The number of COVID-19 cases linked to the Australian Open has increased to 10 and includes at least one player.

Victoria’s COVID Quarantine Minister Lisa Neville on Wednesday confirmed the latest numbers after ongoing testing of international passengers aboard the Open’s 17 charter flights.

“We had seven positive cases, none of which are players, and this morning we became aware of three more positives and they will be reported tomorrow,” Neville said.

“One of those is a player who we absolutely believe is shedding but he has been in hard lockdown because he came in on one of the flights where we had positives.

“Of the other two it’s less clear that they are shedding and that will be worked through and that’s one player and one support person.”

Neville said the new positives wouldn’t affect the figure of 72 players already in hard lockdown.

The Minister also clarified comments by Open boss Craig Tiley about who was footing the bill for the players’ quarantine.

Tiley told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Wednesday that taxpayers will subsidise the cost of quarantining the 1200 international players, their support staff and officials in three hotels.

But Neville says that’s not the case.

“I want to be very clear – hotel quarantine is fully funded by Tennis Australia,” she said.

“I’ve triple confirmed that again today after I saw that.

“We do support the Australian Open as an event, as we do all major events, but that is separate to the hotel quarantine program which is fully funded by Tennis Australia.”