Dutch police arrest couple who escaped Covid quarantine hotel

A couple have been arrested after escaping from a quarantine in the Netherlands after testing positive for Covid-19.

They were arrested “in an airplane that was about to depart” on Sunday, officers confirmed.

It was unclear whether they had tested positive for the new Omicron coronavirus variant.

Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool reported that the couple, a Spanish man and Portuguese woman, were trying to fly to Spain.

Dozens of passengers who tested positive for the virus after arriving on two flights from South Africa on Friday are being kept in quarantine at a hotel near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.

Police said said the couple were turned over to health authorities.

In all, 61 of the more than 600 passengers on flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town tested positive for Covid-19.

Most are quarantining at the hotel, though some Dutch residents were allowed to quarantine at home.

Dutch health authorities said earlier on Sunday that at least 13 of the 61 are infected with the newly identified Omicron variant of the virus.

Tougher restrictions have been introduced in the Netherlands as coronavirus infections surge.

Under the new rules, hospitality and cultural venues such as cafes, museums and cinemas must close by 5pm for at least the next three weeks.

Cases continue to skyrocket in the country, with 22,257 new infections reported on average each day.

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