It's set to bet the biggest test of Victoria's hotel quarantine system since the state went into lockdown last year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As some of the world's biggest tennis stars arrived in Melbourne for two weeks of mandatory quarantine before the Australian Open next month, Canberra-based Aspen Medical will be helping manage operations ahead of the tournament.
More than 100 Aspen Medical staff will be on hand across three quarantine hotels that have been designated for arrivals associated with the Australian Open.
More than 1200 people are expected to touch down in Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of 2021 in coming days, before they complete 14 days of quarantine with some of the strictest arrangements in place.
As part of their role in helping to run hotel quarantine operations, Aspen staff will be administering daily COVID-19 tests of players, coaches and support staff.
It's estimated Aspen will carry out more than 50,000 COVID tests in just two weeks.
However, it won't just be COVID tests that the Canberra company will be focusing on as part of their role with the Australian Open.
"Our role is provide testing and clinical health check-ups for the players and tournament staff during hotel quarantine," an Aspen Medical spokesman told The Canberra Times.
"We are also providing first-aid services at the practice courts."
It's believed Aspen will be carrying out a similar function for the Australian Open as they have in previous roles servicing the cruise line industry last year as well as hotel quarantine operations in other jurisdictions.
While some of tennis's biggest names are jetting in to Adelaide to participate in lead-up tournaments, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, Aspen's role has been confined to just operations in Melbourne.
Those arriving in Adelaide will, however, be subject to the same hotel quarantine conditions as their counterparts in Melbourne.
The first of 15 charter flights carrying in players and officials for the tournament arrived in Melbourne from Doha on Thursday night.
Flights arriving from Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles, Dubai and Singapore will also touch down in coming days.
While those associated with the Australian Open will be confined to their hotel rooms for the majority of the 14 days in quarantine, players will be allowed to train for the tournament under strict conditions.
If players test negative for COVID-19 on the second day of their quarantine, they will be allowed to practice on the court with a designated support person for two hours, followed by a 90-minute gym session and a 60-minute session at a nutrition centre before being taken back to their rooms.
However, players will need to have tested negative for the virus before their flight into the country in order to still be allowed in.
Such an arrangement has disrupted the plans of Grand Slam winner Andy Murray, who missed his charter flight after testing positive for COVID-19. He has not been officially ruled out of the tournament but would need to test negative before he's even allowed to complete two weeks of quarantine.
US tennis star Madison Keys has ruled herself out of the Australian Open after testing positive.
Despite the rule, US world number 50 Tennys Sandgren was allowed to board his flight from Los Angeles despite testing positive for COVID earlier this week.
The former Australian Open quarter-finalist was deemed to be no longer contagious and a case of viral shedding, having been struck down with COVID-19 in November.
Before the 1200-strong international contingent's arrival, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews rejected criticism of the Australian Open going ahead. He said the grand slam was cleared to proceed on public health advice and added it is a massive jobs creator.
The two-week tournament will begin on February 8.
with AAP
Andrew Brown
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
I've been part of the Canberra Times since 2016, after reporting at local papers in Sydney's north-west. Since starting at the paper I've had stints on the Sunday Times, on the early morning breaking news round, and now as a general reporter, covering the ins and outs of anything and everything happening in Canberra, with a focus on health.
