Since the so-called EU-Turkey deal in March 2016, migrants and refugees previously in transit through the Greek islands have been trapped there for an indeterminate time in overcrowded, unsafe and unhygienic conditions, without access to basic services, adequate shelter or information on their legal status.

The overcrowded and horrific living conditions in the camps - or hotspots - on the Greek islands provide the perfect storm for a COVID-19 outbreak, warned MSF. Given the lack of adequate sanitation services and the severely limited medical care, the risk of the virus spreading amongst the inhabitants of the camps in Greece is extremely high once they have been exposed. And as the first case has been confirmed on Lesbos, a Greek citizen, the evacuation of the camps has become more urgent than ever.