TV crew member on AO flight tests positive for COVID-19

A member of a TV crew who who travelled to Melbourne on a chartered flight with players from Los Angeles has tested positive for COVID-19.

Quarantine Victoria commissioner Emma Cassar said Sunday’s training had been delayed as authorities waited for the test results of the more than 1,000 players and staff who had arrived between Thursday night and Saturday morning.

All of the passengers on both affected planes, from Los Angeles and Dubai, which included 47 tennis players, have been classed as close contacts and will be confined to their rooms for 14 days.

Ms Cassar added there had been a “small few” people in quarantine hotels who were “testing our procedures” and had tried to leave their rooms.

“These procedures are in place to keep people safe,” she said.

“I can give you two examples, a player who opened his door to try and have a conversation with his training mate down the hallway. Again, he’s got a phone, you can pick up the phone and use the telephone as opposed to putting you and others at risk,” she said.

“The other was another gentleman who shouted some Uber Eats to some other people on the floor and was praising his great efforts and opened his door to do so.

“It is really low-level but really dangerous acts which we just can’t tolerate.”

Some tennis players have complained they were not aware that an entire flight would be required to isolate if someone tested positive.

“What I don’t understand is that, why no-one ever told us, if one person on board is positive the whole plane need to be isolated … I would think twice before coming here,” Kazakh player Yulia Putintseva said on Twitter.

Romanian Sorona Cirstea said after isolating for two weeks, she would need “at least three weeks after in order to be in decent form again and compete at a high level”.