The Australian Olympic Committee has condemned the South Australian government over its “cruel and uncaring” decision to force athletes who have already quarantined in Sydney to complete an additional 14-day home quarantine on return to the state.
Sixteen athletes are due to return home to SA after returning from the Tokyo Olympics and finishing their hotel quarantine in Sydney.
The SA government has rejected AOC appeals to grant exemptions for the returning Olympians, who will isolate at their homes rather than at quarantine hotels.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Wednesday, the AOC chief executive, Matt Carroll, said the move was contrary to expert medical advice and posed a significant mental health risk.
“While other countries are celebrating the return of their athletes, we are subjecting ours to the most cruel and uncaring treatment,” Carroll said.
“They are being punished for proudly representing their country with distinction at the Olympic Games.
“We are all promoting the obvious benefits of vaccination, but this important layer of protection is not working in favour of these athletes, given this decision. By any measure, this group of returning Olympians is extremely low risk.
“Not only are our Olympians fully vaccinated, but they have also been living in a highly controlled bubble in Tokyo, taking the upmost precautions – tested daily over many weeks.”
SA Health requires people arriving from overseas who have completed their quarantine in New South Wales to apply for an exemption to approve travel to the state.
The 16 athletes in quarantine in Sydney, believed to include gold medal-winning rower Alexander Hill, are among a total of 56 South Australia-based Olympians who have returned from the Tokyo games.
Carroll said the AOC had followed the exemption process, submitting medical evidence based on advice, but was on Wednesday told the athletes must apply to quarantine at home, with no certainty of approval.
The Australian Institute of Sport’s medical officer, Dr David Hughes, described the decision as “profoundly flawed”.
“To have individuals quarantined for such a lengthy period of time is, in my opinion, unreasonable and cannot be scientifically justified,” Hughes said.
“It poses a significant risk to the physical and mental wellbeing of the individuals concerned. Athletes subject to home quarantine will not be permitted a welcome home hug.
“Either the athlete’s family must move away, the athlete must find a way of isolating from the family or the entire family goes into quarantine. That is not an acceptable option for someone who is fully vaccinated and who has already just completed two weeks’ quarantine.”
SA Health said in a statement: “Due to the high risk of the Delta strain of Covid-19 in NSW, anyone travelling from New South Wales must undertake 14 days quarantine upon entry into South Australia.”
“SA Health advised the Australian Olympic Committee on 30 July that team members who quarantined in Sydney before travelling to South Australia would need to undergo a further two weeks of quarantine on return,” the department said on Wednesday.