The repatriation flight that took mostly Portuguese and Mozambican citizens from Maputo to Lisbon last Saturday (4), had three cases of covid-19 on board, concerning the new Ómicron variant.

A source from the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), informed about covid-19 infections this Monday, and hours later conformed that it was the new variant Ómicron.

Thus, Portugal has a cumulative of 37 positive cases of the new variant of Sars-Cov-2.

On board the TAP flight in question were 282 passengers, all of whom underwent the covid-19 test, in Mozambique, and then in Lisbon, by INEM teams.

It is not yet known what nationality the infected people are, and whether they have recently been outside of Mozambique and/or with people arriving from international travel before the flight.

All people arriving in Portugal from Mozambique are quarantined because of the new variant.

However, on Monday, the second repatriation flight from Mozambique arrived, with 273 passengers.

More flights of this kind are scheduled for the coming days, in both directions.

European Union member states have decided to temporarily suspend air links with seven southern African countries, including Mozambique, due to the identification of the Omicron variant in South Africa.

One of the questions now is whether it is worthwhile to give vent to petition of the Portuguese Association in Maputo to Portugal to relax the restrictive measures, regarding the ban on flights with Mozambique.