SLO County homeless shelter hit by COVID outbreak. What’s being done to stop spread?
A San Luis Obispo homeless shelter is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak involving dozens of people — prompting facilities throughout San Luis Obispo County to limit intake and institute rapid testing.
40 Prado Homeless Services Center in San Luis Obispo has identified more than 30 positive COVID-19 cases since July 26, said Tara Kennon, a spokeswoman for the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department.
One person has been hospitalized in connection with the outbreak, Kennon said, but no coronavirus-related deaths have been reported at the facility, which is operated by Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO).
So far, the people infected in the outbreak have been 40 Prado clients, not staff members, Kennon said.
Most of the clients who’ve tested positive are those who stay at the shelter overnight, but some clients who come to 40 Prado only during daytime hours have also been infected, said Jack Lahey, CAPSLO homeless services director.
The 40 Prado outbreak is one of 11 coronavirus outbreaks around the county that the Public Health Department is responding to throughout the county, Kennon said.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday reported that three people have tested positive for COVID-19 at the San Luis Obispo County Jail.
40 Prado staff became concerned after hearing of a COVID-19 outbreak at a homeless shelter in Santa Maria, prompting them to contact San Luis Obispo County public health officials, Lahey said.
The shelter lifted its prohibition on out-of-county guests on June 15, when California dropped most of its coronavirus restrictions. The recently identified coronavirus cases were the first 40 Prado has seen since December 2020, Lahey said.
Homeless shelter, public health officials respond to outbreak
At 40 Prado, clients who test positive for the coronavirus isolate from the rest of the shelter in trailers before the county Public Health Department can transport them to hotel rooms while they recover, Lahey said. Shelter staff are using rapid tests that can produce results in 15 minutes, he said.
“Due to the high number of COVID-positive cases and the need for additional safe temporary isolation space, 5 Cities Homeless Coalition partnered with 40 Prado to provide temporary hotel rooms for all families,” Lahey wrote in an email.
“Church groups and the city of San Luis Obispo continue to provide critical operational support to 40 Prado during this time,” he added. “People’s Kitchen (of San Luis Obispo) continues to provide meals for all guests, and the (SLO) Food Bank provides food bags for all individuals seeking shelter, regardless of enrollment in 40 Prado services.”
40 Prado Homeless Services Center is currently under a Public Health Department directive prohibiting the shelter from accepting new clients, except in “extreme circumstances,” Lahey said.
On July 22, just before the outbreak hit, 86 of the shelter’s beds were occupied, he said. Fifty-two of the beds remained in use now.
The Public Health Department is helping coordinate much of the response to the outbreak, including testing, vaccines and housing for those who test positive for COVID-19. The agency is also providing personal protective equipment and HEPA air filters.
Public health staff are now testing all people at the shelter every week, which will continue until there are no new coronavirus cases there for two weeks, Lahey said.
California still requires masks at all homeless shelters, so face covering requirements have remained in place at 40 Prado even after the June 15 reopening.
Since the outbreak, the shelter has also implemented distancing requirements, stepped up cleaning efforts and installed public health-provided air filters in different areas throughout the shelter, Lahey said.
He said the unhoused population is reluctant to get vaccinated, as those who’ve lived outside for years have likely been taken advantage of many times and don’t trust many people.
“There is a reluctance, for sure, within the homeless community,” Lahey said. “There is a level of distrust with most entities, period.”
Even so, 40 Prado will host a vaccine clinic for clients and the greater unhoused community on Thursday, he said.
“40 Prado staff will continue our work with the unhoused community to get them back to stability,” Lahey wrote in an email. “The 40 Prado community values the partnerships and support in getting our vulnerable unhoused community vaccinated and staying as safe as possible during this COVID-19 pandemic.”
Atascadero, Paso Robles shelters taking steps to prevent outbreak
The 40 Prado coronavirus outbreak has prompted the other two homeless shelters in San Luis Obispo County’ to limit client intake until they receive rapid testing supplies.
The El Camino Homeless Organization (ECHO) runs a transitional shelter in Atascadero and an overnight shelter in Paso Robles.
The facilities haven’t yet seen outbreaks, but they stopped taking new clients on Friday while they wait for rapid testing kits from the county Public Health Department, said Wendy Lewis, ECHO president.
The shelters are currently limiting beds to clients who’ve previously stayed at the facilities, she said.
Lewis hopes the shelters will obtain rapid testing supplies by Friday, which will allow staff and public health officials to quickly identify cases and isolate those who test positive.
Only about 20% of ECHO’s clients are likely vaccinated against the coronavirus, Lewis said.
But more people have been asking about vaccines as local COVID-19 case numbers have been increasing, and the shelters will likely host more vaccine clinics, she said.
“So far, fortunately, it hasn’t hit this side of the grade yet in the population we’re serving,” Lewis said.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 1:43 PM.
