COVID-19: Homelessness During A Pandemic_Untracked

Whilst the world is told to "stay home", we examine what that means for those who don't have a home to go to. Social isolation, while possible for the majority, is a hard reality for those used to living in close proximity to one another in homeless communities. With insight offered by Rev. Andy Bales, CEO & President of the Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles and Dr. Margot Kushel Professor of Medicine, UC San Francisco and Director of UCSF Center of Vulnerable Populations. Script: ((SOT Cuomo)) “We know what we need to do, stay at home, please." STAY AT HOME... THOSE ARE THE DIRECTIONS FROM PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS AS THE BEST WAY TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. HOWEVER, ONE GROUP OF THE POPULATION IS PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO OBEY THOSE ORDERS... THE HOMELESS. (SOT Dr. Margot Kushel Professor of Medicine, UC San Francisco, Director of UCSF Center of Vulnerable Populations) “By staying at home we normally mean that people stay in a setting with just their family nobody else, so even people at shelters are maybe living with 100 other people if any one of them gets infected the chance is high that many people could acquire that infection” AN AT-RISK GROUP IN EVEN MORE DANGER AS SOCIAL DISTANCING IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE. IN LOS ANGELES, NEARLY SIXTY THOUSAND PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS... THERE ARE CONFIRMED COVID CASES ALREADY AMONG THAT POPULATION...AND THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE. FOR THE UNION RESCUE MISSION IN DOWNTOWN L-A THEIR GOAL OF BRINGING COMFORT AND COMPASSION, EVEN HARDER IN THIS CURRENT COVID-19 CLIMATE. (SOT Rev Andy Bales, chief executive officer & president, union rescue mission) “We've never faced anything like we are facing right now. Even as you remind them to practice social distancing let them know how much you love and care about them.” PUBLIC OFFICIALS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE WORKING TO PREVENT AN OUTBREAK... IN LAS VEGAS, PARKING LOTS ARE BEING DIVIDED INTO SIX FOOT SPACES TO ENCOURAGE DISTANCING... IN CALIFORNIA, EFFORTS TO RELOCATE HUNDREDS TO CAMPERS, RVS, AND SPARE MOTEL ROOMS. SOT Dr. MARGOT KUSHEL “It is an extremely important tool in our toolbox right now, I think the better question is - is it happening quickly enough and will it reach enough people?" BUT FEARS FOR MANY THAT NEED HELP NOW MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO AVERT DISASTER ... AS HOMELESSNESS HAS BEEN AN IGNORED CRISIS FOR YEARS BEFORE THIS CURRENT HEALTH EMERGENCY... (SOT REV ANDY BALES) “It’s a pandemic upon a pandemic it's a horror movie laid out on a twilight zone already. it's horrific. we are facing the toughest times we have ever faced” AND AS UNEMPLOYMENT SKYROCKETS... ANOTHER FEAR SETS IN... AN EVEN LARGER NUMBER OF HOMELESS LOOMING IN THE FUTURE (SOT DR. MARGOT KUSHEL) “I think our crisis was already very devastating and to think that it could get worse is very problematic and a very likely possibility unless we act quickly and decisively.”