CEUTA, Spain, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta have rolled out a nine-point plan to strengthen public health and environmental controls following a recent mass influx of migrants, local authorities said Saturday.
The plan includes enhanced tuberculosis surveillance, expanded monitoring of drinking and coastal waters, and stepped-up cleaning, disinfection and waste removal. More than 100 additional workers have been deployed for sanitation and environmental control duties.
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia is scheduled to visit Ceuta on Sunday to assess the impact of the influx on local health services. During the visit, she is expected to meet local and central government officials, medical representatives and social organizations, and visit a health center and the University Hospital of Ceuta.
More than 72,000 migrants crossed irregularly into Ceuta from neighboring Morocco on July 30 and 31, according to the Spanish government. Most returned to Morocco later, while thousands remain in the enclave.
Security was also tightened along the border ahead of Saturday after calls for another mass crossing circulated on social media. Moroccan security forces intercepted hundreds of migrants attempting to reach the border area, while Ceuta reported no influx on a scale comparable to that seen in late July. ■