<p>The Australian Open will allow 50 per cent capacity at Rod Laver Arena, the centre court, from Thursday after state authorities eased a five-day coronavirus lockdown, organisers of the Grand Slam tennis tournament said.</p>.<p>"We look forward to welcoming fans back to the Australian Open for the next four days and to finishing the event safely and on a high," tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement.</p>.<p>A maximum of 7,477 fans will be allowed at each of the day and night sessions from Thursday, Tiley said.</p>.<p>The announcement comes ahead of the five-day state-wide lockdown ending at midnight on Wednesday with state health authorities expressing confidence the snap restrictions had been enough to contain a coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>"Last week we had our first real experience of live sport with fans in the stands and the atmosphere was electric," said Tiley.</p>.<p>The restrictions were ordered last Friday after a small cluster of the UK coronavirus variant emerged.</p>.<p>The Australian Open's Melbourne Park complex had been operating on the capacity of a restricted ground of 30,000 spectators per day in the first week of the tournament before the snap lockdown.</p>.<p>The five-day stay-at-home order now appears to have contained the outbreak, which centred on a hotel near Melbourne airport, to 19 people.</p>.<p>No new cases were reported Wednesday.</p>
<p>The Australian Open will allow 50 per cent capacity at Rod Laver Arena, the centre court, from Thursday after state authorities eased a five-day coronavirus lockdown, organisers of the Grand Slam tennis tournament said.</p>.<p>"We look forward to welcoming fans back to the Australian Open for the next four days and to finishing the event safely and on a high," tournament director Craig Tiley said in a statement.</p>.<p>A maximum of 7,477 fans will be allowed at each of the day and night sessions from Thursday, Tiley said.</p>.<p>The announcement comes ahead of the five-day state-wide lockdown ending at midnight on Wednesday with state health authorities expressing confidence the snap restrictions had been enough to contain a coronavirus outbreak.</p>.<p>"Last week we had our first real experience of live sport with fans in the stands and the atmosphere was electric," said Tiley.</p>.<p>The restrictions were ordered last Friday after a small cluster of the UK coronavirus variant emerged.</p>.<p>The Australian Open's Melbourne Park complex had been operating on the capacity of a restricted ground of 30,000 spectators per day in the first week of the tournament before the snap lockdown.</p>.<p>The five-day stay-at-home order now appears to have contained the outbreak, which centred on a hotel near Melbourne airport, to 19 people.</p>.<p>No new cases were reported Wednesday.</p>