Novak and the Bike Battery Mount

Well the mercury has gone back up into the high 30’s.  Another bright, cloud free, hot day

This is my understanding of the circumstances leading to Novak Djokovic's detention in Australia.

I start with the assertion Djokovic refuses to vaccinate against COVID and was very keen to participate in the Australian Open. Tennis Australia was also very keen for Djokovic to participate.

Timeline of Events

In late 2021, following a letter of query from the Tennis Australia (TA) CEO, the Federal Minister of Health wrote to TA advising that in addition to a valid visa, any non citizen wanting to enter Australia would be required to be fully vaccinate against COVID (returning citizens and permanent residents must go into 14 days mandatory quarantine on arrival). The minister's letter also stated suffering from COVID in the previous six months wasn't valid grounds for a medical exemption from being vaccinated. This information was repeated to TA in a subsequent letter from the Health Department.

Note: The Federal Government has sole jurisdiction regarding entry into Australia.

It is alleged Tennis Australia approached ATAGI (Australia Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) and the Victorian State Government with a query regarding medical exemptions in order to participate in the Australian Tennis Open. Apparently Victorian government officials approved the proposed grounds for a medical exemption. The pertinent point is; the Victorian government does not have the legal powers to approval entry into Australia. The exemption was given to participate once the person was lawfully in Australia. Tennis Australia also claims an exemption was approved following ATAGI guidelines.

In the ATAGI document Expanded Guidance on temporary medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines ATAGI makes it clear that a medical exemption might be granted if an individual had, or was likely to have, an adverse medical reaction to an authorised vaccine due to underlying health conditions. Any affected individuals must be included on the Australian Immunization Register.

The Federal Minister had previously advised Tennis Australia the Australian Immunisation Register was for domestic purposes only. 

Tennis Australia established a ‘blind’ expert medical panel which assessed requests for medical exemptions based on anonymous information provided by applicant (ie, the personal details of those being assessed were withheld from the assessment panel). We now know this panel approved at least three applications for an exemption. As far as I can tell this panel had no legal standing and appears to be a way of Tennis Australia trying to resolve the problem of obtaining medical exemptions for unvaccinated participants.

As he refuses to be vaccinated, Djokovic's only avenue for entry into Australia was a medical exemption based on contracting COVID in the previous six months. Djokovic previously contracted COVID in June 2020 meaning this was outside the six months.

Applications to enter the Australian Tennis Open closed on 10 December and Djokovic hadn't applied. As a top player TA was obviously prepared to accept a late application.

Djokovic subsequently applied for a entry visa online and electronically attached supporting documents for a medical exemption. This is an automatic computer processing system and Djokovic received a computer generated visa and confirmatory acknowledgement email.

We know from the information Djokovic provided the Australian Border Force on his arrival that he tested positive for COVID on 16 December and had a subsequent PCR test on 22 December proving he was now negative. Therefore Djokovic was claiming a medical exemption from the requirement to be vaccinated on the bases he had COVID within the previous six months. Djokovic also had a number of supporting documents on Tennis Australia letterhead.

Border Force decided Djokovic didn't met the eligibility to enter Australia and he was detained. The usual consequence is the detainee is returned to their country of origin within 24 hours, unless they claim asylum.

As the world now knows  Djokovic’s legal team took the matter to court and the judge ruled in their favour with an interesting observation “What more could Novak Djokovic have done to satisfy the entry requirements?”

My observations on events

1.  The Federal government deserve some criticism for relying on an automatic computer management system for processing visa application and additional COVID entry requirements during a pandemic.  It’s not as if the country is being inundated with tourists and there should have been a more rigorous processing system.  This should have Included vetting visa and other documentation at the point of departure.  If this had been done Djokovic wouldn’t have been allowed to board his flight to Australia.

2.  The Victorian State Government should have made it very clear to Tennis Australia that any vaccine exemption was only valid in Victoria and didn’t constitute an exemption to enter Australia.

3.  Tennis Australia deserves severe criticism for “picking it’s evidence” and establishing quasi alternative medical assessment arrangement in order to provide unvaccinated tournament participants with a potential pathway into Australia despite knowing their (TA’s) arrangement didn’t comply with Australian Federal rules.

4.  Djokovic appears to be an arrogant and contemptible individual.  Either he was COVID positive on 16 Dec and then; rather than isolate; mingled unprotected with the general public, including children.  Or he provided false information regarding his COVID status in order to obtain a medical exemption for entry into Australia.

The Bike Battery Mount

The lithium battery that will power the bike motor is quite heavy and I therefore wanted to mount it as low as possible to assist the bike’s centre of gravity.

There are already two rivet nut on the frame’s diagonal tube but one of them looks to be in the wrong position for the battery.

The first thing I did was to apply some masking tape to the top of the tube.  This will make it easier to mark the intended locations of the rivet nut mounting holes.  It will also assist in preventing slippage when I use the centre punch.

After that I did a test positioning of the battery to confirm its position on the frame.

    

 

The mounting plate was removed from the battery and placed on the frame to mark the location of the holes

Looking at the underside of the mounting plate you can see on the right there are two slots through an aluminium plate.  To the left is another aluminium plate with slots, but they are inaccessible (red arrow for Pip). 

I don’t like the idea of mounting the battery using two bolts at one end of the plate. 

Turning the mounting plate over I could see three screws holding a cover over the inaccessible aluminium plate.  With the screws removed I could remove the cover plate.

 

Plenty of room in here to access the slots in the aluminium plate.  I could see there was a design flaw in the mounting plate!  It was easily possible to accidentally re-install the power socket in reverse which would likely blow up the battery.  I carefully marked the correct polarity.

With the locations of the planned holes marked on the tube I used a centre punch to give the drill tip a starting point.  Actually the drill is too big to fit inside the frame.  Fortunately my friends at Lidl came to the rescue.  I think I bought this at Lidl beside the canal in Leamington Spa.

 

Three 2mm pilot holes were then drilled into the frame

Red arrows for the new holes and a blue arrow for the existing rivet nut which I will use.  I’m not going to make the holes larger until the rivet nuts have been delivered and I can check their diameter.  I don’t want an over-sized hole!!!

What other news!  Australia is starting to experience food shortages.  Not because of a lack of food, but rather a shortage of transport and distribution staff as COVID affected employees self-isolate.  This is another risk the Federal and State governments should have recognised and had contingency plans ready for implementation.  At this time the problem is on the other side of the continent where State Governments have “opened up”.  80% of the population may now be vaccinate and not die of COVID.  They will die of starvation instead

Over here in the west our borders remain closed keeping out COVID.  We also grow much of our food.  I can’t criticise the West Australian government for the way in which they are managing the pandemic.