The rescue vessel Ocean Viking joined the port of Marseille on Friday and will leave "as soon as conditions allow" to help migrants in distress in the central Mediterranean where the situation remains "dramatic", said the president of SOS Mediterranean.
"Given the very difficult situation linked to the Covid-19, we returned to Marseille, but we will leave as soon as possible after having assessed all the conditions," said François Thomas, president of this NGO, whose headquarters are in Marseille. .
"The drama continues"
"We are very supportive of all medical services", underlined François Thomas who also recalls that "the drama continues" off the Mediterranean, many people trying to reach Europe on makeshift boats departing from Libya especially.
On February 23, the Ocean Viking chartered by SOS Mediterranean in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) landed the 274 people rescued during its last mission off the coast of Libya, in the Sicilian town of Pozzallo. When they arrived, they had been kept in quarantine and the staff of the isolated vessel on board for two weeks. According to François Thomas, no positive coronavirus case has been detected and, as requested by the Italian authorities, the ship has been disinfected. On the return journey to Marseille, the temperature of the personnel on board continued to be monitored.
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- Coronavirus
- Marseille
- Migrants
- Aquarius