COVIDSafe measures in place across Melbourne Park precinct for Australian Open

Strict public health directions are in place across the Melbourne Park precinct for today’s commencement of the Australian Open to ensure the protection of players, officials and the broader Victorian community against COVID-19.

Melbourne Park is divided into three zones around Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena and John Cain Arena as part of rigorous infection prevention with control measures in place to ensure a COVIDSafe environment. Dedicated entry points will apply for each zone and no movement will be permitted between the zones.

There will be a daily crowd capacity of 30,000 for the first eight days, with 25,000 per day from the quarter-finals and 12,500 in Rod Laver Arena for the final three days of the tournament.

Over the two weeks of the event, this will equate to about half of the average attendance in the past three years.

The Australian Open is a key pillar of Victoria’s major event program - last year it contributed an estimated $387 million to the state’s visitor economy.

Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula notes “it’s been a tremendous effort by the people of Victoria, our public health team, the staff at COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria and Tennis Australia to get to this point where the gates are opening for fans at Melbourne Park.

“This is a significant milestone in the recovery of our visitor economy and a boost for the hotels, bars, cafes and restaurants that help make Victoria such a great place.”

The Victorian Government has invested almost $1 billion over the past 10 years in upgrading and expanding Melbourne Park so that it can continue to host the Open until at least 2039.

The final stage of the redevelopment includes the 5,000-seat Show Court Arena, a new event centre and conference space - Centrepiece at Melbourne Park - as well as two new match courts and a logistics hub.

Image: Melbourne Park prepares for the start of the Australian Open.