Health

Djokovic had COVID-19 a month ago, had clearance to enter Australia: Court filing

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic contracted COVID-19 last month but was not experiencing symptoms and had written clearance from Australia’s immigration department before traveling to the country with a medical exemption from its vaccination rules, his lawyers said in a court filing on Saturday.

Djokovic, who is in immigration detention in Australia after having his visa cancelled on arrival on Thursday, returned his first positive coronavirus test on Dec. 16, 2021, but 14 days later “had not had a fever or respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 in the last 72 hours”, the filing said.

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On Jan. 1, the Serbian sports star received a “a document from the Department of Home Affairs (which) told Mr Djokovic that his ‘responses indicate(d) that (he met) the requirements for a quarantine-free arrival into Australia,” the documents added.

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Djokovic, an outspoken critic of mandatory vaccination, has never disclosed his own vaccination status. He is challenging his visa cancellation in Australia’s federal court in hopes of winning his 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open which starts on Jan. 17.

Tennis star Novak Djokovic opposes compulsory coronavirus vaccination

Health

WHO chief warns against misinformation over global pandemic accord

The head of the UN World Health Organization on Thursday spoke out forcefully against “misinformation on social media and in the mainstream media” which has falsely alleged that a new global pandemic accord being negotiated, would allow the WHO to override national sovereignty relating to a future outbreak.

Health

World Tuberculosis Day: WHO ramps up initiative to combat killer disease

For the first time in more than a decade, the number of people dying from tuberculosis (TB) rose last year due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts and other crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Health

Tanzania confirms first-ever outbreak of deadly Marburg Virus Disease

Tanzania confirmed its first-ever cases of Marburg Virus Disease after conducting laboratory tests in the country’s northwest Kagera region, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Wednesday.