No crowds, but Australian Open will continue during lockdown

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian Open will be allowed to continue but without crowds for at least five days after the Victoria state government imposed a lockdown starting Saturday in response to a covid-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday announced a five-day, state-wide lockdown starting a minute before midnight local time, imposing new rules that restrict residents to their homes except for work, to shop for essential supplies, care or caregiving and limited exercise.

He said the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open could continue “because these people are at their workplace.”

“The minimum number of staff for it to be run safely, will be there,” Andrews said. “It will be happening, but there’ll be no one there watching it.”

Schools and universities will be closed Monday through Wednesday, and there will be no gatherings permitted for weddings or religious services.

Fans arriving at Melbourne Park on Friday before the new restrictions were announced were instructed at the entrance gates to maintain social-distancing, apply sanitizer to their hands and pull their masks up over their noses.

With three big night matches scheduled for Friday, fans will be permitted to enter Melbourne Park. But Andrews urged people to “exercise good judgment” and not go out.

“I don’t have advice to cancel the event on the basis that it’s unsafe,” Andrew added, saying the latest cases had nothing to do with the tennis quarantine program.