The Hague: The passenger flights from Britain were banned by the Dutch government on Sunday after discovering the new strain of the novel coronavirus in one of the passengers which was rapidly contaminating the country.
The ban started at 6am (0500 GMT) on Sunday and lasts until January 1, came hours after Britain announced a stay at home order for part of the country to slow the more infectious variant. "An infectious mutation of the Covid-19 virus is circulating in the United Kingdom. It is said to spread more easily and faster and is more difficult to detect," the Dutch health ministry said in a statement.
The Dutch public health body, the RIVM, therefore "recommends that any introduction of this virus strain from the United Kingdom be limited as much as possible by limiting and/or controlling passenger movements."
While reviewing the transport facility, the Dutch government announced that Netherlands will be under 5-week lockdown which will continue until mid-January where schools and all non essential shops will remain close.