NY Times · Feb 18, 2021
Fans come back to the stands after a five-day lockdown in Melbourne.
That crowd noise in Melbourne Park is real today after the Australian state of Victoria re-emerges from a five-day lockdown to curb an outbreak of coronavirus cases that is not related to the tournament.
Only 7,477 fans will be allowed in per session, putting the stands at about 50 percent capacity, according to the tournament’s director, Craig Tiley. Fans are required to wear masks while indoors or when they are unable to socially distance, in line with procedures that were in place at the beginning of the tournament.