OMICRON WAS IN THE NETHERLANDS BEFORE SOUTH AFRICA ALERT

Tue 30 November 2021:

According to Dutch health officials, the Omicron variant was already present in the Netherlands when South Africa notified the World Health Organization last week.

It remains unclear where or when the variant first emerged — but that has not stopped wary nations from rushing to impose travel restrictions, especially on visitors coming from southern Africa. Those moves have been criticised by South Africa and the WHO has urged against them, noting their limited effect.

The RIVM National Health and Environment Institute said it “has found the corona variant Omicron in two test samples that had already been taken in the Netherlands… on November 19 and 23”.

The first Omicron cases in the Netherlands were thought to be 14 infections on two flights from South Africa to Amsterdam on Friday, November 26. The two earlier Dutch infections also came before South Africa first reported the new strain on November 24 to the WHO.

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