The flight ban for the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Central and South American countries has been extended until April 1. Outgoing Minister Cora Van Neuenhuisen (Infrastructure and Water Department) announced this on Wednesday evening.
The only air ban that will end is Cape Verde. From midnight, flights to and from the country are permitted again. According to Van Nieuwenhuizen, the flight ban “cannot be backed by data.” Other no-fly periods expire on March 4.
The Cabinet introduced a flight ban in mid-January due to virus variants present in the respective countries. Both the British, South African and South American variants appear to be more contagious than the original Coronavirus. The Cabinet wanted to prevent the spread of these viral mutations with a flight ban.
Initially, Health Minister Hugo de Jong said the flight ban would be enforced so that the Cabinet could make the quarantine period mandatory for travelers. However, this action has been delayed due to legal hurdles.
Van Nieuwenhuizen also notes that compliance with the current quarantine policy in the Netherlands is “insufficient”. “This is why it is important to reduce passenger flows, especially to countries where Coronavirus varieties are prevalent.”
