Centre residents feel public fears
SOME PEOPLE ‘AVOIDING’ ASYLUM SEEKERS AFTER TWO COVID CASES
ASYLUM seekers living at the Esplanade Hotel have experienced difficulty in the community since two residents tested positive for Covid-19 last month.
Some taxi drivers have refused to take them to the direct provision centre, according to activist and volunteer Fiona Carey who works with the residents. On another occasion a delivery driver refused to drop an order to the hotel, instead parking across the road and asking a pregnant customer to make journeys back and forth.
Residents have reported people on the street staring at them and avoiding them.
The two people who tested positive for the virus have since recovered and returned to the centre. None of the remaining 113 residents of the centre tested positive for Covid-19.
RESIDENTS of the Esplanade hotel have reported that life has been much more difficult for them in the community since reports in the media about an outbreak of Covid-19 at their accommodation in August .
Local volunteer and activist Fiona Carey said that she has learned of a number of problems the asylum seekers living on Strand Road have endured.
‘Some taxi drivers have refused to take them as soon as they hear where they want to go,’ she said.
‘A delivery van refused to drop a food order to the hotel, instead parking across the road and requiring the heavily pregnant customer to make journeys back and forth with her delivery.’
She said that the residents have reported that people on the street now stare at them and avoid them.
There were only ever two confirmed cases at the Esplanade.
Those two patients were transferred to the City West isolation centre, as per national policy, as soon as they tested positive and no further cases were confirmed. Regular testing is taking place at all direct provision centres, including the Esplanade.
‘ They just feel that people are very fearful and suspicious of them,’ said Fiona.
Speaking towards the end of August just as news emerged of an outbreak at the Es
planade, Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland said that there had been a couple of negative reactions by people in the public when seeing people from the Esplanade out and about.
He said that residents have been strictly observing all safety guidelines. He has also said that the hotel has taken measures to facilitate social distancing.
There are 115 residents living at the Esplanade Hotel, of which 20 are children.
The two people who had Covid-19 last month have now recovered and returned to the centre.