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Australian Open: Players have to self isolate

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tennis players leaving hotelImage source, WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images

Between 500 and 600 Australian Open players, officials and support staff will have to self isolate after a worker at the event's quarantine hotel, The Grand Hyatt in Melbourne, tested positive for coronavirus.

The Australian Open is a big tennis competition taking place in Melbourne, which is in the state of Victoria.

The tournament is still going ahead though as players will be able to return to the competition after a negative result

"We will work with everyone involved to facilitate testing as quickly as possible," said Australian Open organisers.

Image source, Getty Images

The Australian Open was pushed back from its usual start date to allow a 14-day quarantine period for players travelling into Australia for the tournament.

The Grand Hyatt Hotel was one of the hotels where many of the players, officials and support staff stayed during their 14-day quarantine period when they arrived in Australia.

Image source, Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Australia has had strict restrictions in place to control the coronavirus.

Head of the government in Victoria Daniel Andrews said: "This is one case, there is no need for people to be panicked or alarmed. We have proved as a state very successful in managing these sort of outbreaks and issues."

In Victoria some restrictions will return including wearing masks indoors.

Coronavirus has affected many sports, from the Tokyo Olympics being postponed, Wimbledon being cancelled last year and the London Marathon being a much smaller event in 2020.

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