Rolling coverage: Three UK virus cases linked to Australian Open

A super-infectious mutant strain of COVID-19 has been reported in three people linked to the Australian Open. A total of 10 cases are now linked to the tennis event.

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A 10th person connected to the Australian Open has tested positive for COVID-19.

The new case, a male in his 20s, was confirmed on Saturday night by COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria. He is not a player.

CQV said in its latest update three previously reported positive cases linked to the tennis tournament were found to be infected with the UK mutant coronavirus strain.

Two of the men are aged in their 30s and one in his 50s, and all are not players.

CQV said they arrived in Melbourne on a dedicated Australian Open charter flight on January 15 and returned their first positive tests on January 15, 17 and 18.

“All three cases have been in hard lockdown since they landed in Melbourne,” a CQV spokeswoman said.

It comes as Victoria recorded no new local coronavirus cases overnight, with three cases recorded in hotel quarantine.

It marks the 17th consecutive day of no local transmission of the virus in Victoria.

The number of active cases in Victoria is 33, made up of one locally acquired case linked to the Black Rock restaurant cluster.

Thirty people are now allowed at indoor gatherings but party-goers have been urged to keep practising physical distancing over the Australia Day long weekend and to maintain good hygiene and stay home and get tested if they have any symptoms.

It comes as changes to the “traffic light” travel permit zones in New South Wales and Queensland came into effect.

Only one local government area — Cumberland in Greater Sydney — remains a red zone.

The Greater Sydney LGAs of Blacktown City, Burwood, Canada Bay City, Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield City, Inner West, Liverpool City, Parramatta City and Strathfield Municipality will now join the rest of Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Blue Mountains as orange zones.

Anyone who is now in an orange zone and meets the permit criteria can now apply for an orange zone permit.

Travel from an orange zone requires people to self-isolate, get tested within 72 hours of arrival and remain in quarantine until they receive a negative result.

Greater Brisbane and regional New South Wales, excluding Wollongong and the Blue Mountains, has changed from an orange zone to a green zone.

Travel from a green zone requires people to watch and get tested if they have any symptoms at all.

The “traffic light” system allows all residents and travellers wishing to enter Victoria from anywhere across Australia to apply for a permit.

Crowds have been urged to keep practising physical distancing over the Australia Day long weekend. Picture: Daniel Pockett

It comes after the Australian Open was rocked by its first positive case in a player in quarantine on Friday.

Spain’s Paula Badosa was “unwell” and experiencing symptoms, and was transferred to a health hotel, where all positive cases tied to the grand slam are based.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said players who test positive for COVID-19 will have to restart their hard lockdown.

In a move that could disrupt a player’s training, and potentially their grand slam bid, Prof Sutton on Friday said anyone with a positive result must isolate for 10 to 14 days, regardless of how long they had already quarantined.

Calling it an “unfortunate consequence”, Prof Sutton said the latest positive test results were “proof” that hard lockdown measures were “necessary”.

“The isolation period starts from when that case is confirmed,” Prof Sutton said.

“For ordinary coronavirus that period is at least 10 days, so you have to be free of symptoms for three days and complete that 10 days.

There are nine confirmed coronavirus cases linked to the Australian Open, according to figures provided by COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria on Friday night.

A possible 10th case was being investigated and if confirmed would be included in Saturday’s case numbers.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services said there were seven positive cases linked to the tournament and three cases under review.