24 March 2020
It is impossible for refugees and migrants living in overcrowded Greek camps to socially distance or isolate themselves.
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"The EU must come up with an “immediate" response to the problem of coronavirus spreading in Greece's overcrowded migrant camps, where social distancing is almost impossible, according to the head of the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee.
Earlier this month, it was reported that a 40-year-old woman on the island of Lesvos had tested positive for coronavirus, sparking fears that it could spread to the nearby Moria migrant camp.
"With the first confirmation of a COVID-19 case on Lesvos, the humanitarian crisis on the Greek islands risks becoming a public health issue for which an immediate European response has to be found," Juan Fernando López Aguilar, a Spanish Socialist MEP, wrote in a letter sent Monday to Janez Lenarčič, the European commissioner for crisis management.
López Aguilar said that recent measures by the Greek government to place migrant camps under a two-week lockdown were not enough to prevent the virus from spreading."
Senior MEP calls for EU action to stop coronavirus spreading to Greek migrant camps (Politico, link):
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