Kirsty Mckenzie
A GROUP of migrants rescued off the coast of Alicante have been forced to isolate following fears that they had contracted coronavirus.
Out of the 79 immigrants saved from Costa Blanca, 17 were thought to have Covid-19, with four officially testing positive for the virus.
The group – thought to be from Algeria – was reported to have included five children and a baby.
They will all remain in quarantine at the General University Hospital of Alicante, a judge has ruled.
Due to their close proximity onboard, the Valencian Superior Court of Justice (TSJCV) agreed on the terms of their isolation with the Ministry of Health.
The Magistrate said the group would be in quarantine “to avoid risks to public health”.
On a visit to the city of Alicante, the Minister for Equality and Inclusive Policies and Vice President of the Generalitat, Mónica Oltra, said the migrants should not be “stigmatised”.
In the case of immigrants who have tested positive for the virus, she stated that “any infected human being is a victim of the virus and not the executioner of anyone”, adding it was not helpful “to stigmatise a group that is not the cause of the pandemic or reference to the largest outbreaks. “
