Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Greek Roma Camp Quarantined to Limit Spread of COVID-19

Anthee Carassava

   ATHENS - Greek health officials have quarantined one of the country's
   biggest Gypsy, or Roma, camps, scrambling to contain the spread of the
   coronavirus after multiple cases were detected there.
   The squalid settlement of 3,000 on the outskirts of the city of
   Larissa, 216 kilometers north of Athens, was locked down after at least
   20 residents tested positive for the contagious viruslate Thursday.
   Dozens more have since been recorded as authorities launched sweeping
   tests over the weekend, also keeping the military on standby to step in
   and enforce the quarantine in a bid to stop the virus from spreading to
   neighboring communities.
   "This incident has confirmed our greatest fear," said Apostolos
   Kalogiannis, the mayor of Larissa, which, along with neighboring towns
   has until recently boasted a limited number of COVID-19 infections.
   All cases in the Roma settlement of Nea Smyrni have been linked to a
   32-year-old man believed to have defied nationwide stay-home orders. He
   is also believed to have interacted with migrants at a nearby camp,
   forcing authorities to also quarantine that camp, 15 kilometers from
   Larissa, for two weeks.
   Health and security officials Friday scrambled to the Roma settlement
   to assess the situation, concerned the outbreak could imperil the
   government's successful drive to bring the coronavirus to heel, after
   convincing the country's population to heed draconian lockdown orders.
   The situation in this case "is different and difficult," warned Sotiris
   Tsiodras, an infectious diseases expert and the head of the Greek
   medical response team. "The example of Larissa shows just how fragile
   the situation is," he said, refusing to elaborate.
   As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across Europe, Roma, traditionally
   crammed in decrepit homes and settlements with poor sewage, are largely
   being viewed as ticking time bombs, generating 20 new cases for every
   infected person, seven times as fast as the average rate of virus's
   infection, according to experts.
   Government officials contacted by VOA in Athens Friday said the
   administration was set to use "any and every necessary measure" to
   avoid further spread of the virus across Larissa, a largely agrarian
   area.

.