The European Commission states Greece will have the ability to handle a Covid-19 outbreak at a refugee camp near Athens.

“I think they can manage,” Ylva Johansson, the European Commissioner for home affairs, informed MEPs on Thursday (2 April).

The outbreak is connected to the Ritsona camp of some 2,700 people who are all now under quarantine.

A minimum of 23 have actually been evaluated favorable without revealing any signs. Greek authorities had actually recognized the first case after a female from the camp delivered at a healthcare facility previously today.

“This development confirms the fact that this fast-moving virus does not discriminate and can affect both migrant and local communities,” Gianluca Rocco, who heads the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Greece, stated in a declaration.

Another 6 cases connected to regional citizens have actually likewise been recognized on the Greek islands.

Notis Mitarachi, Greece’s minister of migration and asylum, stated there are no validated cases of the illness in any of the island refugee camps.

“We have only one affected camp, that is on the mainland, very close to Athens where 20 people have tested positive,” he stated.

Over 40,000 migrants, refugees and asylum applicants are stuck on the islands. Of those, some 20,000 remain in Moria, a camp on Lesbos island that is created to house just 3,000

It is not likely conditions will enhance whenever soon with Mitarachi keeping in mind significant changes will just happen prior to the year’s end. He stated the building of brand-new camps on the mainland first need to be finished.

“We do not have rooms in the mainland,” he stated, when continued why there have actually been no mass evacuations from the islands.

He positioned a few of the blame on the EU-Turkey offer, keeping in mind anybody moved to the mainland can not be gone back to Turkey. Turkey has considering that the start of March contradicted any returns provided the coronavirus pandemic.

In spite of the offer, Mitarachi kept in mind 10,000 people had actually still been moved to the mainland up until now this year. He likewise firmly insisted all steps are being required to ensure the safety of the Greek island camp refugees.

In reality, Moria has one operating faucet per 1,300 people. A lockdown likewise has actually been enforced, making any ideas of social distancing difficult.

He stated all brand-new arrivals from Turkey are apart and avoided the camps. Unique health systems will likewise be dispatched into the camps to test for cases, he stated.

Mitarachi is requiring other EU states assist take in people, to reduce the pressure.

8 EU states had in early March vowed to take in 1,600 unaccompanied minors. The Commission states it anticipates the first movings to happen prior to Easter at the current.

The money

Greece has actually likewise been allocated some EUR700 m of EU funds to assist in the efforts.

The first EUR350 m has actually currently been divided up.

Around EUR190 m will go to paying rental lodging for 25,000 beds on the mainland and supply money help to 90,000 people under the aegis of the UN refugee company (UNHCR).

Another EUR100 m will go to 31 camps run by the International Organization for Migration. Around EUR25 m will go to assist households and kids on the islands through the UNHCR.

And EUR35 m is set to assist move others out of the camps and into hotels.

The staying EUR350 m will go to developing 5 brand-new migrant centres (EUR220 m), assistance spend for returns (EUR10 m), support the Greek asylum service (EUR50 m), impose borders (EUR50 m), and offer an extra EUR10 m each to Frontex and the EU’s asylum company, Easo.

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