Frode Forland, director of infection control at the National Institute of Public Health, states that 13 of the 61 infected passengers have the omicron variant. None of them are seriously ill.
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– What we have received information about now is that of the 61 that were reported from the plane from South Africa to Holland, 13 of these probably have the new variant, and none of them are seriously ill, says Frode Forland to VG.
The Dutch health authorities themselves have not released information publicly. The communication department at the Dutch public health institute RIVM informs VG that some samples take a little longer to analyze, but they will issue more information shortly.
In Norway, there are so far no confirmed or suspected cases of this virus variant.
On Saturday, Dutch media reported that several passengers were most likely infected with the omicron variant. Analysis results on all 61 positive samples are expected on Sunday.
The two flights from South Africa landed in the Netherlands on Friday morning. One plane landed from Cape Town at 10.30am and the other from Johannesburg at 11am.
More than 600 passengers were not allowed to leave the planes for several hours and had to be tested. The passengers in the two planes were kept separate from others by the airport.
The people who have tested positive are required to isolate yourself in a quarantine hotel for at least seven days in case of symptoms, and five days if they have no symptoms.
Those who test negative must be in home quarantine for five days and test again on day five.
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