The sight of some of the world’s biggest tennis stars hitting the upcoming Australian Open has frustrated many Australians who were unable to return home due to the pandemic.
Australia currently has a weekly limit on the number of international arrivals, and people must be quarantined in a designated facility.
There are about 37,000 Australians waiting to return, ABC News reports.
A number of airlines have suspended routes, making it more difficult to travel back.
On Friday, the Emirates airline announced that it would discontinue flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Meanwhile, organizers of the Australian Open have offered charter flights for the players and other staff members.
Players had to be negative before boarding flights and were then placed in designated Australian Open quarantine hotels in Melbourne and Adelaide. However, they may exercise from their rooms.
But two people on a chartered flight from Los Angeles with players, including two-time champion Victoria Azarenka and former world number three Sloane Stephens, tested positive, meaning all passengers on the flight would be confined to their rooms for two weeks .
The players will practice less than ten days before the tournament starts on February 8th.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray, former world number one, could not fly to Australia after the British tested positive for coronavirus.
However, one player, Tennys Sandgren, who tested positive, was released by organizers after reviewing his medical file.
Sandgren reported on social media that he was ill in November, but that he is’ now ‘healthy’.
Their arrival, while so many Australians are still trying to return home, has drawn criticism.
‘I can not understand the fact that one week they are announcing that they are halving the citizens’ caps, and the next week they are announcing that they have found 1200 places for tennis players and support staff’, ” Sarah, a key worker in London but is from Sydney, the BBC said.
She has been trying to return to Sydney since October and her most recent flight has been canceled.
“All I want to do is return home. I had to watch my sister’s wedding on Zoom. My flight was scheduled so I could get out of quarantine in time for her baby shower, but it looks like I and the birth miss “.
On Saturday, the Australian government said it would arrange for a further 20 international repatriation flights to bring home the stranded citizens of ‘priority areas’. Those who return will not be counted below the existing travel limits, a minister confirmed.
Dr Alyse Brown is currently in Cambridge in the UK and has flights to Sydney next month. She tried to raise awareness about the issue.
“While the Australians watch tennis at home, I will read on the support pages the daily horror stories of stranded Australians who are homeless,” she told the BBC ahead of the latest announcement on government flights.
“It’s always been clear to us that Australia has the means to get its people home, they just do not have the political will to do so, and that drives me insanely crazy. It’s a heartless economic decision and tennis is “For us, just another group of people. We see that government is above our priority.”
People took to Twitter with the hashtag #strandedaussies to share their views.
One user said: “Thousands of Australian citizens are still stranded overseas. I’ve been a huge tennis fan for almost 40 years, but that’s just wrong. I would not support this Australian summer of tennis.”
Earlier this week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said that should Melbourne cancel the tournament, it would be picked up by another country.
What are the rules in Australia?
Australia has strict restrictions on the number of arrivals that may enter the country. Authorities say it is to ensure there is enough space in a government quarantine facility.
Unlike other countries, those arriving in Australia must be quarantined in a designated facility or hotel instead of their own homes.
The limit on people entering was further reduced last week after a hotel worker in Queensland contracted the British variant of the coronavirus.
Until 15 February, New South Wales will have 1,505 new arrivals a week, Western Australia will allow 512 people and Queensland a cap of 500.
Victoria and South Australia kept their caps the same. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian capital area and the northern areas had their own ‘measures’ for those arriving there.
The Australian government operated a number of repatriation flights, but demand was high.
Last month, in an interview on the Seven TV network, Mr. Morrison said Australians abroad are his “first priority in terms of people returning to the country”.
“We want you to come home and you have every right to come home,” he said.