Greece’s overcrowded Moria migrant camp reports FIRST coronavirus case

Home to some 13,000 asylum seekers, the Moria camp in Lesbos registered its patient zero, prompting authorities to quarantine the overcrowded facility. The island has recently seen a spike in Covid-19 cases among migrants.

A 40-year-old man, said to be from Somalia, tested positive for Covid-19, local officials told the media on Wednesday. The migrant reportedly returned to the Moria camp after unsuccessfully trying to settle in Athens; he was placed in isolation, with doctors trying to trace down his contacts.

Moria, which accommodates around 13,000 people, was also quarantined for 14 days. The Somalian man in question appears to be the first coronavirus case reported by the migrant camp.

Lesbos has witnessed a Covid-19 outbreak among migrants in mid-August © REUTERS/Elias Marcou

Lesbos, which once served as a gateway for migrant arrivals to Europe, has been quarantining all newcomers away from the island’s camps since March. Just two weeks ago, in mid-August, 17 migrants were diagnosed with coronavirus and isolated at Kara Tepe camp, marking the first time Covid-19 was discovered among asylum seekers on the Greek island.

Thousands of migrants are waiting for their asylum applications to be processed by Lesbos migration facilities, occasionally protesting against poor living conditions and slow bureaucratic procedures. Locals have repeatedly voiced their anger over the presence of migrants on their island, citing overcrowding and safety concerns.

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