Greece reports first COVID-19 refugee death since pandemic began
A 61-year-old man from Afghanistan died of COVID-19 on Sunday, the first reported death of a refugee from the disease in Greece since the pandemic began there in late February, a government official told Reuters.
The man, a father of two children, lived at the Malakasa migrant camp, and died in hospital in Athens where he had been receiving treatment, the official said.
Authorities were tracing his contacts, according to the official. It was not immediately clear how long he had been in hospital.
The Malakasa camp, which is about 40km north of Athens and hosts about 3,000 people, has been under quarantine since September 7 after positive tests for the new coronavirus.
Greece has been the main gateway into the European Union for people fleeing conflict in the Middle East and beyond. More than a million people reached its shores from Turkey in 2015-16.
At least 110,000 people currently live in temporary facilities – 40,000 of them in overcrowded camps on five islands. Many have been sealed off or movement further restricted to curb the spread of the virus.
Moria, on the island of Lesbos and the biggest camp in Greece, burned down earlier this month, leaving about 12,000 people stranded. Most of them have now moved to a temporary tent camp on the island.
Greece reported 218 COVID-19 cases on Sunday and three deaths, bringing the total number of cases since the first case surfaced late February to 17,444.
Source: Aljazeera
Trending News
SML-GRA deal: NDC’s call for prosecution unfounded – Majority caucus
11:39Gov't refuses to capture our request in manifesto – GNAPS
09:21US embassy wishes Ghana's delegation in 2024 ROBOFEST World Championship well
08:37Mahama donates motorbikes to Volta NDC
10:37Bawumia vows free tertiary education for PWDs
13:09Adopt Chinese as a second language – Prof Wang Jimm to Ghana
09:21Voter registration: EC's 'lazy' approach 'worrying' - E/R-NDC says it won't tolerate it today
08:28EC working to suppress votes – Suhuyini alleges
13:17Barbaric bomb attack on Class Media Group act of terrorism - GJA president condemns evildoers, urges swift police action
12:57May Day: I acknowledge challenges faced by workers – Kyerematen
10:15