Italy sends soldiers into town protesting the housing of COVID-positive migrants

Italian authorities have deployed soldiers to a town in the southern region of Calabria where residents have been protesting over COVID-positive migrants quarantined in a residential block.

The soldiers will stand guard outside the apartment block in Amantea where 13 migrants from Bangladesh are in isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Residents of Amantea took to the streets and blocked a road to protest the decision to house the migrants near other residential buildings. Soldiers will now patrol the apartment block housing the migrants to ensure no one breaks quarantine.

The prefecture of Cosenza commented, “The soldiers will not allow the migrants to leave the welcome centres. Only medical personnel will be allowed to enter.”