Of the 600 passengers who arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on two flights from South Africa, 61 have tested positive for corona.
According to the newspaper VG, the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad writes that it is not known whether they are infected with the new omicron coronavirus variant, but the health authorities in the country are now analyzing the samples to find out.
On Friday morning, two planes from South Africa landed at Schiphol near Amsterdam. That same morning, the Dutch authorities imposed a flight ban on all flights from southern Africa.
The passengers had to wait for about four hours to get off the plane. The Dutch health authorities wanted to test all passengers. Those who have tested positive were quarantined in a hotel near the airport. The travelers came to the Netherlands from Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa.
New restrictions
On Friday, the Dutch government introduced new restrictions that will take effect on Sunday. These measures include cinemas, theaters, and clothing stores closing no later than 5 PM.
The new omicron variant has led Norway and several other countries to stop flights from South Africa and neighboring Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, and Eswatini.
So far, Belgium is the only European country that has registered infection with the new variant. A case was registered on Friday, when a young, unvaccinated woman tested positive for the omicron variant, according to AFP.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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