The Dutch government is halting all passenger flights from the UK, following the discovery that a more contagious virus mutation is spreading there.
The new virus variant that has been discovered in the UK is spreading 70 percent faster than other variants, according to the country's Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
As a result, flights between the UK and the Netherlands will be suspended, the Dutch government announced on Sunday night. The suspension will apply from 6 a.m. local time until January 1. The announcement comes just hours after the UK introduced new restrictions for parts of the country in an attempt to curb the spread of the new virus variant.
The new, more contagious virus variant may already be present in the Netherlands.
”In a case study in the Netherlands in early December, a virus of the variant described by the UK was detected,” the country's health ministry writes.
These cases are now being investigated further.
The Dutch Public Health Authority recommends that travel from the UK should be restricted or controlled to reduce the likelihood of the new virus variant taking hold in the Netherlands.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his government are investigating whether travel by other means of transport to and from the UK should also be stopped.
”"In the coming days, the government, together with other EU countries, will examine the possibilities to further reduce the risk of the new virus strain reaching here from the UK," the Prime Minister writes in a statement.
The Netherlands has been in lockdown for five weeks, until mid-January, to stop the spread of the virus. Among other things, all non-essential businesses are closed.
The new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus is spreading mainly in southeast England and is rapidly becoming the dominant strain in the UK, according to a press conference with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday evening.
There is no evidence that the new mutation causes worse disease than other variants and it is normal for viruses to mutate into a variety of different variants over time. There are no confirmed cases of the new mutation in Sweden yet, according to Professor Björn Olsen. In Denmark, nine cases have been detected, according to the Ritzau news agency.
Source: TT
