The governor of Sicily ordered orders to free all refugees from centers on the Italian island and to prohibit new migrants from coming out of fears about the spread of the coronavirus.
“By midnight on Monday, all migrants present in the hotspots and in any reception center in Sicily will have to be transferred without delay to structures outside the island,” Nello Musumeci said in the ordinance. “It is not possible to guarantee the stay on the island in accordance with the health measures to prevent contamination.”
The 33-page ordinance also states: “In order to protect and guarantee public health and safety, in the absence of adequate reception facilities, it is prohibited to enter, pass through and stop on the territory of the Sicilian region through any migrant covering the Sicilian coasts with large and small boats, including those of NGOs. “
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The ordinance ends somberly: “Failure to comply with the obligations set forth in this ordinance will result in the sanctioning consequences provided for in applicable law.”
In recent weeks, at least 70 migrants have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Military troops were deployed to the region in August to ensure that the infected complied with quarantine measures.
Photo by DARIO PIGNATELLI / AFP via Getty Images
Italy has seen a recent spike in cases of coronavirus since the start of the official summer holiday. The daily business count in Italy has increased for the most part from July 29, while the weekly totals have increased mostly from the end of June to the beginning of August 10.
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The country’s seven-day moving average of daily new cases has risen since July 1, with the last average around 555 cases on August 20. Masks are still required in public spaces and collection sizes are limited.
“We cannot cancel the sacrifices that have been made in recent months. Our priority must be to open schools in September, in complete safety,” warned Public Health Minister Roberto Speranza in a Facebook post last weekend. post.
