A spectator at Australia’s showpiece Boxing Day Test against India has tested positive for Covid-19 as informed by the authorities said Wednesday, warning fans seated nearby that they should get tested themselves and isolate. State health authorities said the fans were n;t infectious while at the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground on the second day of play “but there is potential he acquired the virus while there” or at a nearby shopping center.
Informing the same, Victoria’s Department of Health said, “The MCG is being investigated as a potential source for the infection. We’re encouraging anyone who was in The Great Southern Stand, zone 5 of the MCG between 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm on 27 December, to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.”
The Boxing Day Test is a centerpiece of Australia’s sporting calendar and just under 30,000 people attended this year, well short of capacity.
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Despite not having many cases of Covid-19, Australia is currently battling to cut down the cluster of cases and hoping aggressive testing and contact tracing can help avoid full-scale lockdowns. The news comes just a day before the commencement of the third Test between Australia and India, which has caused some controversy by being played in Sydney, the epicentre of a recent outbreak.
The number of fans at the SCG has been restricted to 25 percent of seating capacity in order to make sure it does not become a mass spreading event. Authorities in New South Wales said the revelation from Melbourne was “obviously influencing our thinking” about how the third Test would proceed, without elaborating.
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India’s tour Down Under has been beset with Covid-19 related problems. Five Indian cricketers were criticized for seemingly breaching the team’s biosecurity bubble by going out to a restaurant. And there are still questions about whether the two teams will have to quarantine before the final Test in Brisbane next week.
