COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges for those who are homeless

The coronavirus pandemic presents unique challenges for those who are homeless and the people who help them.

Shelters are implementing new procedures while others are putting together COVID-19 hygiene care packages.

LIVE-STREAM MASSES.A GROUP IN THE METRO ISDOING EVERYTHING IT CANTO SUPPORT AVULNERABLE POPULATION-- THOSE EXPERIENCINGHOMELESSNESS.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER SARAH PLAKEWENT TO A DAY CENTERTO SEE EXTRA STEPSTHEY'RE TAKING NOW.This is a sanctuary, we needto keep it as a sanctuary.Hope Faith Ministries, a daycenter for people experiencinghomelessness, can seearound 300 faces a day....They're people who need aplace to rest, get a meal, sendmail, be connected to life-sustaining services...If you think about it, we're thefront line.While health officials and thegovernment urge us to stayhome and stay healthy in themidst of coronavirus ..

That'snot an option for many ofthese people.We have to be open exactlyfor that purpose, a lot of ourguests don't have homes.That means cleaning everyhour on the hour..

Andencouraging folks to spreadout more.It's screening everyone forsymptoms at the door andtaking temperatureI just need to check yourjust to make sure yourtemperature is alright..

Andyou are good to go, you havea clean bill of healthIt also means limiting medicaland dental appointments...That's where other outreachgroups step in, like CareBeyond the BoulevardJaynell Assmann, known asNurse KK, and her group givemedical care in the streets.My concern is that oncesomeone who is living on thestreets gets the virus, it'sgoing to run pretty rampantThey too are limitinginteractions and screeningpatients.and are figuring out how tobest serve a vulnerablepopulation with a shortage offlu test kits and hygieneproducts.Hand sanitizer is almostnonexistent.

A group of us gottogether yesterday to puttogether some covid carepackages for our patients andwe were able to put togetherabout 400 packages...Nurse KK says their outreachmust continue, because forsomeone living on the streetscoronavirus could add on toan already long list of fears.It's just a different level ofsuffering that many of us trulycan't understand.