The Dutch government on Sunday suspended all passenger flights from the United Kingdom after the discovery in the Netherlands of a case of contamination with a variant of the coronavirus circulating in part of British territory.
This flight suspension took effect Sunday at 6 a.m. and will be in effect until January 1.
It comes a few hours after the announcement by the British government of the re-containment of London and the south-east of England in an attempt to stem a surge in contaminations attributed to a new strain of the virus.
"More difficult to detect"
“An infectious mutation of the Covid-19 virus is circulating in the UK.
It is said to spread more easily and faster and to be harder to detect, ”the Dutch Ministry of Health said in a statement.
According to the ministry, "a study of a case in the Netherlands in early December revealed a virus corresponding to the variant described in the United Kingdom".
Dutch experts are working to establish whether other contaminations are linked to this case.
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The RIVM, the Dutch body responsible for public health, "recommends that any introduction of this variant of the virus from the UK be limited as much as possible by limiting and / or controlling the movement of passengers from the UK », Indicates the press release.
Discussions with other EU states
The cabinet of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has taken the "precautionary decision" to ban flights from the UK, the statement said, adding that the issue of other modes of transport is still under consideration.
Mark Rutte called on Dutch citizens not to travel unless absolutely necessary.
"Over the next few days, together with other member countries of the European Union, (the Dutch government) will explore possibilities to further limit the risk of the new strain of the virus being imported from the UK," the statement said. from the Ministry of Health.
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The Netherlands is currently imposing a five-week lockdown until mid-January, with schools and non-essential businesses closed, in order to curb a rebound in the virus.