The surprise dismissal of an Australian judge in the government's haste to deport the world's No. 1 male tennis player is a resounding defeat for an administration that prides itself on strong borders.
Judge Anthony Kelly's decision that Novak Djokovic be freed to contest the Australian Open rejected the government's request that he should be barred for failing to prove that he was vaccinated against COVID-19. Discount given.
Opponents of Australia's small but vocal group see Waxx Djokovic as a hero who took over the kingdom - and won. Others, especially those in Australia's Serbian community, see them as victims of undue persecution. On Monday night, supporters crowded the streets outside the Melbourne lawyer's office for Serbs, chanting "Free Novak. Free Novak. Free Novak."
But for many Australians, the problem wasn't about Djokovic's paperwork - it was whether he considered himself above the country's pandemic rules at a time when Covid-19 case numbers were rising.
On Monday, as Djokovic's lawyers argued that his client did everything humanly possible to meet the government's requirements for vaccination exemptions, Australia's Covid-19 cases totaled 1 million in the pandemic.
On the surface, those numbers may suggest that the unconvinced Djokovic does not pose a serious health risk to the Australian public, as the government argued. It may also suggest that Australia's strict anti-Covid measures have been exhausted – and in many ways they have.
However, for millions of Australians, the memories of unconnected border closures and other pandemic restrictions are fresh.
Months before the federal election, it can be assumed that the ruling Liberal Party decided that allowing Djokovic into the country contradicts his message that vaccination is the way out of the pandemic, and that the pain of the past two years has been taken away. It was worth keeping the cases of covid low.
But in losing the court challenge, the government may have succeeded in making a political issue of one of the world's foremost anti-vaxxers by using its executive power as a victim and its officials as bullies.
Tight border restrictions keep Australians out
The Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, has long claimed borders are tough, and this was especially so during the pandemic.
Australia was one of the first countries to adopt a zero-Covid policy when international borders were closed in March 2020.
The move was successful in keeping the country's Covid deaths down significantly, but the move had serious repercussions for Australians living outside the country and those within.
For nearly two years, thousands of citizens were prevented from coming home after airlines canceled flights to comply with government caps on new arrivals.
Anyone leaving the country without a valid exemption was banned, which was hard to obtain, and all new arrivals were taken to government-run hotels for a two-week quarantine.
Not only were international borders closed, but state borders were periodically closed and reopened, preventing families from seeing loved ones without a government-approved reason, and allowing some returning locals to stay at a hotel at their own expense. was forced to quarantine.
The measures prompted protests, but for the most part Australians complied – they watched as Covid spread around the world, killing millions.
But the restrictions were not enough. The outbreaks saw Melbourne and Sydney remain closed for months, and finally late last year the government acknowledged that COVID-19 could not be contained.
From keeping the public message away from the virus to learning to live with COVID-19, it was a strange exercise. Unfortunately for the government, the easing of measures coincided with the advent of the Omicron version, leading to rising cases and unwanted new problems.
The sudden rush for PCR tests caused people to queue for hours to get tests that in some cases were not returned for days as testing clinics were overwhelmed. Some people suspected of infection have tried rapid antigen tests, but rapid, personalized tests are difficult. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt promised on Sunday that millions of tests are underway, meanwhile, many are following advice to stay home and monitor for symptoms.
Vaccinations are key
The government has told Australians that vaccination is the way out of the pandemic. After a slow rollout, the country has one of the world's highest vaccination rates – 92% of eligible people over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated, according to government figures.
But despite being at the forefront of tackling COVID-19, Australia has only started immunizing children aged 5-11.
Queensland has delayed the start of the school year by two weeks to avoid an estimated peak in cases in that state in late January and early February. Other states have said that school will start at the normal time despite the caseload.
There is no formal lockdown in Australia, but as cases rise, some people are isolating themselves to avoid contracting the virus. Shelves in some supermarkets are empty because the worker's absence for illness or isolation strains the supply chain. Health workers say they are tired despite official assurances that the system is coping.
Early in Djokovic's saga, some speculated that the government's focus on his visa was a distraction from the problems faced by ordinary Australians. If so, it only succeeded in diverting attention to another issue that is usually overlooked – the treatment of refugees in the country.
For a short time, the world focused on the Park Hotel in Melbourne, where about 30 people seeking security in Australia are languishing indefinitely under the country's immigration policies.
They are bound by the same Migration Act that temporarily detained Djokovic. The court which settled his case, the same court has been hearing his arguments for years. And the same minister who is said to be considering re-arresting Djokovic has the power to set him free.
If nothing else, for many Australians, the past two years have provided some perspective.
Some now question why special facilities are offered to players traveling the world, while others have recently struggled to cross state borders to see a loved one - and now their illness has been confirmed. Getting even a test to do is becoming increasingly difficult.
Questions are especially heightened when a particular player - through his words and actions - directly contradicts the promise that vaccination will mean a return to normal life.
If and when Djokovic goes to court to claim a record 10th Australian Open title - it's likely he won't be the happiest.
And when the government calls an election, it will hope that most Australians ignore her latest blunder and forget the outrageous court order to free and pay the price for one of the world's most successful sportspersons.