An empty street is seen during the lock down in Amsterdam, Netherlands in December. REUTERS Piroschka van de Wouw
AMSTERDAM, Nov 30, Reuters -- The COVID 19 Omicron variant was detected in the Netherlands before two flights arrived from South Africa last week carrying the disease, Dutch health officials said on Tuesday.
At least 14 people on flights from Johannesburg and Capetown arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport on Nov. 26 with the new variant, according to the National Institute for Public Health RIVM.
The RIVM said that the Omicron coronaviruses were found in two test samples that were taken on Nov. 19 and Nov. 23. It is not clear yet whether these people have visited Southern Africa. The discovery of Omicron has sparked concerns around the world that it could resist vaccinations and prolong the nearly two-year old COVID 19 epidemic.
Some 61 out of the more than 600 passengers on the South Africa flights tested positive for COVID 19 and went into quarantine after arriving last Friday.
Dutch authorities are trying to contact and test some 5,000 other passengers who have travelled from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia or Zimbabwe.
In the Netherlands, tougher COVID 19 measures were put into effect on Sunday to curb record daily infection rates of more than 20,000 and ease pressure on hospitals.