More African countries on Monday joined the rush to suspend air links with the south of the continent after the emergence of a new Covid variant, sparking a cry of anguish from South Africa.
With the list of countries imposing travel restrictions on South Africa growing, many people are becoming stranded while others are having to put their dreams on hold.
Dutch health authorities said on Tuesday that the Omicron variant was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, before South Africa had first reported the new strain of Covid-19.