Novak Djokovic will play at the Australian Open 2022, after being exempt from the vaccine requirements. He was seen here removing his mask at the 2021 ATP Cup at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne last February.
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Novak Djokovic will play at the Australian Open 2022, after being exempt from the vaccine requirements. He was seen here removing his mask at the 2021 ATP Cup at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne last February.
Image of Darrian Traynor / Getty
Novak Djokovic, the men’s number one tennis player who is also famously skeptical of a coronavirus vaccine, will compete at the Australian Open later this month, after receiving a special exemption to the COVID-19 requirements .
“I’m going down Under with a disclaimer. Let’s start in 2022!” Djokovic made the announcement on several social media platforms on Tuesday.
The tournament’s defending champion posted a photo of himself smiling, next to his luggage. But some of the top answers to his Twitter post not happy people.
Happy New Year! Wishing you all health, love and joy in every moment and may you feel the love and respect for all beings on this wonderful planet.
I’ve been spending great quality time with loved ones during my respite and today I’m going Down with a waive. Let’s start in 2022! pic.twitter.com/e688iSO2d4
– Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 4, 2022
One commenter wrote: “The news just hit Melbourne and it’s fair to say NoVax will be well received.” “We’ve been having a hard time here lately and ordinary people think this decision is a joke. He doesn’t know what he’s in for.”
Victoria, the state where the tournament is held, currently has 48,297 active COVID-19 cases, according to the latest information from Victorian Department of Health. The state’s immunization program has been very effective: 94.5% of residents 12 years of age and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and about 93% have received two doses.
News of the exemption ends weeks of speculation about whether Djokovic, 34, will be allowed to compete in Melbourne despite strict COVID-19 and vaccination regulations. In November, the Victorian government announced that all tennis players and others participating in the Australian Open must be vaccinated. Reply, Djokovic’s father said his son will not participate in the tournament “under these conditions and blackmail.”
Djokovic previously declined to say whether he has been vaccinated. Instead, he talks about the importance of free choice. But he expressed his skepticism about a COVID-19 vaccine early on, saying in April 2020, “I don’t want to be forced by someone to get vaccinated so I can travel.”
Public health experts strongly recommend getting vaccinated to protect against severe illness from COVID-19.
The Australian Open said the decision to grant Djokovic a medical exemption was made after “a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts, including those from the state government”. , according to Australia’s Network ABC.
In December, the Victorian and Tennis Australia governments said they would form an independent panel to review requests for medical exemptions.
“Any player with a medical exemption will have to go through an independent, two-stage process to verify that they have a substantial medical condition that meets the criteria for an exemption,” the Victorian government said. said, according to ABC.
Djokovic has won three Australian Open championships in the past. Play in the 2022 tournament starting on January 17 and running through January 30.
This story originally appeared on Morning version live blogs.
