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AT least 13 folks have examined constructive for the Omicron Covid variant after touchdown in Amsterdam on a flight from South Africa.
Dutch well being authorities have confirmed 61 passengers are quarantining as they’re contaminated with the coronavirus with at the very least 13 instances of the brand new tremendous pressure – however officers worry it’s simply the “tip of the iceberg”.
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“The Omicron variant has to date been recognized in 13 of the constructive exams. The investigation has not but been accomplished. The brand new variant could also be discovered in additional check samples,” the Nationwide Institute for Public Well being (RIVM) mentioned in a press release.
The passengers have been amongst 600 to reach at Schiphol Airport on two KLM flights on Friday.
“It’s not unlikely extra instances will seem within the Netherlands,” Well being Minister Hugo de Jonge mentioned at a press convention in Rotterdam.
“This might presumably be the tip of the iceberg.”
The Dutch authorities banned all air journey from southern Africa early on Friday.
Nevertheless, Mr de Jonge mentioned passengers already en path to the Netherlands can be allowed into the nation after present process testing and quarantine.
Passengers on the 2 KLM flights, from Cape City and Johannesburg, mentioned they have been stored ready on the tarmac for hours.
New York Instances journalist Stephanie Nolen, a passenger on a flight from Johannesburg who later examined adverse, reported a “enormous queue” to see Covid testers.
The invention of Omicron, dubbed a “variant of concern” by the World Well being Group, has sparked worries around the globe that it may resist vaccinations and delay the almost two-year Covid pandemic.
Dutch well being authorities are additionally in search of to contact and check some 5,000 different passengers who’ve travelled from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia or Zimbabwe since Monda
It comes after it was confirmed two instances of the Omicron variant have been detected within the UK.
The Well being Secretary mentioned the dreaded super-strain has been reported in Chelmsford and Nottingham as fears of a second Christmas lockdown develop.
Mr Javid mentioned the 2 people who’ve examined constructive and all members of their households are actually self-isolating.
They’re being re-tested and have been instructed to self-isolate whereas additional testing and call tracing is underway.
Boris Johnson has added 4 extra international locations on the journey ban listing in a determined bid to keep away from a contemporary lockdown this Christmas amid Omicron variant chaos.
Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Angola have been added to the journey purple listing at 4am in the present day along with the six already on it – South Africa,
SUPER-STRAIN FEARS
In the meantime, well being chiefs say it is overwhelmingly possible that “very excessive danger” Omicron is in Germany already after a traveller examined constructive for a mutated type of the lethal bug.
Fears are intensifying over the Omicron variant – believed by specialists to be the “worst variant ever”.
In Germany – which appears set to go again into lockdown as Covid instances spiral – a minister in western state Hesse mentioned Omicron has already arrived.
“Final evening a number of Omicron-typical mutations have been present in a traveller coming back from South Africa,” tweeted Kai Klose.
The state is dwelling to busy Frankfurt Airport.
EU well being chiefs have warned the brand new mutation poses a “excessive to very excessive” danger to Europe.
The European Centre for Illness Prevention and Management says there’s “appreciable uncertainty associated to the transmissibility, vaccine effectiveness, danger for reinfections and different properties of the Omicron variant.”
‘HIGH RISK’
On Friday, video emerged of travellers being instructed they could not get off a airplane in Amsterdam after the primary European case was confirmed in Belgium.
They have been lastly allowed off the jet after being examined and leaving their particulars with contact tracers.
Some nations, together with Germany, are believed to be bracing for a ‘Code Black’ state of affairs – which means medics must select who will get remedy and who does not.
The state of affairs may quickly worsen if Omicron spreads, it is feared, and the pressure has formally been named a “variant of concern” by the WHO.
Elsewhere, a state of emergency has been declared in New York, and President Joe Biden has banned journey from eight African international locations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed his officers to assessment plans to ease journey restrictions, however tighten border screening.
The nation is the world’s second-worst affected by the pandemic. The federal government solely determined yesterday to renew worldwide flights from international locations deemed ‘in danger’ of the virus.
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