Greece has said it is placing migrant camps across the country on a two-week shutdown to visitors to ward off the new coronavirus.

“Visits (to camps) by individuals and organizations are suspended for at least 14 days,” the Migration Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday (17 March).

“Entry will be allowed only to staff and there will be a compulsory temperature check for new arrivals,” it said, adding that residents would be encouraged to limit their movements in and out of the camps.

Greece has progressively tightened restrictions on trade and public gatherings, and the national death toll from the virus now stands at five with 387 cases.

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There are tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers in camps on the Greek mainland and islands near Turkey, and most of them are badly overcrowded.

Hundreds more arrived this month after Turkey announced it would no longer stop people from attempting to reach the EU — going against a deal reached with the bloc in 2016 — leading to days of chaos at the Greek border.