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Cricket Australia is breathing a huge sigh of relief after all players from Australia and England returned negative tests to COVID-19.

Just hours after four non-playing members of England's camp tested positive to the virus via rapid test, all players were sent for PCRs after play on day two in Melbourne.

The outcome of those tests left CA sweating on not only the remainder of the Boxing Day Test, but the rest of the Ashes series as a whole.

But they were given the best possible news on Tuesday morning, allowing day three to go ahead as scheduled at the MCG.

"Players from the Australian and England teams all had PCR COVID-19 Tests after play yesterday and all results have come back negative," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

"The families of both sets of players also had PCR tests yesterday and all returned a negative test.

"The England team's support staff and their family members who tested positive after PCR tests yesterday are in isolation."

Questions still do remain over the rest of the series, and the flow-on effect the scare could have for scheduling.

There is some thought Victoria could be a safe haven for the rest of the series, where close contacts of cases must only isolate until they return a negative test result.

NSW continues to average beyond 6000 cases per day, and at this stage close contact rules there require people to isolate for a week.

There is every chance that could change in coming days, while the definition of a close contact is not as tight in NSW.

The use of a hotel booked out exclusively for the two camps is aiding CA's confidence that the fourth Test can go ahead in Sydney.

Tasmania also have strict rules for close contacts, similar to those in South Australia where Pat Cummins was wiped out of the second Test for dining near a confirmed case.

CA do however remain adamant that they want to follow the schedule as planned, and can work closely with governments to deliver it.

Their record through the pandemic is also worth noting.

Australia have so far managed to get almost all matches played on home soil since the start of COVID-19 through its protocols.

Only one Test has been postponed - against Afghanistan last summer.

A one-day series against New Zealand was also called off when COVID-19 first surfaced mid-series.

Otherwise the BBL, WBBL and women's internationals have got through unscathed, with crowds able to attend all major events bar the first closed-door sports event in Australia with an ODI against New Zealand in March 2020.

"We've seen through the last 18 months (we can get games on)," CA boss Nick Hockley said.

"I have to say I am so proud of the work of everybody involved, in particular thank the players but also the governments and health departments across the country.

"We're having to learn to live with this."

© AAP 2021

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Black Jack has reclaimed the Sydney to Hobart lead amid a three-way supermaxi tussle off Tasmania's east coast.

The Monaco 100-footer was overtaken briefly on Monday evening in Bass Strait by Sydney-based boat LawConnect but by 6:30am (AEDT) Tuesday morning had regained a six nautical mile advantage.

Hong Kong's SHK Scallywag100, which led the fleet out of Sydney Heads on Sunday, is in third position.

LawConnect's position tracker has been malfunctioning, with its location determined by radio reports.

It is one of the slower races in recent memory, a long way off Comanche's 2017 record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

Cruising Yacht club of Australia commodore Noel Cornish has said a tight finish up Hobart's River Derwent is on the cards.

Rough seas have forced 35 of the fleet's 88-strong starting field to retire, with more than a dozen of those pulling the pin on Monday.

New South Wales-based No Limit was forced to quit the race after a crew member suffered a broken arm.

Other boats have reported a range of problems, including hull damage, electrical and engine issues and damage to rudders and sails.

Love & War and Smuggler, both from NSW, and Queensland's Fruit Salid 3 are among the handicap front-runners.

Tasmanian boat Sidewinder is leading the new two-handed sailing category ahead of 10 others.

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Frontrunning Sydney to Hobart supermaxis Black Jack and LawConnect are going tit-for-tat in a tactical battle off Tasmania's east coast.

Sydney-based 100-footer LawConnect, a previous winner as Perpetual Loyal in 2016 and Investec Loyal in 2011, held a narrow two nautical mile lead at 10am (AEDT) on Tuesday having pushed past BlackJack.

Hong Kong's SHK Scallywag100, which led the fleet out of Sydney Heads on Sunday, is further back in third position.

Black Jack navigator Alex Nolan said conditions had been light early on Tuesday with a breeze of 10 knots.

"We are looking forward to a good day, to where we will end up this afternoon and evening," he said.

"Everyone is very well. Everyone is very happy. We are pushing it very hard."

LawConnect's position tracker has been malfunctioning, with its location determined instead by radio reports.

Cruising Yacht club of Australia commodore Noel Cornish expects the lead to change hands many times over the next 12 hours.

"It's now a tactical race. It was a survival race for a while. They were really just trying to get through that southerly, slowing their boats down to keep the yachts in place," he told the ABC.

"Now they're into a challenging navigator race. The tactics will be flat out."

This year's 628-nautical mile event is one of the slower races in recent memory, a long way behind Comanche's 2017 record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

Thirty-six boats in total have now retired from a starting field of 88 due to rough conditions caused largely by ocean currents.

Rouge Wave, a New South Wales entrant in the new two-handed category, was the latest to pull the pin after reporting unspecified damage on Tuesday morning.

More than a dozen boats were forced out of the race on Monday.

New South Wales-based No Limit retired on Sunday after a crew member suffered a broken arm, while others have reported a range of problems, including hull damage, electrical and engine issues and damage to rudders and sails.

Love & War and Smuggler, both from NSW, and Queensland's Fruit Salid 3 are among the handicap front-runners.

Tasmanian boat Sidewinder is leading the two-handed category ahead of nine remaining competitors.

© AAP 2021

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A man who barricaded himself in a house in Ipswich in southeast Queensland has surrendered to police after a ten hour stand-off.

Emergency services were called to the address on Arnhem Street at around 4pm on Monday after reports the man was threatening other people.

The 46-year-old handed himself over to police at 2.30am in the early hours of Tuesday.

He has been transported to hospital to undergo assessment.

No one else was physically injured during the 10-hour operation, police said.

Queensland Police have revoked the declaration of an emergency situation under the Public Safety Preservatino ACT (PSPA) and have thanked the surrounding community for their cooperation during the incident.

© AAP 2021