The international trade association IATA argues that a vaccinated person should only lose his European corona travel certificate after a year if he or she has not obtained a booster shot before that time. The aviation sector fears that many people do not have enough time to receive an additional vaccination within nine months. After all, not all EU countries offer such a booster shot, according to the organization. Nevertheless, it is important that the aviation sector monitors travelers more closely. Of the 600 people on the two KLM planes that returned from South Africa on Friday, 61 people have tested positive for the corona virus.

10 percent infected

It is not yet known whether they are infected with the new Omicron variant, this is still being investigated. Earlier in the day, the GGD assumed that 85 passengers would receive a positive result. This estimate was made when 110 results were known, of which 15 were positive. The infected persons are housed in a guarded isolation hotel at or near Schiphol. They stay there for at least seven days if they have complaints and five days if they have no complaints. Anyone who receives a negative test result must be quarantined at home for five days to be tested again after five days.

developments

The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the new corona variant discovered in South Africa as worrisome. The variant is given the name Omicron, as earlier variants are also named with a letter from the Greek alphabet. 

The American biotech company Moderna is developing a booster vaccine for the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, which was labeled as worrying by the World Health Organization on Friday. Earlier, Moderna had already developed boosters for the Beta and Delta variants of the virus. The company says it can have a vaccine ready for clinical studies within XNUMX to XNUMX days. 

Pfizer/BioNTech has also indicated that it is investigating the Omicron variant. "We expect more data from our lab trials in two weeks," BioNTech said in a statement. “This data should show whether an adjustment to our vaccine is necessary for the new variant.” Pfizer/BioNTech says it can deliver a new vaccine to patients within XNUMX days.

scholarships

The already troubled European airlines were again hit hard on the stock markets on Friday. Investors were shocked by the news of the discovery of a new corona variant in South Africa. The United Kingdom immediately closed its borders to six African countries to keep the new variant out. The Netherlands will no longer allow flights from southern Africa from 12.00 noon. The European Union, Japan and Australia also want to ban flights from the region.

Source: ANP

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