Ceuta steps up public health measures after mass migrant influx

Authorities in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta have introduced a nine-point plan to bolster public health and environmental safeguards following a recent surge in migrant arrivals.

The measures include increased tuberculosis surveillance, closer monitoring of drinking and coastal water, as well as intensified cleaning, disinfection and waste collection. More than 100 additional workers have been assigned to sanitation and environmental 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.

According to the Spanish government, more than 72,000 migrants crossed irregularly into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30 and 31. Most later returned to Morocco, while thousands remain in the enclave.

Security was reinforced along the border on Saturday after social media calls for another mass crossing. Moroccan security forces intercepted hundreds of migrants heading towards the border, while Ceuta reported no repeat of the large-scale influx seen in late July.