Shelter outbreaks flag 'dire situation' for homeless in Hamilton, doctors say

Doctors are raising concerns that outbreaks of COVID-19 at shelters in Hamilton are causing more people experiencing homelessness to sleepoutside during the winter.

There are no new admissions to shelters with an ongoing outbreak, said Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, a member ofHamilton Social Medicine Response Team (Hamsmart). Staff also don't want folks switching between shelters, she said.

"You end up having some people who really struggle to have any other options," she said. "I am absolutely seeing more people sleep rough as the winter progresses."

As outbreaks among shelters become more common, Wiwcharuk said, fear of being in congregate settings also rises.People are afraid of living in spaces of 40 people, she said,where they know the stakes are higher.

Positive tests

The outbreak atGood Shepherd Men's Shelter at 378 Main St. E., which is the former Cathedral boys' school, has infected two staff.

Another outbreak was declared at Mission Services Men's Shelter on Jan. 14, andhas infected seven people, includingfour clients and three staff. The city declared the outbreak after a resident tested positive through asymptomatic surveillance testing, which is conductedweekly at severalsites.

The Shelter Health Network, which provides care and screeningof those with symptoms at the men's shelter, followed up with further testing.That revealed three more positive cases in residents and three in staff, according to a release.

Outbreaks stoking fear in clients

Dr. Tim O'Shea, the founder of Hamsmartwho also works with the Shelter Health Network, said fear drives people to leave shelters mid-outbreak.They aren't welcomed into other shelters, he said, and leave behind beds that can't be filled.

He agreedmore clients are sleeping outside, and worries forthe workers and the sector's ability to continue with services.

"Everybody who works in the shelter sector is on the edge of our seats," he said, noting capacity could drop if more workers get sick.

O'Shea said the cityhas done a "good job" so far, crediting both their use of hotels for people to stay in and their support for testing.

But he's concerned about how the city will respondas more people move outside into tents and parks.

Edward John, the city's housing services director, said the city plans to continue education through its outreach team to connect people with resources.

"We really engage, cooperate and believe that within some of those opportunities we have to house individuals, that's really the best place for them to receive the number of their needs," he said.

The residents who tested positive at Mission Services transferred to the isolation centre, managed by Wesley, he said. One person is being treated in hospital. There are 11 spaces at the centre. Rooms are still available, but more might be added, he said.

Staff are self-isolating at home.

"We're monitoring capacities,"John said. "The second wave is obviously shown to be far more infectiousthan the first wave, and we have plans prepared should we need to act on creating space and capacity in the system."

The city decommissioned its shelter at Bennetto Community Centre on Hughson Street North last summer, which quarantinedpeople who are homeless and had the virus.

Paul Johnson, director of the city's emergency operations centre, called the cases worrying and said they were preparing that centre to open again, if needed.

"It is being readied at the moment, sthat if we do need it, if we run out of isolation spaces at Wesley then we'll have extra spaces available," he said.

The city's spent nearly $12 million throughout the pandemic to date on the system that serves the homeless, John said.

"We're planning for the worst, but to date, we have been able to control when those outbreaks do occur," he said.

John said the city has been speaking with services to "staff-up," but there are barriers, such as on-boarding time, and a small pool of workers amid the pandemic.

Restrictions

Another concern, Wiwcharuk said, is a large amount of people who are restricted from accessing particular shelters.Sometimes people can be restricted from more than one, she said.

If someone is restricted from one shelter, while another is full and the other is in outbreak, she said, there are no other options.

She's encountered numerous people in this situation, and described it as "heartbreaking."

John said restrictions aren't a "significant factor" and that there aren't "many" people who are service-restricted from all shelters. People who believe they're restricted might be under the wrong impression, he said, but the city still intervenes to see what it can do.

Ability to stay warm vastly reduced

The lockdown is adding pressure on top of the exposure risks that come with sleeping outside during a Canadian winter.Wiwcharuk said there are further difficulties with finding facilities to wash hands or have ashower during the shutdown.

It's a "dire situation," she said.

Drop-in services available topeople who are homeless during the day are limited by physical distancing requirements, she noted.

"You have people lining up outside, rubbing their hands trying to stay warm while they wait for their turn to get inside and warm up and get some soup and use the toilet," she said.

John said while the city reduced the capacity of shelters, the difference was covered initially by FirstOntarioCentre, and later the Cathedral space and hotels.

Vaccines on hold

The Mission Services shelter says it's following all public health and shelter health guidelines and protocols to manage the outbreak and reduce the potential for further spread. There was asecond round of testing on Sunday for all staff and residents.

The shelter says it will pause client intakes until the outbreak is declared over. Non-essential staff are also working from home.

The shelter says front-line staff were identified as being eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, with some receiving their first dose on Saturday.

But Hamilton has temporarily ceased administering vaccinations to everyone except staff, residents and essential caregivers at long-term care homes.

The city did not clarify how many staff were able to receive their first dose before the pause.

The shelter said men looking for emergency shelter can contact its staff at 905-528-7635 for help with finding an available bed in Hamilton.