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Australia's athletes banned from spectating in drastic COVID measure

(Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
13th July, 2022
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Australia’s Commonwealth Games athletes have been banned from spectating at other venues, while masks will be mandatory to limit COVID-19 transmission in Birmingham.

Around 5,000 athletes, including more than 400 Australians, from 72 nations and territories are due to compete in England between July 28 and August 8.

About one-in-25 in England were reported to be COVID-19 positive in the last week of June, with those infected not required to isolate.

Every Games athlete and official will be required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival as part of the organisation’s health and safety playbook. 

Australia’s largest contingent for an overseas Games is not taking any chances, with team chef de mission Petria Thomas announcing additional COVID-19 safety measures on Wednesday “to get athletes to the starting line and (ensure) they are performance ready”.

Athletes will have to wear face masks when not in their rooms or exercising and won’t be allowed to spectate at other venues given they would be mixing with the public.

They will also be split between six different athletes’ villages, including one in London for the track cycling team, after organisers scrapped plans for a single village due to building delays.

COVID-19 infection remains a factor in domestic and international sport, with State of Origin stars, Test cricketers and a number of world championship swimmers recently forced out of competition.

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“We still want to make sure we create an experience that, no matter what village you are in, you still feel part of the Australian team,” Thomas told the Nine Network.

“It’s going to be challenging to replicate what we would normally have in a single village, but our message is there is not much we can do about the multi-village arrangement, we have to live with it and want to try and maximise the environment we do have.”

© AAP

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