NEWS

Concern after first Covid case at Moria migrant camp

Concern after first Covid case at Moria migrant camp

Concerns have spiked on Lesvos after the first coronavirus infection – a 40-year-old Somali man – was reported in the island’s overcrowded Moria camp for migrants while another 100 cases have been traced in the general population.

The Migration Ministry said the facility would be locked down for two weeks as health inspectors started trying to trace the 40-year-old’s contacts for Covid-19 testing. He was hospitalized on Tuesday after feeling unwell and yesterday tested positive for the virus. 

Having first arrived on Lesvos in September 2019, he left the camp in July after his application for asylum was approved. However, he returned last week and has apparently been living in a tent on the outskirts of the camp and working as an interpreter. 

The Migration Ministry said the infection underlined the need for authorities to press forward with plans for a more strictly controlled facility on the island.

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