The Australian Open tournament organisers have let it be known that they do not foresee any delays to its proposed 14th January start. This is despite the ongoing bushfires that are laying waste to the country. The uncontrolled burning has so far left a number of people dead, laid waste to homes and millions of hectares of land, and wiped out almost half a billion animals.
Although Melbourne’s air quality has reached very unhealthy levels, planners have introduced measures to ensure that the games can begin on time. Director of the Australian Open and Chief Executive Officer of Tennis Australia Craig Tiley has stated that the forecast is good. He added that his team is prioritising the health and safety of players, staff, and supporters and that they have committed significant additional resources to analysis, monitoring, and logistics for the duration of the tournament.
He stated that air quality experts and meteorological specialists will be onsite to examine all available live data and continually be able to assess the situation at Melbourne Park in real-time. He also said that everyone would also be working very closely with local experts and medical personnel.
Visibility in the city of Melbourne, which will host the opening Grand Slam of 2020 later on in January, is less than a kilometre in some parts of the city and surrounding areas, says the Victoria Bureau of Meteorology. The index reached 213 on the 6th of January, with readings above 200 deemed incredibly unhealthy.
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