Novak Djokovic's Vaccine Stance & Visa Troubles

the AntiPusher

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Enough drama already...I am off to work later!
Have a great day at work…we’ll this is the most drama filled day Ever on this board. Just for giggles and grin, what does your gut tells you now that he will be here for another 4 to 5 days?
 

Mile

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It became a political issue, a fiasco for the Australian PM. We saw how was stuff with french submarines. "France's Macron says Australia PM lied over submarine deal".
 

Chris Koziarz

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It became a political issue, a fiasco for the Australian PM. We saw how was stuff with french submarines. "France's Macron says Australia PM lied over submarine deal".
Broken submarine deal with Macron is a different type of issue: faulty diplomacy by a PM.
Here we have an attempt to enter the country by an alien traveler (Joker) on invalid visa, and a contempt of the country's border protection law by said alien. PM is just doing his job of standing by his agency who is enforcing the law. There is no diplomacy nor national interest of any kind at stake. Only a private interest of the affected alien traveler is at stake.
I struggle to understand your logic: why are you trying to compare the two incidents? They are not comparable IMO.
 

Mile

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Broken submarine deal with Macron is a different type of issue: faulty diplomacy by a PM.
Here we have an attempt to enter the country by an alien traveler (Joker) on invalid visa, and a contempt of the country's border protection law by said alien. PM is just doing his job of standing by his agency who is enforcing the law. There is no diplomacy nor national interest of any kind at stake. Only a private interest of the affected alien traveler is at stake.
I struggle to understand your logic: why are you trying to compare the two incidents? They are not comparable IMO.

I have a problem with people who lie. If I catch them once I never trust them anymore. Same with Aussie PM. So Novak became a victim of their policy.
 

Ellentonboy

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Well Novak is appealing the decision, in that hotel which doesn't appear to be five star but it is better then a dim room at the airport. I am exhausted from all the twists and turns, I hope both sides feel all this aggravation is worth it.
 

kskate2

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Well Novak is appealing the decision, in that hotel which doesn't appear to be five star but it is better then a dim room at the airport. I am exhausted from all the twists and turns, I hope both sides feel all this aggravation is worth it.
Why do you think the Australians are causing the aggravation? They are just doing their jobs. They made it abundantly clear months ago what would be required to play in Aus. Second, they are not the ones appealing all the decisions.
 

Carol

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Meanwhile the Serbians are complaining in front of the hotel where Novak has to stay until......

 

Carol

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Novak is not very happy in that hotel....ay ay ay if he would be vaccinated or at least getting the correct visa he wouldn't be going through all of that

 

Mile

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C'mon. Taking telephone away, just in Guantanamo. p.S. Dont forget it's Christmas tomorrow.
 

kskate2

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So lemme get this straight. Djoke is at the quarantine hotel, but his team isn't with him? Obviously the team isn't having the same visa problem as their employer. Don't tell me, they're vaxxed, right?
 

tented

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Why Novak Djokovic Was Blocked From Entering Australia

This excerpt is particularly interesting:

Last year, the Australian Open said participants would have to be fully vaccinated, in line with requirements for entering the country. Mr. Djokovic’s participation was seen as unlikely until he announced on Tuesday that he would play after receiving an exemption.

He did not say why he had received the exemption; neither did Australian tennis officials. But they explained that 26 people who had applied for a vaccine waiver had had their requests reviewed by panels of medical officials from both Tennis Australia and the state of Victoria. A small number were granted.

The requests were reviewed under guidelines from an official government advisory body on vaccinations. The group listed several possible reasons for exemptions, including a Covid-19 infection within the last six months, inflammatory cardiac illness, or acute medical conditions such as major surgery.

Mr. Djokovic’s application was based on a recent infection, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Mr. Djokovic’s exemption was denounced by many in Australia as the Omicron variant has driven a jump in new cases and residents have faced long delays in testing.

After Mr. Djokovic arrived in Melbourne, he was questioned for hours at the airport before being sent to a quarantine hotel. Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, who has faced criticism over the government’s Covid response in recent days, announced that Mr. Djokovic’s entry had been denied.

“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders,” Mr. Morrison wrote on Twitter. “No one is above these rules.”
In November, Greg Hunt, the Australian health minister, said in a letter to Craig Tiley, the head of Tennis Australia, that people who had contracted Covid-19 and had not been fully vaccinated would not qualify for quarantine-free entry.

Mr. Hunt added that the grounds for an exemption, such as a recent infection, are meant “for domestic purposes only — such as interstate travel, or meeting workplace vaccination requirements — and does not apply in the context of international borders.”

It was not clear why Tennis Australia and the Victoria government then granted Mr. Djokovic the exemption.

Mr. Morrison said on Thursday that there had “not necessarily” been any problem with Australia’s initial granting of a visa to Mr. Djokovic, and that it was up to travelers with visas to show proof of full vaccination at the border.
 
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tented

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I'm starting a separate thread to focus exclusively on everything surrounding Novak's attempts to play in Australia.
 
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10isfan

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So tennis and local officials misinterpreted the rules for exemption? Djoke should never have gotten one?
 

Carol

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And meanwhile his team are in a rented house which means they have the right visa and they are vaccinated? everything is soooo odd!
 

MargaretMcAleer

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Quite frankly this current mess should have never happened.Tennis Australia knew since last November that Novak was going to be a problem with his view on vaccines,he has a right to his opinion.,though when you are travelling to country that has strict views on vaccination,you have to make a decision either to get vaccinated or not travel to Melbourne.
 

tented

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Quite frankly this current mess should have never happened.Tennis Australia knew since last November that Novak was going to be a problem with his view on vaccines,he has a right to his opinion.,though when you are travelling to country that has strict views on vaccination,you have to make a decision either to get vaccinated or not travel to Melbourne.
And probably should have stated there will be no medical exemptions for the athletes.
 

MargaretMcAleer

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And probably should have stated there will be no medical exemptions for foreigners.
They needed to be clearer and stand firm,not allowing 'loop holes'
Quite frankly he should have never got on a flight here to Melbourne....Tennis Australia have a lot to answer for.
 
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the AntiPusher

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They needed to be clearer and stand firm,not allowing 'loop holes'
Quite frankly he should have never got on a flight here to Melbourne....Tennis Australia have a lot to answer for.
Novak is just the biggest name in tennis now. ATP tour and television, advertisers probably have made inquires to see if everything had been considered to see if there was a way he could participate in the tournament. Heck, I don't know but the past few days have been better than being on that other lame ass thread regarding the pandemic.
 
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