Ritsona refugee camp quarantined after 20 test positive for Covid-19

Greek health officials have placed a refugee and migrant camp northeast of the capital in quarantine after 20 of its residents tested positive for Covid-19.

The 20 patients are among 63 residents of the Ritsona camp who were tested immediately after a woman was found to be infected with the highly contagious novel coronavirus earlier this week at a hospital in Athens after giving birth.

None of the 20 people who were found to be infected with the novel coronavirus showed symptoms of the illness, according to reports, while more of the camp’s 2,500 residents will be tested over the next few days.

Under the quarantine rules, no one will be allowed in or out of the camp for the next 14 days.

Medical NGOs and human rights groups have beeing appealing to the Greek government since the start of the pandemic to evacuate the country’s overcrowded migrant and refugee camps to protect their residents and workers from infection.