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Two Australian Open tennis players are among three new positive COVID-19 cases related to recent charter flights into Melbourne.

It was announced Tuesday that a woman in her 20s and two men in their 30s tested positive. None were identified, but two are players and one is a non-playing participant. The players are not considered contagious and remained in the general quarantine hotels.



That brings the total number of positive cases related to the season’s first major to seven or eight, depending on reports. Victoria state officials reclassified two of the previous positive cases as “viral shedding” — meaning not an active case of COVID-19.

Regardless, the number of players under a strict quarantine ahead of the Australian Open grew to 72 on Monday and the reclassification won’t change that, the officials said. Players under the mandated hard quarantine will not be allowed to practice or have training time for at least two weeks.

Tournament director Craig Tiley said the tournament remains scheduled to begin Feb. 8. The season’s first Grand Slam already was pushed back from its typical January start.

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— victoria azarenka (@vika7) January 19, 2021

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)