As COVID-19 continues to impact the city's homeless population, the administrator at a local shelter is growing concerned.
Christine Wilson-Furlonger runs Street Help on Wyandotte Street East — while they haven't encountered the virus yet, she's worried it'll make it's way to the clients she serves if more isn't done to stop it.
Outbreaks have been declared at both the Salvation Army and the Downtown Mission, with nearly 120 residents testing positive for COVID-19 between the two shelters.
Wilson-Furlonger says the cold weather has forced many homeless to stay indoors, increasing their chances for exposure.
"For a long time, there were no cases of COVID among the homeless. We certainly never want anybody outdoors, but by bringing the people in they became more exposed. The ones that haven't gone in yet are even more determined not to. We have to figure out better solutions," she says.
Wilson-Furlonger says there's a lot of crossover between clients and services.
"They think this guy goes to the Salvation Army, therefore he's a Salvation Army client. No, because he also goes to the Mission, he also goes to Street Help, he also gets in the food line at any of the other programs. We're all very connected," she says.
Wilson-Furlonger says there's only so much enforcement that can be done.
"We have been working as hard as we can to enforce social distancing, but when people are outside of our building there's only a certain level that we can do. It's really difficult," she adds.
The local health unit has ordered the closure of the Downtown Mission's facilities on Ouellette Avenue and Victoria Avenue, but has allowed an emergency shelter at the former Windsor Public Library Central Branch to remain open.
Meantime, the Salvation Army has put a halt to any new admissions until its outbreak is cleared up.
With files from Rob Hindi