COVID rips through Skid Row: LA homeless sites are ‘overwhelmed’ by coronavirus amid spike in cases since Thanksgiving as officials warn of worse to come
- Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles is experiencing a surge in Covid infections, straining the services system
- ‘There was a remarkable lack of cases up until this point, and now it’s exploding,’ chief executive of the area’s Union Rescue Mission said
- It comes as LA County predicted to hit the tragic statistic of 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths a week soon
Skid Row is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 infections with homeless sites in Downtown Los Angeles now ‘overwhelmed’ by the virus, officials have warned.
Cases have exploded among the homeless people who live in the area, which is known for being one of the largest populations of homeless people in the United States.
After averaging around 60 new cases a week during the fall, the infection rate among Los Angeles’ homeless people doubled in the week after Thanksgiving and have continued to rise at a rapid rate since then.
Last Tuesday, the Department of Public Health’s latest report showed 547 new cases in the previous week.
It comes as Los Angeles County is likely to hit the tragic statistic of 1,000 coronavirus-related deaths a week soon if the current trends continue, officials said Monday.
Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, CA is being overwhelmed by Covid-19. Cases have exploded among the homeless people who live in the shelters that line the street
A man who lives on Skid Row is pictured receiving a test for Covid-19. Cases have exploded among the homeless people who live in the shelters that line the street
Los Angeles County’s Housing for Health has been working to provide medically vulnerable people, including homeless people, with accommodation amid the pandemic
The rising number of infections on Skid Row prompted Dr. Heidi Behforouz, medical director for L.A. County’s Housing for Health program, to take action to try and move people into isolation
Cases in the county have doubled between November 30, at 400,000, and January 2, to 800,000. It took more than nine months to reach 400,000.
The rising number of infections on Skid Row prompted Dr. Heidi Behforouz, medical director for L.A. County’s Housing for Health program, to take action to try and move people into isolation.
‘There was a remarkable lack of cases up until this point, and now it’s exploding,’ said Rev. Andy Bales, chief executive of the area’s Union Rescue Mission.
‘There was a remarkable lack of cases up until this point, and now it’s exploding,’ said Rev. Andy Bales, chief executive of the area’s Union Rescue Mission
According to Rev. Andy Bales, chief executive of the area’s Union Rescue Mission, many of the housing agencies and missions are becoming ‘overwhelmed’ by the explosion of coronavirus cases
Cases have exploded among the homeless people who live in the area, which is known for being one of the largest populations of homeless people in the United States
The tents of homeless people are pictured on a bridge below a busy highway in Downtown Los Angeles
Los Angeles County’s Housing for Health has been working to provide medically vulnerable people, including homeless people, with accommodation amid the pandemic
Homeless people sit on the sidewalk in the Skid Row area of Downtown Los Angeles, which is home to one of the largest homeless populations in the US
Bales added: ‘The unexplainable protection that people who are homeless have had from COVID is disappearing.
‘All of skid row and many agencies/missions are hot spots. All are overwhelmed.’
A tent that was set up to accommodate rising numbers of homeless people on Skid Row has now been transformed into a triage space for COVID-19 cases, as Department of Health Services program Housing for Health struggled to respond to a sudden surge in the spread of the disease.
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Rev. Bales said: ‘We were able to make yet 1 more chess move against this Monster Genius Covid.
‘We moved our men inside to 2nd floor and handed over keys last Sunday.’
A homeless man is pictured on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles amid concerns of a growing rise in Covid-19 infections in the area
Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, CA is being overwhelmed by Covid-19. Cases have exploded among the homeless people who live in the shelters that line the street
A tent that was set up to accommodate rising numbers of homeless people on Skid Row has now been transformed into a triage space for COVID-19 cases
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times , Rev. Bales said: ‘We were able to make yet 1 more chess move against this Monster Genius Covid’
The Union Rescue Mission homeless shelter is pictured in downtown Los Angeles. Bales said: ‘The unexplainable protection that people who are homeless have had from COVID is disappearing’
Los Angeles County’s Housing for Health has been working to provide medically vulnerable people, including homeless people, with accommodation amid the pandemic
Homeless shelters are seen on Skid Row as LA homeless sites are becoming ‘overwhelmed’ by coronavirus amid a spike in cases
Los Angeles County’s Housing for Health has been working to provide medically vulnerable people, including homeless people, with accommodation amid the pandemic.
The agency opened five new isolation sites in December to accommodate rising cases.
Los Angeles County health officials fear the incoming Christmas and New Year’s surge.
The additional Thanksgiving cases have swamped hospitals, forcing them to treat patients in hallways, ambulances and the gift shop, and forced an oxygen shortage.
The agency opened five new isolation sites in December to accommodate rising cases
The additional Thanksgiving cases have swamped hospitals, forcing them to treat patients in hallways, ambulances and the gift shop, and forced an oxygen shortage
Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles, CA is being overwhelmed by Covid-19. The number of homeless men and women in Los Angeles is on the rise with a surge of Covid-19 cases adding to the desperate situation
Officials also reported 9,142 new cases – a lower figure due to testing sites being closed during the New Year holiday – to make a total of 827,498
A homeless man is pictured sitting on the road as a man with a face mask walks past and observes him in Downtown Los Angeles
Tents of the homeless line the streets of Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles as concerns grow for the rising number of Covid-19 infections among homeless communities
Los Angeles County on Monday reported 77 additional deaths, which include a reporting lag over the weekend, bringing the total to 10,850 in the nation’s most populous county.
Officials also reported 9,142 new cases – a lower figure due to testing sites being closed during the New Year holiday – to make a total of 827,498. The variant has not yet been detected in the county but officials believe it is here.
Nearly 7,700 people are hospitalized countywide for COVID-19 and 21% are in intensive care units.
‘We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic – and that’s hard to imagine,’ county public health director Barbara Ferrer said at a briefing.
Los Angeles County on Monday reported 77 additional deaths, which include a reporting lag over the weekend, bringing the total to 10,850 in the nation’s most populous county
Officials also reported 9,142 new cases – a lower figure due to testing sites being closed during the New Year holiday – to make a total of 827,498. The variant has not yet been detected in the county but officials believe it is here
‘We’re likely to experience the worst conditions in January that we’ve faced the entire pandemic – and that’s hard to imagine,’ county public health director Barbara Ferrer said at a briefing
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