ATHENS – Migration and asylum ministry sources on Friday revealed that four confirmed coronavirus cases, all of them asymptomtatic, have been detected among migrants and refugees being held in quarantine at a temporary facility set up at Megala Therma, in northern Lesvos.

The camp was formed last Sunday, with the ministry renting the land from a private owner with the consent of the local authority. The area has been used in the past to accommodate migrants and refugee by the IRC.

Greek authorities carried out tests on 70 migrants and refugees in total, of which 51 had landed on the shores of Skalohori on the island on May 6 and the other 19 at Lapsarna, Antissa on May 10. Of the initial random samples taken by the National Public Health Organisation staff, two were positive for the virus and seven were negative. The tests were then carried out on the entire group, including the nine originally tested.

Tests were also carried out on all local inhabitants that had come into contact with the migrants and refugees, including armed forces and coast guard personnel, a member of staff of an international organisation, all of which were negative.