MIAMI (WSVN) - The coronavirus is causing problems for many homeless people in South Florida, but Miami-Dade County officials said a plan to help them is underway.
The homeless population is especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and are also at risk of spreading the virus, and that’s why the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust is taking major precautions.
“If we do not do this, what we’re going to find are hundreds of people on the streets infected with the virus, and the hospitals aren’t equipped to take them all in,” said Ron Book, chairman of the Homeless Trust.
Book said they’ve placed hand sanitizer and hand washing stations in areas the homeless frequent.
Over the weekend, Book said, they had a COVID-19 case at one of their shelters, which are especially challenging environments because people live in tight quarters.
But Book said he’s equally concerned about the homeless population out on the streets.
“If you take the area behind Macy’s as an example, where we’ve probably got about 40 people right now as we speak, my staff will revisit them today, re-remind them about social distancing, re-remind them to wash their hands every hour,” he said.
One option the Homeless Trust is looking into is converting the old Costco location along Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami into a massive shelter that could house hundreds of people during the pandemic.
“We are looking at how to maximize use of it, potentially bringing in portable toilets and portable showers, as well as a feeding unit,” said Book.
Book said they’re also trying to secure hotel rooms for the homeless who are undergoing COVID-19 testing so they can quarantine. They are also using the Homeless Trust’s reserve account to pay for the new measures and hoping the federal government will reimburse them at some point.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.