A married couple, who returned from South Africa to be quarantined in the Netherlands after the coronavirus infection was detected, fled the hotel. The Spaniard and the Portuguese wanted to leave the country via Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. They were arrested.
According to Dutch services, the couple were arrested on Sunday evening on board the plane, just before departure. They stayed at the hotel after they had been diagnosed with coronavirus infection. It is not known whether it is a new variant of the omicron.
According to the daily “Het Parool”, the Portuguese and the Spaniards tried to escape and tried to get to Spain.
After their arrest, the marriage was handed over to the health authorities. The Dutch daily “De Telegraaf” reports that the couple may be accused of violating the national quarantine rules.
Omikron – a new variant of the coronavirusReuters
13 carriers of the omicron variant
61 of the 600 passengers on Friday’s flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Amsterdam have tested positive for COVID-19, including a pair of runaways. Most of those infected were sent to hotel quarantine, although some Dutch citizens were allowed to do so at home. Authorities said at least 13 out of 61 infected passengers are carriers of the new omicron variant. Sample analysis continues.
A three-week lockdown has been in force in the Netherlands since Sunday, introduced due to the sharp increase in the number of coronavirus infections.
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