Nudist holidaymakers on a dream holiday island looked on in amazement when illegal African immigrants were isolated for seven hours because of an Ebola scare. Red Cross workers left masks, food and water 50 metres away from the 19 Africans who arrived at the famous Maspalomas sand dunes on Gran Canaria in a small boat in a bid to find a better life in Spain. A number of the 17 men and two women showed signs of fever including one who had a temperature of 40 degrees.
At least three are reported to have said they came from Guinea and Sierra Leone – both Ebola hotspots. The group had to wait until the Government of Gran Canaria decided whether or not to activate protocol measures to eliminate risks to tourists.
Workers found the boat at 9.30am and the Red Cross decided to launch emergency Ebola procedures while the authorities debated a final decision. Four of the immigrants were eventually taken to hospital, reports
El Mundo, while the others were put in a holding camp on the island to await being sent back to their home country.
Their treatment sparked fury in some quarters and the group were pictured wearing face masks as they were ushered on to the back of a dump truck.
The Government of Gran Canaria later confirmed none of the immigrants had the deadly disease, which has cost 4,818 people their lives to date, according to the World Health Organisation. Speaking about the illegal immigrants, the mayor of San Bartolomé,
Marco Aurelio Perez told El Mundo:
"It presents risks because it is an established destination. Unfortunately, illegal immigration has become a common sight in the West."
Other reports from Spain suggest the boat the immigrants travelled in was burnt.
Source: Mirror UK
Photo Credit: Reuters
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