Dozens found infected at Dutch airport, New York declares emergency

New York governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday due to a rise in Covid-19 cases in the state and the threat of the omicron variant. Now the  executive order will allow the health department to limit non-essential, non-urgent procedures at hospitals and acquire critical supplies more quickly. The order takes effect on December 3 and will be re-assessed based on the latest data on January 15.“We continue to see warning signs of spikes this upcoming winter, and while the new omicron variant has yet to be detected in New York state, it’s coming,” Hochul said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late Friday that no omicron cases have been identified in US so far.

Meanwhile, Dutch health authorities said that dozens of people who arrived in Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa on Friday are  likely infected with Covid-19, and they are conducting further testing to see if people are infected with the recently discovered Omicron coronavirus variant. Around 600 passengers arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on the two KLM flights. The Dutch health ministry estimated there may be around 85 positive cases among the passengers."Travelers with a positive test result will be placed in isolation at a hotel at or near Schiphol," health authorities said in a statement. The Dutch government separately on Friday announced the nighttime closure of bars, restaurants and most stores as it grapples with a record-breaking wave of Covid-19 cases that is swamping its healthcare system.