Covid-19: 'Dozens' of staff in homeless services affected by virus

Homeless service providers say the homeless population should be prioritised in the vaccination programme. File Picture.

The clinical lead for Covid-19 and homelessness in Dublin has said while there had been just one positive test for the virus among the homeless population up to last Sunday, "dozens" of staff working in the sector had been affected. 

Dr Austin O'Carroll said it meant a "tightening up" of the sort of measures that kept infection rates among those in emergency accommodation so low during the first wave of the pandemic as the latest lockdown presents fresh challenges for those working in the sector. 

Dr O'Carroll, who is also a founder of Safetynet Primary care, also said he was optimistic that those who are homeless would be among the vulnerable groups prioritised for vaccination, with discussions ongoing. 

In the most recent report provided to Dublin City Council this week, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive said that up to the end of November there had been a total of 82 confirmed Covid cases across homeless services in the Dublin region. 

During the first wave, more than 700 symptomatic clients were in isolation and more than 550 people in shielding, of whom 340 were in newly acquired accommodation units. There were just two deaths among the homeless population from Covid to the end of last September, despite predictions of up to 23 based on different models.

See the latest DRHE Report on Covid-19 and Homelessness issued from @DubCityCouncil & @HomelessDublin See: https://t.co/qd4JL0JI6j pic.twitter.com/4sNR7FImA5

— Homeless Dublin (@HomelessDublin) January 5, 2021

Dr O'Carroll said the same basic approach in handling the virus in the homeless sector was being applied, centring on testing of those with symptoms and isolating those who may have Covid or who test positive, but he said "we are probably slightly more hardline this year in that the staff are the problem in that they are the ones coming in positive at the moment". 

He said the next six weeks would be critical, particularly the next three weeks, in controlling the spread of the virus and that staff were working different rosters with longer hours to limit the number of times they travel – they are working in pods and are being requested to keep away from clients when required.

He also said that while emergency capacity for isolation was currently being operated across two sites, if the system was "swamped", more beds would be made available.

As for vaccination for those in emergency accommodation, he said he was "very confident they will get into an early group".