The Netherlands has imposed a ban on passenger flights from South Africa following the discovery of a new variant of coronavirus in that country.

The ban, which led to the cancellation of two flights carrying 120 passengers on Tuesday morning, will run until January 1, the infrastructure ministry said. Freight traffic and medical personnel are not affected by the ban.

‘Dutch nationals who cannot return from South Africa are advised to look for a safe place to stay,’ the ministry said.

Last weekend, the Netherlands imposed a ban on travel from Britain because of the prevalence of a more infectious version of the virus in the south of the country.

Health minister Hugo de Jonge told talk show Op1 on Monday evening that Dutch nationals stranded in South Africa and the UK will not be repatriated. ‘We can’t start doing that,’ he said. ‘Travelling is a risk, and that is something people should understand.’