Dutch health officials said Sunday 13 people who recently arrived in the Netherlands on flights from South Africa have tested positive for the new omicron coronavirus variant.

The passengers were part of the group of 61 who tested positive for the coronavirus following their arrival in Amsterdam on Friday.

The announcement came shortly after Australia said two cases of the variant were discovered in passengers who recently arrived in Sydney.

Omicron is the fifth WHO-designated variant of concern. It was first detected in recent weeks in South Africa, which has seen an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases.

There are about 30 mutations on the virus' spike protein, and scientists worry that some of them could make the virus easier to transmit. But scientists do not yet know whether omicron is in fact more transmissible or dangerous.

A healthcare worker collects a swab from a passenger for a PCR test against the COVID-19 before traveling to Uganda, amidst the spread of the variant Omicron, at O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 28, 2021.

Cases of the variant have also been discovered in Israel, Hong Kong and several European countries.

Concern over the variant has prompted many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, and European Union nations, to restrict or ban travel from southern African countries.

The South African government has called the travel restrictions 'rushed' and raised concerns about the impact on business.

The top U.S. infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has said he would not be surprised if the omicron variant was already in the United States as well.

In South Africa, where the omicron variant was detected, roughly 35% of the adult population is vaccinated. Figures are even lower across much of the African continent.

Heath experts have warned vaccine inequality would create a breeding ground for virus mutations.

Information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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