ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece has registered at least nine cases of coronavirus in the overcrowded migrant camp of Moria on the island of Lesbos so far, a migration ministry official said on Monday.
Last week, the facility was placed under quarantine after authorities confirmed that a 40-year-old asylum-seeker had tested positive for coronavirus.
“So far, there are nine cases in the camp in Moria. The number might increase,” the ministry official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Since March 1, all migrants reaching Lesbos have been quarantined away from the island’s camps.
The Moria facility, which hosts more than 12,000 people – more than four times its stated capacity – has been frequently criticized by aid groups for poor living conditions.
Most recently, aid groups have warned that social distancing and basic hygiene measures are impossible to implement in the camp due to the conditions.
Greece has recently seen a surge in coronavirus cases. It has recorded 11,524 cases since its first infection surfaced in February, and 284 COVID-related deaths.
(Reporting by Lefteris Papadimas; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
