Dutch health authorities said that 61 of 600 people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday tested positive for COVID-19, and they are conducting further testing to see if those passengers are infected with the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant.
Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on the two KLM flights on Friday and then faced hours of delays and testing due to concerns over the new virus variant.
Passengers waiting on their coronavirus test results at Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, November 27, 2021. /Reuters
All people who tested positive must stay in hotel quarantine for seven days if they show symptoms and for five days if they do not, the authorities said.
People who tested negative, but are remaining in the Netherlands, are expected to isolate at home.
The Dutch authority was forced to take measurement, in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus. The new partial lockdown will begin on Sunday, as most of non-essential businesses are ordered to shut down between 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.
On Friday, 22,258 COVID-19 cases were reported on average daily basis over the last seven days, according to Dutch official coronavirus website.