Dutch: Some of the 61 COVID cases from South Africa flights are new variant

Police officers stand guard following Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's announcement of new measures to fight a record surge in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections, in The Hague, Netherlands, November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch health authorities said on Saturday they had detected 61 COVID-19 cases among people who flew from South Africa on Friday and believe at least some infections are of the new omicron variant.

The cases were discovered among 624 passengers who arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on two flights on Friday before the Dutch government restricted air traffic from southern Africa due to concerns over the variant. https://www.reuters.com/world/how-worried-should-we-be-about-omicron-variant-2021-11-27