Who is being U, Australia or Novak Djokovic?

[inheritancetrack]

Me, I'm in the you can't have your cake and eat it Novak, camp!

@RedRec

All anti vaxxers should read this thread, and many others like it, to to see what the vaccinated think of the unvaccinated generally around the world. Hardly anyone, apart from his father, is team Djokovic.

Unsure why you assume that those who are Anti-Vax would give a flying shit as to what others think?

Those who are Anti-vax are (minus the few nutjobs) not getting the vaccine because of geniune health concerns - which will outweigh the opinions of strangers.

So it looks to me as if he complied with the State rules, there was then a public outcry and the federal Govt got involved.

The Federal Government was always involved as the visa granting authority.

State processes and entry requirements are totally separate (and largely didn’t exist until last year).

Novak is being unreasonable, and a bit of a twat. Australia said he could come as long as he could prove his exemption to an independent medical board once he arrived.

They listened to his defence (basically - “I will decide what goes in my body” - which is BS, anyway, since as an elite athlete, he can’t decide to take, for example, any old hayfever treatment off the shelf because of doping rules) then decided his exemption didn’t meet their professional expectations, so he wasn’t allowed in (AND THIS RISK HAD BEEN MADE CLEAR TO HIM BEFORE HE TRAVELLED THERE).
Game - Australia!

Novak Djokovic is unreasonable. No sympathy for him whatsoever (apart from I don't understand why they first granted the visa then rescinded it).
I know Australian nationals who've had to jump through quarantine hoops to be allowed to fly home to visit dying relatives.
He has chosen not to take the vaccine but with that choice comes consequences.

Entertainment value off the back of this
www.theshovel.com.au/2022/01/06/the-manus-island-open-announces-wild-card-entrant-novak-djokovic/

If only poor Viktor Navorski had been an rich athlete

@JassyRadlett

1. He had a visa so the airline will have let him on for that, they don't have to check that he is fully compliant with all the conditions of that visa.

2. Rich and famous people get special treatment from airlines all the time.

Actually, on your first point, airlines have a specific responsibility under the Australian rules to check the terms of medical exemptions and that they apply with Australian standards.

I suspect your point 2 may have more to do with it.

And point 1 as well as Tenis Australia gave him the medical exemption. If he could present an email or writen proof Tenis Australia had accepted his exemption, the airline would let him in.

There is an argument that Tenis Australia could be part to blame in this debacle, except:

1. Tenis Australia exemption was made on the advice of a medical panel that has NOTHING to do with border requirement entry

1. Borders in Australia are the under the umbrella of the Federal Government. Anyone looking into travelling into Australia right now and having a quick google about requirements will see first that being double vaxxed by a ATAGI approved vaccine is an ESSENTIAL requirement. It's not optional.

Nole has a team of experts working for him. This was not a mistake, he knew the rules and tried to bypass them.

If he couldn't have, because the mandate doesn't allow unvaccinated people to travel at all (when quarantine/testing would prove they didn't have Covid and weren't a risk in any way) then Australia is BU.

Australian rules have been incredibly restrictive. Until very recently, you couldn’t enter or leave Australia at all, even as a citizen, without a specific exemption - which was hard to get.

Those rules only started to loosen up recently - for fully vaccinated citizens/residents/immediate families and holders of specific visas.

He could have tried to enter under the rules for unvaccinated travellers - which means doing the same as everyone had to do before December. Apply for an exemption from the travel restrictions, apply again when the application is rejected, hope for the best, do two weeks in hotel quarantine.

No sympathy for him whatsoever (apart from I don't understand why they first granted the visa then rescinded it).

I’m not sure people get how visas work? They have certain conditions attached to them. If you don’t meet the conditions you can be denied entry and have your visa cancelled.

It’s on the traveller to make sure they meet the requirements of the visa they hold.

Team Australia. It's clear in every country that decisions on entry are made at the border. Having worked for UK Borders it's astonishing how many people rock up without checking the rules and then are none too pleased to be refused entry. Even more so if they are either wealthy or think they're important in some way.

You want to go to another country you check and comply with their rules. I actually think Australia has been too strict esp so with their own residents and citizens but that's a matter for them and of course they can't be seen to bend the rules.

I (3 times jabbed) can't go and see my sister in Australia, so why should he be allowed to break the rules just to bounce a little ball around?

Australia

Thank you for that information, @JassyRadlett - that really is very restrictive!

In that case I think that both Novak and Australia are being unreasonable. One for thinking his fame makes him special, and the other for unreasonably authoritarian policies (ESH, for any Redditors...)

I'm team Australia.
If he'd have kept his stupid cocky mouth shut he'd have probably been fine.
They warned him if he turned out without the correct exemptions he'd be turned away and I'm glad they've followed through.

Australia don't mess around with their border control!

If he had wanted to go to a country where the rules are different depending on who you are, then he really should have made a bee line for the UK.

Tennis match ? This is a work meeting with rackets.

@Sirzy

Australia have their entry rules. He doesn’t meet them therefore he can’t enter.

The rules can’t differ just because of who he is

This. There is nowt more annoying than rich and famous folk not having to follow the same rules as the plebs, whatever you might think of the rules in question.

Team Australia. He's an entitled idiot.

@SuspiciousHumanoid

I don’t like Australia’s rules, but if they are Australia’s rules then they apply to everybody.

This

@Chloemol

Australia

Care to elaborate on why?

All anti vaxxers should read this thread, and many others like it, to to see what the vaccinated think of the unvaccinated generally around the world.

You don't speak for me. He's within his rights to refuse a vaccine and Australia are within their rights to refuse him entry as a consequence of that choice.

I prefer to persuade and encourage vaccine hesitant people rather than try to coerce them with shame.

Covid deniers and rabid anti-vaxxers think I'm a sheep so won't give a shit about my opinion on their vaccination status, I'm not going to waste time and energy trying to change their mind.

@Gardeningtipsneeded

But they gave him the visa under their own rules and told him he could play. They granted the medical exemption. They revoked it on his arrival because of backlash.

I believe it was Tennis Australia and the Victorian government who gave him the exemption. However border control is actually under federal jurisdiction and the feds had not granted approval. Apparently they had twice informed Tennis Australia of this, so I think TA should cop the blame really.

Team Aus here too, he has had ample time to provide the correct documentation, he is a world class athlete, access to many medical people who could have provided the evidence required.

@BoredZelda

anti vaxxers should read this thread, and many others like it, to to see what the vaccinated think of the unvaccinated generally around the world.

Is he anti vax though? He is against mandatory vaccinations, but that’s not exactly an unpopular opinion.

According to this morning's Guardian he's a full-on obscurant including associations with extreme nationalist mythmakers of the vilest sort.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jan/05/novak-djokovic-flies-into-australian-open-vaccination-storm

Can’t wait for when all the anti Vaxxers the world over have to start missing out on holidays, weddings abroad etc. maybe their ‘health concerns’ will suddenly become less severe when their bestie wants to her married somewhere hot and everyone’s going

Australia for even considering letting him in. All rules should apply to everyone (Boris!). It shouldn't have been down to a visa error.