Father Joe's Villages Sees Jump In COVID Cases At 2 San Diego Homeless Shelters

San Diego CA

28 August, 2021

11:02 AM

Description

By Editor, Times of San Diego August 28, 2021 Father Joe's Villages recorded an increase of COVID-19 cases among the homeless this week at San Diego's Golden Hall and Paul Mirabile Center shelters, the agency said Friday. The number of infections detected during regular testing procedures stood at a combined 97 at the two interim housing and care facilities through Friday. The homeless services agency attributed the increases to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant. Father Joe's administrators said they will continue to work closely with county officials to test shelter residents and isolate those who test positive for COVID-19, and adjust health and safety protocols as necessary to reduce the risk of exposure. They also plan to encourage and offer on-site vaccinations, and provide any other lifesaving services to the homeless community. The unsheltered will be transferred to county hotel rooms to isolate them, but in the meantime, Father Joe's Villages will do so in a temporary structure on its East Village campus. The homelessness population has lower-than-average vaccination rates due to general mistrust in and poor experiences with the health care system, according to Father Joe's officials. They are trying to address the problem with consistent follow-up, on-site vaccination and one-on-one conversations. "We continue to prioritize the health and well-being of those we serve and encourage vaccination," said Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe's Villages. As an organization, we will continue to strictly implement health protocols designed to limit the spread of the virus and equip our staff and clients with health and safety services." – City News Service Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.