Sixty-one people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa have tested positive for Covid-19, Dutch officials say. They have been placed in isolation at a hotel near Schiphol airport. They were among some 600 passengers held for several hours after arrival while they were tested for the virus. Dutch health authorities said Omicron, labelled on Friday as a variant of concern, was “probably found in a number of people” who tested positive. REUTERS

People stand at a counter at the XL Schiphol test location, after Dutch health authorities said that 61 people who arrived in Amsterdam on flights from South Africa tested positive for COVID-19, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Eva Plevier

People exit the Hotel Ramada which is located close to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 27, 2021. The Dutch government had by then already restricted travel from the region because of the new variant and arranged for the passengers to be tested and isolated. REUTERS