Australian city Melbourne begins 3rd lockdown due to cluster
(AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)MELBOURNE โ Melbourne, Australiaโs second-largest city, will begin its third lockdown on Friday due to a rapidly spreading COVID-19 cluster centered on hotel quarantine. The five-day lockdown will be enforced across Victoria state to prevent the virus spreading from the state capital, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said. Only international flights that were already in the air when the lockdown was announced will be allowed to land at Melbourne Airport. Federal lawmakers were on Friday rushing to get to the national capital Canberra to attend Parliament on Monday for fear that the Australian Capital Territory government will restrict their entry. Morrison said before the lockdown was announced that he was confident the state government could handle the cluster.
No crowds, but Australian Open will continue during lockdown
(AP Photo/Hamish Blair)MELBOURNE โ The Australian Open will be allowed to continue but without crowds after the Victoria state government imposed a snap, five-day lockdown starting Saturday in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at a quarantine hotel. Andrews said the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open could continue โbecause these people are at their workplace.โโIt will be happening, but thereโll be no one there watching it," he said. The seven-time Australian Open winner didn't hear the news until after the match. โIt was a good last match before the lockdown, it's really sad to say.โThe Australian Open was the first Grand Slam tournament in a year to allow sizeable crowds. 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.
Australian Open: No-look shot in Serena's win; COVID fan ban
Competition at the year's first Grand Slam tournament will be allowed to continue, but no fans can attend as of Saturday. Hopefully it will be all right.โA year ago, Williams dropped just three games against Potapova in the first round. But the 2016 Wimbledon junior champion double-faulted five times in that game, including twice on set point. 8 Diego Schwartzman became the highest-seeded man to lose so far, eliminated 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 by Aslan Karatsev, a qualifier from Russia ranked 114th and making his Grand Slam debut at age 27. AdIn other action, 2020 U.S. Open runner-up Alexander Zverev won in straight sets and now takes on No.