Fans cheer for Australia's Nick Kyrgios, back to camera, during his third round match against Austria's Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021.
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE – The Australian Open will be allowed to continue but without crowds for at least five days after the Victoria state government imposed a snap lockdown starting Saturday in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel.
Andrews said the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open could continue “because these people are at their workplace.”“It will be happening, but there’ll be no one there watching it," he said.
Under the initial plan for the Australian Open, the government allowed up to 30,000 people daily the first week at Melbourne Park, or about 50% of capacity.
Most of those were during a second deadly wave last year when a hard lockdown was put in place in Melbourne.