Scott Morrison and Daniel Andrews at loggerheads over unvaccinated tennis players

Premier Daniel Andrews has fired back after the Prime Minister indicated unvaccinated tennis players will be allowed into Australia for the Australian Open if they apply for a skilled worker travel exemption and undergo 14-day quarantine.

With the Australian Open only months away, there are ongoing discussions between Tennis Australia and the Victorian Government about players who are either unvaccinated or don’t want to reveal their status.

Speaking to Neil Mitchell, Mr Morrison said there is a “pathway” for entry for unvaccinated skilled workers travelling for economic activities.

“They’ll have to quarantine for two weeks, just in the same way a skilled worker who has come in to fix a boiler … or something like that, they can get exemptions to do that,” he said.

“We’ve been providing exemptions for workers to come in to do these types of things all the way through the pandemic.”

NEIL MITCHELL: “Will you allow unvaccinated tennis players into the country for the Australian Open?”

SCOTT MORRISON: “Well they’ll have to quarantine for two weeks.”

Scott Morrison’s comments come two days after Victorian Sport Minister Martin Pakula said a ruling on whether unvaccinated players would be locked out of the country was “not settled yet”.

Premier Daniel Andrews has returned serve, saying he will not be seeking any travel exemptions for unvaccinated tennis players.

“My government will not be applying for an exemption for any unvaccinated player,” he said.

Press PLAY below to hear Mr Morrison on vaccination for players and Australia’s climate change plan

Image:  Brendon Thorne/Getty Images (Scott Morrison); Mark Santomartino/Twitter (Daniel Andrews)

Victorian Sport Minister says rule on unvaccinated Australian Open players ‘not settled yet’