Victoria's CHO says there's no cause for concern over Greek tennis player's case

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has talked down fears Australian Open players could have been exposed to COVID-19 after a Greek tennis player tested positive after departing Australia.

Asked whether he was concerned by the revelation made overnight, Professor Sutton said "I don't think so".

Greece's Michail Pervolarakis didn't compete at this year's Australian Open but was on court for the ATP Cup, playing alongside world No.6 Stefanos Tsitsipas.

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"We've had circumstances before where we've had notification through the national focal point - again, under the international health regulations," Professor Sutton said.

"That means that countries identify other countries where they think that the virus might have originated. They've all been found to be not real results."

He noted that Pervolarakis had tested negative on his day of departure.

He then "was on a long flight, mixed with other international travellers, again, with a significant risk of cases on the subsequent levels of flight".

Pervolarakis confirmed the news of his positive test in a statement on his personal Instagram account.

"Hi everyone. After a 24-plus hour travel day from Australia (to) South Africa, I've been diagnosed positive to COVID-19," he wrote on his Instagram story.

"I am completely asymptomatic at the moment I will have to quarantine in an isolation facility in Potchefstroom."

Pervolarakis flew out of Melbourne Airport on February 9, the same day as an infectious COVID-19 case worked at Brunetti cafe in Terminal 4 of the airport, according to the Herald Sun.

However, Victoria's Minister for Health Martin Foley said the player departed Australia through Melbourne Airport's international terminal, not Terminal Four.

Mr Foley said Pervolarakis' medical team in South Africa believe he was most likely infected during his layover in the Middle East.