UPDATE: Handful of passengers travel from Uk on very first flights and ferries right after travel ban

Immigration management at Schiphol airport. Picture: Depositphotos.com

Only a handful of passengers had been on board the first flights and ferries from the Uk to the Netherlands on Wednesday early morning, soon after the Dutch government lifted its blanket vacation ban.

Only three groups of passengers with personal autos crossed the North Sea on the early morning ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, when a number of dozen far more took the Eurostar higher-speed coach from London to Amsterdam, NOS reported. All flights had been cancelled from 6am on Sunday early morning while ferry traffic was suspended on Monday.

Travellers now have to make printed proof of a negative coronavirus take a look at end result from within the previous 72 hours before they can board a boat or airplane from Britain. The rule applies to all travellers over the age of 12. Individuals arriving in the Netherlands are also strongly recommended to quarantine for the initially 10 times of their keep.

The need was released following the emergence of a new variant of coronavirus which is reported to be close to 70% more infectious than previously recognised kinds. Two situations of the new variant, which is particularly commonplace in London and the south-east of England, have been detected in Amsterdam.

‘Anyone who does not have a destructive take a look at declaration will be denied boarding. This also applies to Dutch and EU citizens returning from the United Kingdom or South Africa,’ the governing administration explained in a statement.

‘In addition, the authorities has made a decision to introduce a further more need as soon as attainable which will make the adverse PCR exam declaration mandatory for all travellers – including Dutch and EU nationals – coming into the Netherlands from abroad.’ No date for that has however been set.

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— Dutch Embassy London (@NLinUK) December 22, 2020

The rule requiring travellers to post a destructive test declaration right before the start of their excursion has been in effect considering that December 15 for persons residing outside the EU and was because of to be expanded to involve Britain from January 1.

Do not vacation

The governing administration has also reiterated that persons need to not vacation abroad at all unless strictly essential.

The ban on journey from Britain was imposed on Sunday, stranding hundreds of individuals, such as quite a few pupils, who ended up trying to get to the Netherlands for Christmas. The Netherlands launched the evaluate in an energy to maintain out a new pressure of coronavirus which is claimed to be far more contagious and which is rampant in Britain.

The ban unfold swiftly to most other EU nations around the world, creating chaos at French and English ports, and top the European Commission on Tuesday to urge member states to rethink.