Some 150 COVID-19 cases have been detected among migrants that are being relocated from the burnt Moria facility on the Greek island of Lesbos, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman said on Friday
GENEVA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th September, 2020) Some 150 COVID-19 cases have been detected among migrants that are being relocated from the burnt Moria facility on the Greek island of Lesbos, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spokeswoman said on Friday.
On Thursday morning, the Greek police launched an operation to transfer Moria camp residents to a temporary site in Kara Tepe, which is located not far from the capital of the island of Lesbos.
"Before entering the facility, all new residents are undergoing rapid COVID-19 testing to help contain the virus. As of today, as a result of mass testing, we understand there are some 150 positive cases. All have received medical attention and are isolating in a quarantine area within the new site," Shabia Mantoo said at a briefing.
She specified that about 5,000 migrants are now being housed in the Kara Tepe facility, which has a capacity to accommodate some 8,000 people. The relocations are ongoing.
According to the spokeswoman, the police operation is running smoothly and no use of force or incidents of violence have been reported.
The overcrowded Moria facility was destroyed by a huge blaze in the early hours of September 9, leaving nearly 13,000 migrants without shelter. According to Greek media, the fire could have been caused by arson. The fire broke out after reports emerged that 35 residents of the camp had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
