The municipality of Odemira, Portugal is located in the region of Alentejo, which currently has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases in the country but has a significant number of foreign agricultural workers who often live in close quarters. Odemira’s Local Authorities are therefore preparing a COVID-19 quarantine plan that takes into account the need to prevent transmission within this population.

The plan includes setting up several facilities across the municipality, like sports halls, to accommodate up to 500 migrants who work in agriculture in case they need to be quarantined. According to Odemira’s mayor, ‘The municipality has public facilities with dimensions and conditions to accommodate those in need, such as sports and multipurpose pavilions, and meals are also being planned’.

According to the Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, information has been transmitted to the National Support Centres for the Integration of Migrants (CNAIM) and also to the Network of Local Support Centres for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM), which will continue to provide information, mostly through telephone, email and social networks.

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