A flight ban has been in effect on all passenger flights from South Africa to the Netherlands since 9 p.m., the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced. The measure is intended to prevent the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus, which has been identified in South Africa. The flight ban applies until 1 January at the latest.
The two scheduled flights with about 120 passengers that would land at Schiphol tomorrow morning have been canceled. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Dutch people to contact their airline. “For Dutch people who cannot return from South Africa, the advice is to find safe accommodation,” writes the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Since last weekend, there has been a travel ban from the United Kingdom due to an emerging mutation of the corona virus. The travel bans must limit the number of travelers from areas where the variants of the virus are circulating.
At Op1, De Jonge explained why he thinks the travel ban is necessary:
Dutch people in South Africa and the United Kingdom are not repatriated, said Minister De Jonge of Public Health in the TV program On 1. According to him, that is “not really possible”.
About truck drivers who are trapped in the UK, the minister said that another way to limit the import of that virus is being sought. “For example, demanding a negative test statement. But before you have arranged that, you will be days further. That will simply not work before Christmas.”
When it comes to travelers in the UK and South Africa, he’s clear. “Despite the urgent advice not to go, they have gone that way,” said De Jonge. “In corona times, travel is just a risk, people should understand that.”
Negative test
Flights from South Africa with cargo and medical personnel will continue to be permitted. The flight ban can be lifted if a mandatory negative test statement is arranged for all passengers from South Africa, the Ministry of Infrastructure reports.
The government wants to introduce such a mandatory declaration as soon as possible, also for EU residents. Currently, a mandatory negative test statement only applies to people who want to leave countries outside the Schengen zone.