Mandatory quarantine for travelers from the UK starting Tuesday

The Ministry of Health has designated the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan as very high-risk areas due to the spread of the delta coronavirus variant which originated in India. Starting on Tuesday a quarantine obligation applies to travelers coming from these five countries.

“This is because of the worrying delta variant of the coronavirus variant that is circulating there”, the Ministry of Health said.

From Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. quarantine for travelers from these countries are required to quarantine upon arrival in the Netherlands. They must also show a fully completed quarantine statement. Anyone who does not have a quarantine statement will receive a fine of 95 euros. The fine for breaking the quarantine mandate is 339 euros.

Passengers arriving by ship or plane from these five countries must show a negative PCR test that is less than 72 hours old and a negative rapid test, no older than 24 hours. Train and bus passengers, as well as car drives must show a negative PCR test and are also required to quarantine.

Exempt from the quarantine obligation are truck drivers and other people working in the transportation of goods. They also do not have to show a negative PCR test or rapid test.

Until Monday, 13 infections with the delta coronavirus variant were found in the Netherlands. The delta coronavirus mutation is said to be 40 to 50 percent more contagious than the alpha coronavirus variant which originated in the UK.

In recent weeks, the number of infections with the delta variant has remained stable in the Netherlands. Only 0.1 to 0.3 percent of new coronavirus infections could be traced back to the delta variant.