As it happened: Novak Djokovic wins bid to play in 2022 Australian Open; COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the nation

Good evening and thank you for reading our live coverage. Here’s a quick recap of the day’s events.

• Tourists and residents in Bunker Bay and Eagle Bay in WA’s southwest are being evacuated as a bushfire burns out of control.

• A Sydney couple has revealed that a triple zero operator was unable to respond to their emergency last week. Melanie Moir gave birth to a baby boy on the bathroom floor, and was stunned when the operator was unable to tell them when an ambulance would arrive. The incident is now under review.

• The body of a man swept away in Queensland floodwater has been found, while police consider scaling back the search for a 14-year-old girl also missing in the deluge.

• The Australian government is looking into whether Novak Djokovic lied on his border entry forms, my colleagues Anthony Galloway and Paul Sakkal report. On his Australian Travel Declaration, Djokovic stated he had not travelled in 14 days prior to his January 6 arrival in Australia. Djokovic had in fact travelled from Belgrade to Spain within that time.Prime Minister Scott Morrison had a “constructive call” with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, who called Mr Morrison overnight to discuss the saga.

• Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is still considering whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa again, which federal Liberal MP and former professional tennis player John Alexander has urged him not to do.

• Australia has recorded a total 90,847 COVID-19 cases today. NSW recorded 25,870 cases and 11 deaths; Victoria announced 37,994 cases, half of which were from rapid antigen tests, and 13 deaths; Queensland had 20,566 cases, including missing data from earlier this week and the results of rapid antigen tests, and recorded the death of a man in his 70s; South Australia recorded 2921 cases and the death of a woman in her 50s; the ACT had 1508 cases and one death, of a man in his 80s; Tasmania recorded 1379 new cases, from both PCR and rapid tests; while the Northern Territory announced 594 cases. Western Australia has 15 new cases - four local cases and 11 related to travellers.

• The federal health department estimates there are now 2,276,638 children aged between 5 and 11 who have become eligible for the vaccine, and 35,205 have received their first shot. That’s 1.55 per cent of this age group.

• Ambulance Victoria issued a “code red” for the second time within a week overnight, lasting more than four hours. As of Monday, 3992 hospital staff and 442 ambulance staff are unable to work with COVID-19.

We’ll be back tomorrow morning. This is Esther Han signing off. Good night.

If Novak Djokovic has his visa cancelled a second time - due to the Immigration Minister using his personal power under the Migration Act to cancel it on public health grounds - the Australian Open men’s seeds will have to be re-cast.

Australian Open officials late on Tuesday released the official seeds for next week’s major with world No.1 Djokovic taking his spot at the top of the list.

The timeframe for any impact on the Australian Open draw is a little longer, however. The draw will take place on Thursday with Djokovic’s position in the tournament almost certain to be clarified by then.

Stay across the latest Australian Open news using this link.

Ben Franklin, the NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Arts and Regional Youth, has tested positive for COVID-19 through a RAT test and will isolate for seven days.

He told his Twitter followers that he had symptoms but was overall “feeling ok”.

On Monday, his Nationals colleague Paul Toole said he had COVID-19 and was isolating at home.

This letter from the former Labour NZ immigration minister suggests the Federal government should cancel Djokovic’s visa.

Federal Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has the power, under Australian law, to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa. No amount of comment by Judge Anthony Kelly can deny the minister’s power.

If the law requires everybody entering Australia to have two COVID-19 vaccinations, with appropriate time separation between the first and the second and, if Djokovic cannot meet this test, then his attempt to stay in Australia must fail. That will be Minister Hawke’s call and it should be made.

I understand Tennis Australia’s desire to have this superstar playing in Melbourne, but the absurdity of every spectator needing to be double-vaccinated in order to watch a non-vaccinated player perform is insulting to millions who followed the rules through trying times and would make your great country a laughing stock.

Minister Hawke should cancel the visa. His authority is clear.

Sir Kerry Burke, former minister of immigration, New Zealand

You can read the latest on Djokovic’s visa situation here.

If Novak Djokovic has his visa cancelled a second time - due to the Immigration Minister using his personal power under the Migration Act to cancel it on public health grounds - the Australian Open men’s seeds will have to be re-cast.

Australian Open officials late on Tuesday released the official seeds for next week’s major with world No.1 Djokovic taking his spot at the top of the list.

The timeframe for any impact on the Australian Open draw is a little longer, however. The draw will take place on Thursday with Djokovic’s position in the tournament almost certain to be clarified by then.

Stay across the latest Australian Open news using this link.

WA Incident Controller Blake Moore provided an update on an out-of-control bushfire in the state’s southwest earlier today.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke’s office has confirmed he is still considering whether to use his personal power under the Migration Act to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa.

A spokesperson for Mr Hawke said: “As noted yesterday in the Federal Circuit and Family Court, Minister Hawke is considering whether to cancel Mr Djokovic’s visa under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act.

“In line with due process, Minister Hawke will thoroughly consider the matter.“As the issue is ongoing, for legal reasons it is inappropriate to comment further.”