Djokovic admits tourist declaration has incorrect information – Orange County Register

By JOHN PYE and ROD McGUIRK

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) –

Novak Djokovic has admitted that his Australian travel declaration contains incorrect information, as the government is about to decide whether to deport the Serbian tennis star, who was not vaccinated against COVID-19 or not. no, in the public interest.

The men’s tennis No 1 had his visa canceled on arrival in Melbourne last week when it was questioned about his vaccination waiver, but he won a legal battle over procedural reasons that allowed him to stay in the country. . He still faces the prospect of deportation – a decision entirely at the discretion of Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke if it is deemed to be in the public interest for health and safety reasons.

Hawke has been considering the question since a judge reinstated Djokovic’s visa on Monday.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce said most Australians disapprove of the nine-time defending Australian Open champion traveling to Melbourne for a breach of the nation’s harsh pandemic quarantine rules.

“Most of us thought that because Mr. Djokovic hasn’t been vaxxed twice, he would be asked to leave,” Joyce told Nine Network television on Thursday. “Well, that’s our position, but it’s not the court’s position.”

“The vast majority of Australians… don’t like the idea that another individual, whether they are a tennis player or… the king of Spain or the Queen of England, could come here and have a different set of rules than they do. everyone. Joyce added.

The draw to determine the men’s and women’s singles events at the tournament was scheduled to be held at 3pm local time (0400 GMT) in Melbourne, but a tournament official told media outlets. Media is waiting that the ceremony has been postponed until further notice and declined to comment further.

There is speculation that the delay reflects uncertainty over whether Djokovic will be able to compete.

The debate over Djokovic’s presence in Australia has been heated amid the growing number of COVID-19 infections across the country.

Victoria, which hosts the Australian Open, on Thursday eased seven-day quarantine rules for close contacts of infected people in areas including education and transport to Limit the number of employees on leave.

The state recorded 37,169 new COVID-19 cases in the latest 24-hour period on Thursday, as well as 25 deaths and 953 hospitalizations.

Ticket sales to tennis tournaments have been restricted to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

In a statement posted on his social media accounts on Wednesday, the tennis star blamed “human error” by his support team for not reporting that he had been traveling. schedule in the two-week period prior to arrival in Australia.

Providing false information in the form could be grounds for deportation, the latest in the story of whether athletes will be allowed to stay in Australia despite being unvaccinated. Initial news that Djokovic was exempt from strict immunization rules for entry sparked a wave of outcry and the ensuing dispute overshadowed the Australian Open lead.

Djokovic admits to flaws as he seeks to clarify what he called “continued misinformation” about his movements after he was infected last month – although he did not explain what did not. exactly what you are referring to.

The statement was posted while Djokovic was at Rod Laver Arena holding a practice session, his third practice on the main court of the tournament since being released from prison after four nights in immigration detention.

Djokovic remains in limbo before the first professional tennis tournament of the year begins on Monday. The stakes are particularly high as he is looking for a record 21st Grand Slam men’s singles title.

Deportation could lead to sanctions up to a three-year ban from entry to Australia, a daunting prospect for a player who has won nearly half of the country’s 20 singles Grand Slam titles.

Court documents detailing Djokovic’s positive test have sparked speculation about the star player attending events in his native Serbia last month. Other questions were also raised about errors on his immigration form that could have resulted in his visa being canceled again.

In terms of form, Djokovic said he had not traveled for 14 days before his flight to Australia, despite being seen in Spain and Serbia during that period.

In his statement, Djokovic described the recent comment as “hurtful” and said he wanted to address it in the interest of “alleviating broader concerns in the community about my presence.” in Australia.”

The 34-year-old Serb said he had done rapid tests that came back negative and that he had no symptoms before receiving a positive result from a PCR test he took out of “outrageous caution” after while attending a basketball game in Belgrade on December 14.

He received the results late on December 17, he said, and abandoned all of his commitments except for a lengthy interview with L’Equipe newspaper the next day.

“I felt an obligation to go first… but made sure I wasn’t socially isolated and wore a mask unless my picture was being taken,” Djokovic said.

The L’Equipe reporter who interviewed the athlete wrote in the newspaper that he and a photographer also wore masks during practice – and kept their distance except for a brief moment when Djokovic spoke. bye. The reporter said he tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday and did not mention the photographer’s condition.

Djokovic said: “While I went home from the interview to isolate for the necessary period of time, as reflected, this was a mistake in judgment.

At the time, Serbia required people infected with COVID-19 to quarantine for at least 14 days. But Djokovic was seen more than a week after testing positive on the streets of Belgrade, even though he said he had tested negative in between.

Meanwhile, Djokovic addressed the Australia travel claim by saying it had been submitted by his support team and “my agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative error in ticking no”. exactly.”

“This is a human error and certainly not intentional,” he wrote. “My team has provided further information to the Australian Government to clarify this matter.”

The decision could take some time – but there is time pressure as the draw to determine slots for the Australian Open takes place on Thursday.

Hawke’s office released a statement on Wednesday saying Djokovic’s legal team had filed additional documents and added: “Naturally, this will affect the timeframe for the decision.”

At issue is whether he has received a valid exemption from the strict rules that require vaccinations to enter Australia since he recently recovered from COVID-19.

His exemption has been approved by the Victorian state government and Tennis Australia, the tournament’s organizer. That appears to have allowed him to get a visa to travel.

But the Australian Border Force denied the waiver and canceled his visa on arrival before a federal judge overturned that decision. Government lawyers say the infection is only a basis for an exemption in the case of the coronavirus causing severe illness – although it is unclear why he was granted a visa if that was the case.

The initial decision to let him compete sparked complaints that Djokovic was receiving special treatment – and his subsequent visa cancellation sparked accusations that he was being targeted when The problem becomes political. The story is unfolding amid growing concern in Australia about growing COVID-19 cases – and the government’s strategy to contain them.

If Djokovic’s visa is revoked, his lawyers could go back to court to apply for an injunction that would keep him from being forced to leave the country.

Sydney-based immigration lawyer Simon Jeans said if Djokovic’s visa was cancelled, he would likely be detained on immigration grounds. Djokovic can apply for a bridging visa to compete in the tournament pending an appeal. Immigration will have two business days to decide on the application. If Djokovic is denied such a visa, the appeal usually takes several weeks, Jeans said.

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This story has been updated to correct portions of Djokovic’s statement. It says misinformation continues, not disinformation is ongoing; mandatory, optional; my team, not the team. It has also been updated to adjust Serbia’s rules for isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 in December.

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McGuirk reports from Canberra, Australia. Associated Press writers Dusan Stojanovic in Belgrade, Serbia and Samuel Petrequin in Brussels contributed.