Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

[Moxie]

Oops my mistake I am a day ahead of you guys it is Monday 6th March at 3pm

That's where I thought that came from. I almost DM'd AP so he could tell you what day it was in the US.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

That's where I thought that came from. I almost DM'd AP so he could tell you what day it was in the US.

Please I have enough of him when the tour is in Aussie lol! ja ja ja ja!........in a good way of course

 

[nehmeth]

I don't think you need to hammer Margaret on the use of the word "expect" here.

There is no animus with Margaret, She’s a wonderful person to interact with and I’ve been edified as we discussed different topics. No need to insert yourself. She’s safe.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

This news just in via twitter from RickScott@SenRick Scott,

Breaking: We have been told that @ DHSgov denied@ DjokerNole's vaccine waiver request, making him ineligible to compete in the US next week in CA and in the Miami Open

 

[Kieran]

Interesting article from the NYTimes today. I realize it will be behind a paywall for most. Here are some interesting parts:

"It’s not clear why Djokovic believes he might qualify for an exemption. The only criteria he would seem to be able to meet involves proving that getting vaccinated would be harmful to his health or that his presence in the United States “would be in the national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, Secretary of Transportation, or Secretary of Homeland Security (or their designees),” according to the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bill rescinding the vaccination requirement 227-203, with seven Democrats joining all Republicans voting in favor. Supporters of the bill said the U.S. policy is out of step with the rest of the world, where vaccination requirements for foreigners have largely gone away. The Senate has not voted on the matter, which, according to the C.D.C., will not end automatically in May when the Biden administration plans to end the Covid-19 national and public health emergencies declared in 2020.

Ending the vaccination requirement for foreign travelers will most likely require a separate order from President Biden ending the presidential proclamation that put it into effect."

--------
"Haas, a former world No. 2 who is from Germany, has been lobbying multiple organizations to try to find a way to get Djokovic into the U.S. The United States Tennis Association has been in touch with its government contacts but has stopped short of formally lobbying on Djokovic’s behalf.

“Novak’s situation is obviously frustrating for us,” Haas said. “We want the best tennis player in the world to be here. He’s writing me, he wants to be here. So of course, you’re like, OK, let’s try to make this happen. How can we figure this out that’s going to be realistic? But at the end of the day, unfortunately, that’s not in our hands and that’s what’s frustrating.”

...I would make the comment here that it IS in their hands, or Novak's. He could get vaccinated. But he has said he accepts the consequences of his choice. That's fair.
____

Also interesting is this:

"If President Biden does not change his mind — and that is what it would take at this point — Djokovic must withdraw by Sunday or a player ranked about 100 spots lower may end up taking his favored spot on the draw sheet, Tommy Haas, the tournament director for Indian Wells, said in an interview on Wednesday."

...Does this not imply that Tommy Haas will not take action to prevent the draw from being imbalanced? That seems foolish, to me.

Thanks for the article. I don’t know if this part below is yours, or from the article, and I do note the use of the word ‘but’ Because as you and I both know, and so does everyone else - he hasn’t accepted the consequences of his choice. He tried to break laws and forced his way into places he’s not eligible to enter. Tommy Haas saying that Novak is “writing to me” - I can only imagine the bombardment of advice and pressure from Djoker and his sharp suited squad of lawyers and chancers.

If he accepted the consequences then he’d know he couldn’t enter Australia last year, and he wouldn’t be bothering anyone with this request,

Having said all that, your country still is ridiculously slow to declare that there’s no longer an emergency…

I would make the comment here that it IS in their hands, or Novak's. He could get vaccinated. But he has said he accepts the consequences of his choice. That's fair.

 

[Kieran]

I don't think you need to hammer Margaret on the use of the word "expect" here. It was a bit like, "what do you expect?" Obviously, the argument has been made that 2 months shouldn't mean that much, and what threat does he present? However, note that the May 11th expiration doesn't make the travel ban expired for unvaccinated foreign nationals. (See above. "Ending the vaccination requirement for foreign travelers will most likely require a separate order from President Biden ending the presidential proclamation that put it into effect.") Anyway, I don't see why the US Government would turn itself inside out for the sake of a tennis tournament or two. As you say, Novak has made his bed and he seems unwilling to lie in it.

I just corrected that typo. I’m not usually a pedant but this one stuck out begging to be fixed…

 

[nehmeth]

Breaking News: Novak Djokovic can not enter USA and play Indian Wells, Miami

If nothing changes, Novak Djokovic will compete again in Monte Carlo in April

www.tennisworldusa.org

 

[Moxie]

I just corrected that typo. I’m not usually a pedant but this one stuck out begging to be fixed…

Well, I was trying to be nice. But one thing that drives me crazy, which Tommy Haas is quoted as saying in the NYTimes piece above, and Novak was saying last summer, which is that, "it's out of our/my hands." Well, in Novak's case, it hasn't been out of his hands. He could always have just gotten vaccinated, like everyone else in tennis.

 

[Kieran]

Well, I was trying to be nice. But one thing that drives me crazy, which Tommy Haas is quoted as saying in the NYTimes piece above, and Novak was saying last summer, which is that, "it's out of our/my hands." Well, in Novak's case, it hasn't been out of his hands. He could always have just gotten vaccinated, like everyone else in tennis.

Exactly. And while we often hear that he accepts that he can’t enter these events, that he accepts the consequences of his choice (a choice I happen to agree with) he does everything in his power - and using any means, legal or otherwise - to prove that he’s unwilling to accept it, and that he ought to be considered an exception…

 

[Moxie]

Breaking News: Novak Djokovic can not enter USA and play Indian Wells, Miami

If nothing changes, Novak Djokovic will compete again in Monte Carlo in April

www.tennisworldusa.org

Apparently, they have taken it to Biden, so one more step left to try. (I thought Nadalfan was kidding above with that Biden dialogue, but no.) This article is in Spanish, but the letter to the President is in English. Interestingly, I think it completely misses the point of why we don't let unvaccinated non-resident aliens into the country, stating that he's in good health and not likely to suffer "severe complications" from Covid. Um...I think we don't allow the unvaccinated in to protect OTHERS in the US from THEM. But the letter is signed by both Senators from Florida, so there's that.

Un senador de Florida anuncia que a Djokovic se le ha denegado la exención y pide la intervención de Biden

La organización de los torneos de Indian Wells y Miami también presiona al presidente de los Estados Unidos para que interceda por el tenista serbio

www.marca.com

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Apparently, they have taken it to Biden, so one more step left to try. (I thought Nadalfan was kidding above with that Biden dialogue, but no.) This article is in Spanish, but the letter to the President is in English. Interestingly, I think it completely misses the point of why we don't let unvaccinated non-resident aliens into the country, stating that he's in good health and not likely to suffer "severe complications" from Covid. Um...I think we don't allow the unvaccinated in to protect OTHERS in the US from THEM. But the letter is signed by both Senators from Florida, so there's that.

Un senador de Florida anuncia que a Djokovic se le ha denegado la exención y pide la intervención de Biden

La organización de los torneos de Indian Wells y Miami también presiona al presidente de los Estados Unidos para que interceda por el tenista serbio

www.marca.com

Okay I am confused, I saw on Twitter last night the 'tweet from Senator Scott, saying Novak's request has been denied, and did post it here, most journalist's are saying the same thing today? please explain lol!

 

[Moxie]

Okay I am confused, I saw on Twitter last night the 'tweet from Senator Scott, saying Novak's request has been denied, and did post it here, most journalist's are saying the same thing today? please explain lol!

From what I can tell, Sen. Scott, as you say, and Sen. Rubio per the article that nehmeth posted, (they are both US Senators from Florida,) say that Novak's request has been denied by Homeland Security. However, the article in Marca in Spanish that I posted, says that Rubio and Scott have written to President Biden in one more attempt. Mind you, they are lobbying on behalf of their own state, not California (for IW.) I doubt Biden will help them out, though.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

From what I can tell, Sen. Scott, as you say, and Sen. Rubio per the article that nehmeth posted, (they are both US Senators from Florida,) say that Novak's request has been denied by Homeland Security. However, the article in Marca in Spanish that I posted, says that Rubio and Scott have written to President Biden in one more attempt. Mind you, they are lobbying on behalf of their own state, not California (for IW.) I doubt Biden will help them out, though.

Thanks for the explanation

 

[nehmeth]

Apparently, they have taken it to Biden, so one more step left to try. (I thought Nadalfan was kidding above with that Biden dialogue, but no.) This article is in Spanish, but the letter to the President is in English. Interestingly, I think it completely misses the point of why we don't let unvaccinated non-resident aliens into the country, stating that he's in good health and not likely to suffer "severe complications" from Covid. Um...I think we don't allow the unvaccinated in to protect OTHERS in the US from THEM. But the letter is signed by both Senators from Florida, so there's that.

Un senador de Florida anuncia que a Djokovic se le ha denegado la exención y pide la intervención de Biden

La organización de los torneos de Indian Wells y Miami también presiona al presidente de los Estados Unidos para que interceda por el tenista serbio

www.marca.com

The two Senators of Florida. Maybe if he’d gotten the two Senators from California. On to Monte Carlo for team Djokovic.

 

[El Dude]

Interestingly, I think it completely misses the point of why we don't let unvaccinated non-resident aliens into the country, stating that he's in good health and not likely to suffer "severe complications" from Covid. Um...I think we don't allow the unvaccinated in to protect OTHERS in the US from THEM.

And this is false science, but let's keep pretending it is 2021 (and even back then, some of us knew "the science" was "pfienze").

 

[Moxie]

And this is false science, but let's keep pretending it is 2021 (and even back then, some of us knew "the science" was "pfienze").

I know we don't all agree on the efficacy of Covid vaccines around here, but you miss the point(s.) I'm not saying the policy is right, I'm saying why it was instated. (And I do believe what I read that vaccination makes one less-likely to contract the virus, and therefore less-likely to transmit it. It also lessens symptoms, therefore hospitalizations and deaths. This was the original aim. I DO understand that it has been less-effective in stanching transmission, once a person is infected.) The policy is old and it is expiring. But the point of it was to limit entry into the US of people who would be more likely to bring it in or contract it here. You can disagree with it, but that was the point. It's being reaccessed.

The other thing I pointed out about that letter they sent to Biden is something that I find frankly hilarious. They say that Djokovic is a young, fit, elite athlete and unlikely to suffer should he contract covid. As if Biden should care? I don't know if their point is that Miami has a higher case-load currently than most of the US, though I doubt it. However, he is more likely to contract it in Miami (or wherever) and pass it along, however little he suffers, himself. I just thought it demonstrated very little understanding of what Biden's concerns should be if he should grant a Presidential exemption, and does not help sell their argument. The President, and Homeland Security, owes nothing to non-resident aliens. Their concern is for citizens and resident aliens, and for the adherence to policy. Present a good argument while the government reassesses policy, and their best one is economic. Djokovic is a draw, and they insist he poses no health threat. I just thought that bit about him being unlikely to suffer from Covid was tone-deaf and stupid.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Is Gov. Ron DeSantis serious? lol!
I am reading ' He's open to running a boat from the Bahamas to Florida so Novak Djokovic can compete in the Miami Open
Moxie if you are around please explain ?

 

[kskate2]

Is Gov. Ron DeSantis serious? lol!
I am reading ' He's open to running a boat from the Bahamas to Florida so Novak Djokovic can compete in the Miami Open
Moxie if you are around please explain ?

A fool is what he is. If I were Djoke I'd steer clear of Death Santis. He's already in hot water for busing immigrants to New York. He'll do anything to stir up his chances to run next year.

 

[Moxie]

A fool is what he is. If I were Djoke I'd steer clear of Death Santis. He's already in hot water for busing immigrants to New York. He'll do anything to stir up his chances to run next year.

He is just showboating, at the risk of a pun, and ginning up his own chances for the Republican nomination for President. @Margaret, just remember that just because De Santis can get him into the country, it doesn't mean he can work here legally, and I'm afraid that participating in the Miami Open would be pretty high-profile for an illegal alien. A pretty funny stance for a guy who says he's going to crack down on the smuggling of illegal aliens...because that is what boating Djokovic in from the Bahamas would be.

 

[nehmeth]

A fool is what he is. If I were Djoke I'd steer clear of Death Santis. He's already in hot water for busing immigrants to New York. He'll do anything to stir up his chances to run next year.

Novak is being made into a political football, paraded about by Senators Scott and Rubio and Governor DeSantis. Now Tucker Carlson, has brought in the media side of the right. This isn’t going to play well for him.