Pure B***shit: Novak Djokovic granted medical exemption to play at Australian Open


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3 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

what an utter crock of crap.

but you sum it up. our government believes in vaccinations. you and ND may not. you want to come to australia, you follow our rules. doesn't matter how important you and he think you are. 

the person who surely looks silly is ND. comes all this way trumpeting about how he is getting in under exemptions and now is headed home tail between his legs. and you think that makes the australian government look silly. in other words, your mind was made up long ago and reality counts for nothing. 

by the way, "Tennis Australia was told in writing more than once that a recent Covid infection is not an acceptable reason not to be fully vaccinated if you want quarantine-free entry into Australia.

Just trying to put this to bed with the simplest explanation of the situation.

Everyone looks silly, the aptitude of Aus is not in dispute.

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So some Aussies haven't been able to come home from overseas for 18 months due to vaccine hoops you need to jump through.  But wait.   Novak Djokovic granted medical exemption to play a

1 minute ago, mcicvara said:

Nole.jpg

the slight difference might be that the other players who qualified are double vaxxed. 

lot of players not even trying to come knowing that they did not qualify. as far as we are aware, ND the only player to attempt this unvaxxed. 

paul mcnamee might be a nice bloke and a good administrator but he might not be the most unbiased on this issue. 

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1 minute ago, Ken Gargett said:

the slight difference might be that the other players who qualified are double vaxxed. 

 

Why would double vaxxed players ask for exemption? They are talking about 3 out of those 26 who asked for exemption.

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5 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

Why would double vaxxed players ask for exemption? They are talking about 3 out of those 26 who asked for exemption.

There's a quarantine requirement when arriving in Australia. Being vaccinated qualifies one for an exemption from quarantine. Not sure if that is what is happening here.

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7 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

Why would double vaxxed players ask for exemption? They are talking about 3 out of those 26 who asked for exemption.

why? well line one on the government page addressing all this.

"Travel restrictions and exemptions

Travel to Australia is only available if you are exempt or you have been granted an individual exemption."

no disrespect but a lot of people seem to have fairly strong views on what applies here and what does not, and most of it seems to be pixieland stuff. 

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4 minutes ago, Bijan said:

There's a quarantine requirement when arriving in Australia. Being vaccinated qualifies one for an exemption from quarantine. Not sure if that is what is happening here.

I believe these 26 exemption requests are made by non-vaccinated.

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23 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

I believe these 26 exemption requests are made by non-vaccinated.

Oh ok, then it might be as Ken says.

Victoria state government says:

https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-overseas-travellers

Evidence of medical exemption for overseas travellers is:

  • A certificate issued by a medical practitioner who is authorised by an overseas government authority or an accredited vaccination provider that is written in English or accompanied by a certified translation, that contains:
    • The person’s name as it appears on their passport
    • The person’s date of birth or passport number
    • A certification from a medical practitioner that the person is unable to receive a dose, or a further dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical contraindication, or an acute medical illness (including where the person has been diagnosed with COVID-19) or a documented diagnosed COVID-19 infection confirmed by a PCR test within the previous 6 months.

But Australia government website says:

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/immunisation-medical-exemptions?context=22436

What doesn’t count as a medical exemption

You won't be able to get an exemption if your reason for not having a vaccine isn't valid.

These aren’t valid reasons:

  • mild illness without fever—meaning your temperature is below 38.5ºC
  • any family history of adverse events following immunisation
  • history of convulsions
  • treatment with antibiotics
  • treatment with locally acting steroids, inhaled or low dose topical
  • replacement corticosteroids
  • asthma, eczema, atopy, hay fever or sniffles
  • previous infection with the same pathogen
  • prematurity, vaccination shouldn’t be postponed and can be given if the infant is medically stable
  • history of neonatal jaundice
  • low weight in an otherwise healthy child
  • neurological conditions, including cerebral palsy and Down syndrome
  • contact with an infectious disease
  • child’s mother is pregnant
  • child is being breastfed
  • woman is breastfeeding
  • recent or planned surgery.

Edit: Details on what is valid federally:

"

What counts as a medical exemption

The only reasons you might be able to get an exemption from having a vaccine are if you:

  • had anaphylaxis after a previous dose of a vaccine
  • had anaphylaxis after a dose of any component of a vaccine
  • are significantly immunocompromised—for live vaccines only
  • have natural immunity—for hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox only."

 

Anyways a documented case of covid wasn't a valid reason for exemption in victoria until early December:

December 2nd:

https://web.archive.org/web/20211202024412/https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-overseas-travellers

"

  • A certification from your medical practitioner that you are unable to receive a dose (or further dose) of COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical contraindication. "

December 5th:

https://web.archive.org/web/20211205113820/https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/information-overseas-travellers

" certification from a medical practitioner that the person is unable to receive a dose, or a further dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical contraindication, or an acute medical illness (including where the person has been diagnosed with COVID-19) or a documented diagnosed COVID-19 infection confirmed by a COVID-19 PCR test within the previous 6 months."

It would be interesting to see how motivated by this tennis thing this was.

Edit: Also noteworthy that previous infection is not a valid exemption reason in any other Australian state as far as I can tell.

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5 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

I believe these 26 exemption requests are made by non-vaccinated.

out of interest, is that belief based on evidence of any kind and if so, i'd genuinely love to see it. all we are told down here is that a number of the claims were from individuals who have had covid in the last 6 months. nothing about vax status. only that out of an original 3,500 looking for these, 26 sought exemptions and a handful were granted. 

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8 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

out of interest, is that belief based on evidence of any kind and if so, i'd genuinely love to see it. all we are told down here is that a number of the claims were from individuals who have had covid in the last 6 months. nothing about vax status. only that out of an original 3,500 looking for these, 26 sought exemptions and a handful were granted. 

It seems pretty clear that the 26 exemption requests were for exemption from vaccine requirements.

I think the ESPN article makes that clear:

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32990613/novak-djokovic-defend-australian-open-title-exemption-vaccination

Why would the vaccinated apply?

 

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3 minutes ago, Bijan said:

It seems pretty clear that the 26 exemption requests were for exemption from vaccine requirements.

I think the ESPN article makes that clear:

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32990613/novak-djokovic-defend-australian-open-title-exemption-vaccination

Why would the vaccinated apply?

 

bijan, likely what you say is true but if you start wading through the actual regulations, there are so many options and alternatives. 

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6 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

bijan, likely what you say is true but if you start wading through the actual regulations, there are so many options and alternatives. 

Sure. But a more straightforward and equally plausible issue might be that ND didn't bring a letter/form from his doctor with his name and exemption reason (a requirement), or that his exemption reason was previous infection which is only valid in Queensland and not Australia. And that the other players who were let through did bring their exemption letters/forms or requested exemptions based on adverse reaction or acute medical issues.

Of course all that being said one can't rule out a call from up high advising the boarder control people to be stringent in this case.

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1 minute ago, Bijan said:

Sure. But a more straightforward and equally plausible issue might be that ND didn't bring a letter/form from his doctor with his name and exemption reason (a requirement), or that his exemption reason was previous infection which is only valid in Queensland and not Australia. And that the other players who were let through did bring their exemption letters/forms or requested exemptions based on adverse reaction or acute medical issues.

Of course all that being said one can't rule out a call from up high advising the boarder control people to be stringent in this case.

if you look at the original 3,500, down to 26 and then a handful - say 4-5, it is curious. as for the medical issues, if not something such as an adverse allergy to the vax, hard to say that some of the world's fittest, healthiest athletes are going to fall short on medical grounds. 

it would be, for me, more likely that the calls came from on high in melbourne to get him into the tournament rather than from the federal government to the border forces. our border forces are fairly strict and they would not be unaware that they were under the microscope. as dumb as our politicians are, at all levels, hard to imagine that any of them would be so really stupid as to try and influence the border force. of course, i have overestimated politicians' intelligence before. 

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1 minute ago, Ken Gargett said:

as dumb as our politicians are, at all levels, hard to imagine that any of them would be so really stupid as to try and influence the border force

Maybe I worded it wrong, but in general it seems to me that border control people have their regular checklists but they also have a list of names and red flags and if any are triggered they basically have the traveller wait and call the relevant ministry and keep escalating until resolved and they figure out what to do.

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15 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Have to agree, our Border Force is very strict. Why else would they, after looking at my Australian passport, ask me what was my purpose for visiting Australia?...

i said strict, not smart. although...

 

15 minutes ago, Bijan said:

Maybe I worded it wrong, but in general it seems to me that border control people have their regular checklists but they also have a list of names and red flags and if any are triggered they basically have the traveller wait and call the relevant ministry and keep escalating until resolved and they figure out what to do.

no argument but even our border security would know that this one needed all dots and crosses in place. 

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1 hour ago, Ken Gargett said:

out of interest, is that belief based on evidence of any kind and if so, i'd genuinely love to see it. 

"Organisers of the Australian Open had stipulated that all participants must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts."

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3 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

"Organisers of the Australian Open had stipulated that all participants must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts."

That only gets you into the stadium, not into Australia.

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3 minutes ago, rckymtn22 said:

That only gets you into the stadium, not into Australia.

Recent statement:

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was a matter for the government of Victoria, where Melbourne is the state capital.

"They have provided (Djokovic) with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that,'' Morrison said. "States provide exemptions for people to enter on those basis, and that's been happening for the last two years."

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1 hour ago, mcicvara said:

"Organisers of the Australian Open had stipulated that all participants must be vaccinated against the coronavirus or have a medical exemption granted by an independent panel of experts."

as rockymtn says, that will not be relevant for getting you into the country. tennis australia, despite what they may thunk, does not run the policy of who gets into the country and who doesn't. 

 

1 hour ago, mcicvara said:

Recent statement:

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was a matter for the government of Victoria, where Melbourne is the state capital.

"They have provided (Djokovic) with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that,'' Morrison said. "States provide exemptions for people to enter on those basis, and that's been happening for the last two years."

as you well know, that is a very selective quote and takes the matter out of context. if you continue, "if medical exemptions had been provided by medical professionals and that’s been furnished to him as a proviso for him to get on that plane, well, that will have to stack up when he arrives in Australia,” the prime minister said."

obviously it did not. the onus is, and always has been, on the individual to prove he qualifies for the exemption. 

put simply (yet again), he did not qualify. he does not have the right to enter australia, no matter how important he thinks he is. he has received the same treatment as many others, as he should. if he can turn around and provide evidence that complies with the laws of australia, then terrific. he can enter and play. otherwise, bugger off. 

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21 minutes ago, mcicvara said:

Recent statement:

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the decision was a matter for the government of Victoria, where Melbourne is the state capital.

"They have provided (Djokovic) with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that,'' Morrison said. "States provide exemptions for people to enter on those basis, and that's been happening for the last two years."

He also said:

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Djokovic’s visa had been cancelled on social media.

“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant,” he said on Twitter.

Later, at a media conference in Canberra, Morrison told reporters that Djokovic had failed to provide sufficient proof for why he should have a medical exemption from vaccination and denied the player had been “singled out”.

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13 minutes ago, rckymtn22 said:

He also said:

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Djokovic’s visa had been cancelled on social media.

“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant,” he said on Twitter.

Later, at a media conference in Canberra, Morrison told reporters that Djokovic had failed to provide sufficient proof for why he should have a medical exemption from vaccination and denied the player had been “singled out”.

yep. and tennis australia had been clearly advised well in advance that a case of covid in the last 6 months would not be a reason for an exemption. they seem to have 'conveniently' forgotten that. 

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