The Dutch government designated the United States a “very high-risk” nation after a surge in new Omicron cases.
The United States was added to the Netherlands‘ list of “very high-risk” countries yesterday, alongside Afghanistan, Haiti, Jordan, Somalia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela.
Under restrictions implemented last week, those arriving from very high-risk countries “must self-quarantine for 10 days, even if they have proof of vaccination or proof of recovery,” meaning that COVID-19 self-isolation period is now required for all new US arrivals, and even fully vaccinated travelers arriving from the United States will now have to undergo 10 days of quarantine in the Netherlands.
The self-isolation period can be reduced if a traveler tests negative for coronavirus halfway through the quarantine. Travelers aged 12 and over will also have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on entry to the Netherlands.
The new restrictions are significant due to the fact that they apply to vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers alike, with some studies suggesting certain COVID-19 vaccines fare worse against Omicron than against previous strains.
Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, the US has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths worldwide, at 52 million and 800,000 respectively, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It has also registered the most cases globally over the past seven days, at 1,600,000 – nearly three times as many as the runner-up, the UK, which had 600,000.
