The Netherlands drops predeparture testing ahead of Easter travel surge
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The Netherlands has dropped predeparture COVID-19 testing, making travel to the Land of Windmills easier for travelers regardless of their vaccination status.
The announcement was among a raft of changes to Holland’s COVID-19 restrictions starting Wednesday, March 23.
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The requirement to test before entering a nightclub will also be scrapped.
However, the country still expects all travelers to take a self-test immediately upon arrival in the Netherlands, and another one five days after arriving in the country.
You must also complete a health declaration form.
Related: Canada is dropping pre-arrival testing for vaccinated travelers as of April 1
Mask mandates for public transportation, as well as taxis, coaches and ferries, will also be lifted … but masks will still be required at airports and on flights.
This comes after Dutch flag carrier KLM said passengers no longer have to wear masks on flights, putting the company at odds with its own government.
“We find it disappointing that the use of face masks during boarding and during the entire flight is still being considered by the Dutch government, while this has been abandoned everywhere in the Netherlands,” a KLM spokesperson told TPG UK.
Related: KLM plans to stop monitoring face masks this week, despite Dutch government rules
“The sector finds this approach inappropriate, given the phase the pandemic is in,” the airline added. “It is also at odds with European and international developments that we monitor closely.”
KLM said it’s seeing “an increase in [misunderstandings]” with passengers and “a growing number and also more serious incidents with ‘unruly’ passengers, which may negatively affect the safety of a flight.”
Featured image by George Clerk/Getty Images.
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