Novak Djokovic

[pje16]

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked on his arrival in Melbourne, amid a huge backlash over a vaccine exemption
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59889522
What is your view?

[DrFfybes]

He should have claimed he was going to test his eyesight.

[seekingbalance]

It seems clear he has not had Covid in the last 6 months, the rule that has allowed others in, as he would have been allowed in too, so he must have a “serious medical condition” as per the other rules. Amazing how someone with such a condition can win so many tennis tournaments where surely one must be as fit as anyone else on the planet to win so consistently.

Maybe his condition is “being an arrogant pig”

[bluedonkey]

Apparently he has a reputation as a promoter of conspiracy theories and quack medicine.

[BigB]

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked on his arrival in Melbourne, amid a huge backlash over a vaccine exemption
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59889522
What is your view?

Probably not, but I respect the principle of someone (him) keeping their situation personal - I haven't voted because I suspect we don't really know what has and hasn't happened. With that in mind, he should perhaps have chosen not to enter and to avoid the issue.

Regardless of his actual medical exemption status, and of his visa status, and of any possible changes of heart with either state or federal governments (see twitter for numerous wild accusations) - regardless of all this, what he clearly hasn't done is to read the room and work out how unpopular his privileged presence would be in a country that has practiced a very hard covid borders & lockdown policy for 22 months.

[servodude]

Apparently he has a reputation as a promoter of conspiracy theories and quack medicine.

He does love donkeys though!
(Apparently he's a big fan of their milk for some of his quackery)

[Arborbridge]

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked on his arrival in Melbourne, amid a huge backlash over a vaccine exemption
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59889522
What is your view?

Probably not, but I respect the principle of someone (him) keeping their situation personal - I haven't voted because I suspect we don't really know what has and hasn't happened. With that in mind, he should perhaps have chosen not to enter and to avoid the issue.

Regardless of his actual medical exemption status, and of his visa status, and of any possible changes of heart with either state or federal governments (see twitter for numerous wild accusations) - regardless of all this, what he clearly hasn't done is to read the room and work out how unpopular his privileged presence would be in a country that has practiced a very hard covid borders & lockdown policy for 22 months.

I'd like to know more about the background. I'd guess there's great pressure on the promoters to bring him in for mercenary reasons, but that seems shameful when so many have made sacrifices. It would still be a great championship without Djokovic and if he won't comply then he knows the rules and should pay the price. Simple. Instead he and his co-agents within the tennis authority try to flout the regulations on some technicality.
And how much would a specialist doctor be paid to fudge up some wording to do the trick?


Arb.

[pje16]

And how much would a specialist doctor be paid to fudge up some wording to do the trick?
Arb.

How deceptive?
and then the patient could be blackmailed for years by the doc to make sure he never spills the beans
(see... I can think that way too )

[daveh]

And how much would a specialist doctor be paid to fudge up some wording to do the trick?
Arb.

How deceptive?
and then the patient could be blackmailed for years by the doc to make sure he never spills the beans
(see... I can think that way too )

The player exemptions were done by independent medical committees and were supposed to be anonymised (ie they would only have known it was a player for the Australian Open and not that it was Novak).

Personally I'm not sure they should have let him in unless he had a valid medical reason for not being vaccinated (and I don't think having had covid within the last 6 months is a valid reason, particularly as it is unlikley to provide protection to Omicron). However the blocking him at the border once he had been given an exemption seems more political than anything after the public backlash.

[Arborbridge]

However the blocking him at the border once he had been given an exemption seems more political than anything after the public backlash.

Well, maybe it was a cock up? It could be the decision taken in Victoria wasn't known by the Federal Government until late in the timeline. In fact, maybe it was a bright eyed informant who brought it to their attention. I guess we won't know the exact process.

Arb.

[servodude]

World number one tennis player Novak Djokovic has had his visa to enter Australia dramatically revoked on his arrival in Melbourne, amid a huge backlash over a vaccine exemption
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-59889522
What is your view?

Probably not, but I respect the principle of someone (him) keeping their situation personal - I haven't voted because I suspect we don't really know what has and hasn't happened. With that in mind, he should perhaps have chosen not to enter and to avoid the issue.

Regardless of his actual medical exemption status, and of his visa status, and of any possible changes of heart with either state or federal governments (see twitter for numerous wild accusations) - regardless of all this, what he clearly hasn't done is to read the room and work out how unpopular his privileged presence would be in a country that has practiced a very hard covid borders & lockdown policy for 22 months.

I'd like to know more about the background. I'd guess there's great pressure on the promoters to bring him in for mercenary reasons, but that seems shameful when so many have made sacrifices. It would still be a great championship without Djokovic and if he won't comply then he knows the rules and should pay the price. Simple. Instead he and his co-agents within the tennis authority try to flout the regulations on some technicality.
And how much would a specialist doctor be paid to fudge up some wording to do the trick?


Arb.

If he's eligible for an exemption from the vaccine requirement to play then that's great (but surprising) and he should.
If he's eligible to enter the country he should, and he should make sure that he fills in the correct visa application and exemption paperwork
- because if he gets off the plane and they check it and it's not correct he'll be in a bit of trouble.

He might even make it on the the TV in "Border Security" - they'd probably use it as a special episode.... normally it's just full of people coming from China with really bizarre dried dead things.

He should probably stop being an arrogant pr**k - in general and specifically around pushing nut job quackery on various social media (No! Novak your emotions cannot make dirty water safe!)

I do think he's trying to pull one
- I suspect that the "mistakes" were considered convenient when they were made
I think that the extra scrutiny that will be brought to bear now on his attempts to avoid having two wee jabs will probably cement his position as an arrogant goat
I doubt he'll face the usual fate of folk who try it on with the border guys (hell he's still in the country!) and he would be unlikely to suffer the 3 year ban on entry

I had more sympathy for Johnny Depp's dugs

-sd

[88V8]

I bet that many people who claim a medical exemption re vax or masks have nothing of the sort.
If genuine, does one get a piece of paper from the doc?

V8

[servodude]

However the blocking him at the border once he had been given an exemption seems more political than anything after the public backlash.

Well, maybe it was a cock up? It could be the decision taken in Victoria wasn't known by the Federal Government until late in the timeline. In fact, maybe it was a bright eyed informant who brought it to their attention. I guess we won't know the exact process.

Arb.

The "news" doing the rounds is that the applications were taken at face value. The ATAGI rep saying something along the lines of "we're not there do to intelligence"

I suspect that the exemption was probably correctly awarded on the basis of what they thought they were looking at... and that it was probably "a bit bogus"

-sd

[servodude]

I bet that many people who claim a medical exemption re vax or masks have nothing of the sort.
If genuine, does one get a piece of paper from the doc?

V8

For valid conditions yes
Certainly for this kind of thing at this kind of level

EDIT: I have a work colleague with one (she's had a reaction previously) and we need to be able to prove vax status

[stewamax]

Although irrelevant to whether he should enter Oz, he does have some unusual beliefs - notably (vide Insta live) about the power of mind to turn polluted water into potable water. Sounds like the biblical 'Marriage at Cana' or Uri Geller promoting homeopathy ...
His wife is (vide her Insta feed) a believer that 5G radiation is associated with Covid-19.

But he is also a superb tennis player and that is what people pay for.

[Padders72]

Now you mention it he does look a little like Uri Geller!

Whatever the outcome here, the Aussie authorities haven't exactly covered themselves in glory. To wait until he was in mid air then hoick his visa seems a bit of a knee jerk political thing. He was silly for going and they were silly for giving him approval at the local level. No one seems to have come out of it well.

They wont back down now, the public wont allow it.

Djokavic looks older up close:

[monabri]

Ooh...err! ND's Mummy and Daddy are getting involved. It's just not fair on their little boy.

[Newroad]

Hi ServoDude.

I would be interested in what medical condition (or prior reaction) would enable a medical exemption from ALL known Covid-19 vaccines?

In simple terms, there are MRNA vaccines and vector vaccines for Covid-19 as I understand it - and from there, sub-types (e.g. AZ is an adenovirus variant of a vector vaccine). In so far as you know, does your colleague's condition prevent the use of all Covid-19 vaccine types - and if so, what is the common factor in said prevention?

Regards, Newroad

[UncleEbenezer]

Australia comes out as the prime idiots here.

To be consistent with their draconian general covid policies, they should've cancelled the event altogether.

Failing that, they should've let players in, perhaps subject to testing.

Failing that too, they should've been clear who was being barred. Not just to spare him the ordeal of a futile journey, but to make it clear to other players the extent to which the event was compromised and devalued, in time for them to make an informed decision whether to participate.

Failing all of those ... perhaps all concerned should resign?

[pje16]

Australia comes out as the prime idiots here.
To be consistent with their draconian general covid policies, they should've cancelled the event altogether.

Aussie deaths per million are 89
the same for UK is 2,185
not sure how much is down to policy but they must be doing something right (dracion or sensible)
source
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries