
“I now join more than 200,000 Orange County residents who have been diagnosed with the virus. I will be responsible and self-quarantine – away from my family – for the recommended time.
“In my community, everyone knows someone affected. COVID-19 has hit us hard, and for months, families have struggled while our community attempts to contain the virus. Even in quarantine, I will continue to work for them and ensure my struggling neighbors in Central Orange County have the assistance they need to survive.
“While this diagnosis will prevent me from attending the much-anticipated inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, I look forward to working with the new administration to unite our country and help the millions of people devastated by the pandemic. Americans need help, and that help is finally on the way.”
His office told the Associated Press he received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 19 and has not received the second shot.
During the storming of the Capitol on January 6, Mr Correa had been outside the secure room assisting Capitol Police, his office said.
You can follow our live coverage of the current situation in the US here.
