China News Service, July 6th, according to the British "Guardian" reported that the Italian Ministry of Interior sources said that the Italian side is conducting a new crown virus test on 180 refugees rescued in the Mediterranean in order to transfer them to Sicily on the 6th Isolated on a ship.
The immigrants have been staying on a ship called the Ocean Vikings for more than a week. The ship is operated by the Mediterranean Emergency Distress. Fighting and suicide attempts on the ship prompted the charity to announce on the 3rd Enter a state of emergency.
A source from the Italian Ministry of Health said on the 4th that a medical team sent by the Pozzallo authorities in Sicily "confirmed that (on board) there were no special health problems and reported that the tension on board was being eased."
The medical team is conducting a new coronavirus test on these refugees, after which they will be transferred to a quarantine ship currently located in the Port of Pedok, Sicily.
The "Ocean Viking" vessel has been trapped in the Mediterranean waters of southern Sicily, waiting for permission to unload immigrants from ports in Italy or Malta.
An AFP reporter on board witnessed the escalation of tension in the past week, and the refugees were desperate to reach the land. Others are upset because they can’t call their families to let them know they are safe.
These refugees include 25 minors, most of whom are not accompanied by adults, and two women, one of whom is pregnant.
According to data from the International Organization for Migration, more than 100,000 refugees tried to cross the Mediterranean in 2019, of which more than 1,200 died in the attempt. The arrival of summer and more favorable conditions at sea may cause more and more people to try to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.