Coronavirus outbreak at SLO homeless shelter infected more than 15 people
On Wednesday, for the first time in nearly a month, no one tested positive for coronavirus at a San Luis Obispo homeless shelter run by Community Action Partners of San Luis Obispo.
Until early December, 40 Prado Homeless Services Center had only seen four COVID-19 cases total, CAPSLO deputy director Grace McIntosh said.
But an outbreak that began in mid-December resulted in more than 15 people contracting the virus, McIntosh said.
“We were really, really fortunate” early on, McIntosh said.
But that trend changed following the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, she added: “That’s when we started to see an increase in numbers.”
Coronavirus outbreak at SLO homeless shelter
The outbreak at 40 Prado was one of more than 20 outbreaks at congregate living and work environments in San Luis Obispo County in December, according to county Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein. The month saw a record-high tally of coronavirus cases.
McIntosh did not provide the exact number of cases at 40 Prado, but said the outbreak was primarily among people who were staying at the shelter, not employees.
McIntosh said 40 Prado modeled its response off of outbreaks at Santa Barbara homeless shelters, though the San Luis Obispo shelter’s outbreak was significantly smaller.
According to McIntosh, 40 Prado received two trailers by the state that were used as isolation ares for coronavirus-positive people at the shelter.
When the COVID-190 outbreak hit, 40 Prado closed to any new people, as well as to those who chose not to participate in coronavirus testing.
Anyone who tested positive at 40 Prado was isolated in one of the two trailers parked behind the shelter.
McIntosh said any COVID-19 positive individuals remained there until Public Health could transport the people to either a state-provided trailer offsite or to a hotel or motel room where they would stay until they were recovered.
The trailers and shelters were disinfected regularly, according to McIntosh.
According to the California Department of Public Health, San Luis Obispo County secured 155 hotel rooms and has 14 trailers locally to house homeless community members who test positive for COVID-19.
Of the 155 hotel rooms, 15 were occupied by homeless individuals who had tested positive for coronavirus, according to state data.
McIntosh said a small number of people who tested positive at 40 Prado in December were transported to motel rooms in San Luis Obispo County.
“We’re hoping that we’re over the tail end of it,” McIntosh said.
What 40 Prado has done to slow COVID-19 spread
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, 40 Prado has been operating at a lower capacity to distance beds within the shelter.
The shelter typically has 100 beds, but decreased that number to 70 in mid-March 2020.
McIntosh said 40 Prado has also been limited to only people who live in San Luis Obispo County.
She said temperature checks are required twice a day and masks are required to be worn at all times.
According to McIntosh, after at least one coronavirus case reported at the shelter in September, the county Public Health Department tested employees and sheltered people once a week. However, after two weeks of no additional confirmed cases, testing stopped.
“We had not been regularly testing our folks,” McIntosh said.
Now, McIntosh said, she is speaking with public health officials about the possibility of ongoing weekly testing to avoid another outbreak.
“It was a rough few weeks but we’re doing much better now,” CAPSLO deputy director Grace McIntosh said. “But, as you know, a test is only as good as that day in that moment.”
