No cause for alarm over Open link to Pervolarakis’ positive test, says Sutton

A Tennis Australia spokesperson said Pervolarakis flew out of Melbourne Airport on February 9 – the day one airport terminal was listed as an exposure site for a COVID-19 case – and returned a negative test on that day.

Tennis Australia said Pervolarakis did not fly out of terminal four, which is the affected part of the airport. The entirety of terminal four between 4.45am and 2pm on February 9 had been declared a tier one coronavirus exposure site by Victoria’s health department. Anyone there at that time had to get a test and isolate for 14 days.

“After spending a day in South Africa [he] tested positive,” Tiley told The Today Show on Sunday morning.

“While there’s a link in the fact he left here, it is going to be up to the advice of the health authorities.

“The good news for us is he tested negative and then left … there’s a fair bit of travel time [in between].

“It was a week ago we got everyone tested again, everyone tested negative.”

Tiley said players who had been in contact with Pervolarakis, like Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, would not have to get tested again at this stage.

“No, again, we will continue on [as] normal. Obviously anyone on-site that has any symptoms related to COVID is required to immediately isolate and test. We haven’t had any of that.“

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton told reporters on Sunday there was no cause for high alarm over Pervolarakis’ situation.

“We’ve had these circumstances before where we’ve had notification through the national focal point, again, under the international health regulations, that means that countries identify other countries where they think that the virus might have originated.

“This particular individual tested negative on the day of departure, but was on a long flight, mixed with other international travellers again with a significant risk of cases on the subsequent levels of flight. We will go through the normal processes in the national incident room and go through the information with South Africa and tie it off.”

The ATP Cup was held at Melbourne Park, where Pervolarakis was photographed shaking hands with spectators following a match against Spain. Pervolarakis’ movements after his last matches within Victoria are unknown.

“Hi everyone. After a 24 hour+ travel day from Australia to South Africa I have been diagnosed positive to COVID-19,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I am completely asymptomatic at the moment and will have to quarantine in an isolation facility in Potchefstroom.

“I am not a person that complains but I feel that I need to express my disappointment at the conditions we are in.”

He stopped in Doha en route to South Africa.

In a later post, the player wrote: “Just to clarify a few things ... got tested negative in Melbourne before leaving and the nurse said that I most likely got it on the plane or on my stop in Doha.”

The player and Victoria’s health department have been contacted for comment.

The Australian Open is going ahead without crowds despite Melbourne’s lockdown.