Dutch health officials said early Saturday that 61 people from two flights from South Africa to the Netherlands have tested positive for the coronaviruses. It was not clear if the cases were related to the Omicron variant.
The health officials tested passengers at the airport. Those who tested negative were allowed to leave the airport and go home.
The two flights from Africa were already on their way to Schiphol when the Netherlands announced its travel restrictions. The GGD, the Dutch public health service, dispatched health officials to the airport about half an hour before the first plane touched down.
The New York Times reporter was stuck on the tarmac while she was in South Africa.
She was on the tarmac at the airport after her flight had landed. Europe went into variant panic while I was in Jo'burg, and we weren't allowed off the plane.
She said that many passengers ignored mask requirements.
Dutch health officials said in a statement that they understood the frustration of passengers who thought they would be allowed to go home, but were instead confronted with a situation like they had never seen before in the Netherlands.
Those with a positive test are being taken to a hotel near the airport. It is important to research if this concerns the Omicron variant.
If a person tests positive, they have to stay at the hotel for at least seven days if they have symptoms, or five days if they don't. People who were on the flight that tested positive for the coronaviruses will be allowed to stay at home.
The Netherlands has announced stricter measures to try to curb the spread of the virus, including an evening lock down. A 39 percent increase in positive tests was recorded last week.
The government said on Friday that the number of coronaviruses infections had never been as high as it has been in the past week.
The reporting was contributed to by the man.
