The 62 passengers on two flights from South Africa tested positive for the new coronavirus shortly after arriving in the Netherlands on November 26 were in "Vast majority" of them vaccinated against COVID-19, the Dutch authorities announced today.
Under the rules in force at the time, passengers were able to board flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town with either a vaccination certificate or a negative diagnostic test result. COVID-19.
The country's health authorities also announced that today will be allowed to exit the quarantine more than 20 passengers who tested positive in COVID-19 upon their arrival in the country from South Africa on 26 November.
A spokesman for the Kenenerland Health Authority, where Schiphol Airport is located, said authorities would not disclose whether any of the 14 passengers found to have been infected with the Omicron variant of the virus were among those quarantined, citing personal data.
Health authorities tested more than 600 passengers on two flights departing from Johannesburg and Cape Town on Friday, before the Dutch government changed its airline rules to countries in southern Africa due to of concerns about the Omicron variant of the new coronavirus.
Of the 62 tested positive for the new coronavirus, The 44 were isolated in a hotel near Schiphol Airport, while some Dutch citizens were quarantined at their home.
The results of the tests that took place on Monday show that more than half of those who were quarantined at the hotel will now be free to continue their movements, according to a statement from the health authorities.
"Those who tested positive will remain in isolation. "Their condition is different (…) some have symptoms, others not at all or almost not at all", explains the director of the health services of Kenermerland Bert van Felden in the relevant announcement that was issued.
The Dutch authorities are also trying to contact and test the new coronavirus about 5.000 other travelers who arrived in the Netherlands from countries in southern Africa on November 20. From the tests that were performed, two additional cases of Omicron were diagnosed.
Source: RES-EAP