SOUTH SALT LAKE — Salt Lake County officials had worried not if, but when the coronavirus would begin spreading among Utah’s homeless population.
More cases are showing up — indicating that spread has already happened.
After officials reported the first COVID-19 case confirmed in the 300-bed South Salt Lake Men’s Resource Center, 3380 S. 1000 West, another case tested positive in that same shelter later Thursday — a man living in a separate dorm from the first patient, Chloe Morroni, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson’s spokeswoman, confirmed Friday.
Officials also confirmed Friday two other cases had tested positive among Salt Lake County’s unsheltered homeless population — though Katherine Fife, director of programs and partnerships for Salt Lake County who sits on the county’s task force to manage COVID-19 among vulnerable populations, said those cases tested positive “weeks” ago and have since been isolated.
The positive cases put more additional pressure on Utah’s already strained homeless system, which had already been operating at capacity or near capacity even before the pandemic, and before an earthquake rendered the Rescue Mission’s downtown facility uninhabitable for months.
On Friday, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a seventh emergency proclamation for COVID-19, which includes a provision to allow the 58-bed winter overflow at the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall to continue operating past its April 15 closure deadline until June 30.
“The COVID-19 emergency has exacerbated the need to provide safe shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness and for that reason, during the term, the overflow shelter at the St. Vincent de Paul Center will remain open for individuals experiencing homelessness,” the mayor’s proclamation states.
That proclamation came after city and county officials told the Deseret News earlier this month they still planned to shutter both winter overflow shelters at St. Vincent’s and the Sugar House temporary shelter. Mendenhall’s proclamation does not extend the Sugar House shelter’s April 15 deadline, coming next week.
The first patient confirmed to test positive within the South Salt Lake center on Thursday was identified only as a man over the age of 60. Fife said the other unsheltered individuals who tested positive were a male and a female, but she did not immediately have any more information about them.
Fife said of the two unsheltered individuals who tested positive weeks ago, one found a private place to stay to self-quarantine, and the other was quarantined in a county-owned quarantine facility. Because the unsheltered population isn’t usually connected to homeless services, Fife said it’s difficult to track information about them, but she said county officials learned of their positive cases through the county’s incident command structure, where COVID-19 information is being triaged and tracked.
“It was a while ago,” Fife said of the unsheltered confirmed positive cases. “It’s so far gone, they’re no risk to anyone anymore.”
Thursday, Wilson said the first patient who tested positive inside the South Salt Lake center was transported to the hospital for treatment and testing as soon as he started showing symptoms. Morroni said the second patient was also taken from the South Salt Lake center to a hospital.
As of Thursday morning, Wilson said at least 24 individuals who were identified as being at “high risk” of infection were transported to a county-operated quarantine facility that officials have spent weeks setting up for populations, like the homeless, who are unable to self-quarantine. Fife said as of Friday there were 29 men staying in that quarantine facility. County officials have declined to disclose the location of the facility, though they have eyed county-owned recreation centers, libraries and senior centers as options.
Wilson said the Road Home, which operates the South Salt Lake center, has been implementing extra disinfectant measures to help prevent the virus’ spread. Thursday, the South Salt Lake center stopped accepting new clients. Morroni said clients’ temperatures are still being taken three times a day to monitor for symptoms.
Wilson credited the Road Home and the Salt Lake County Health Department for their efforts and for acting quickly to move high-risk clients into a quarantine center.
“Of course, we knew given the aggressive nature of the virus that we would face this. It’s heartbreaking when it happens, but we are on it,” Wilson said.
Fife said officials have spent weeks preparing for a possible outbreak within the homeless population, and plans are in place to prevent any further spread.
“We didn’t want this to happen, but for five weeks we’ve been working with service providers to put steps in place to prevent and mitigate any spread of the virus, and that’s what they’ve been doing,” Fife said. “The fact that it’s been this long, I think they’ve made tremendous strides in helping to flatten the curve within the homeless community as well.”
Fife said the Road Home is encouraging its clients to “stay home, stay safe,” and the shelter is being monitored by the Salt Lake County Health Department.
“It’s unfortunate that we’re in the situation we are, whether it’s in the homeless community or not, but I am so grateful for the really great individuals who are coming together and working to take care of the clients in the resource centers and the staff,” she said.
“Do we hope that we can mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and do we really hope the number of positives are not going to continue at a rapid rate? I sure hope so,” Fife added. “I feel like we’re putting every possible step in place to ensure that happens.”
A prepared statement issued from the Road Home on Friday said the South Salt Lake center is no longer accepting new clients, and current guests will stay in the same bed to support social distancing.
“The Road Home’s practices and partner collaboration are ensuring that any guest who is showing symptoms is tested and that everyone who tests positive is isolated outside of the men’s resource center in county-operated isolation facilities,” the statement said, thanking the county health department for its “tremendous support.”
“We are working with onsite health workers to closely monitor everyone at the men’s resource center and quickly respond to any changing circumstances,” the Road Home’s statement said.