More than 400 of San Francisco’s homeless are isolated in hotels after one of the city’s largest shelters was cleared out in the wake of a COVID-19 outbreak.
So far, 91 people from the shelter have tested positive and many residents are happy they are now in hotels but say it should’ve happened weeks ago.
For the second time in 10 days, activists blasted the city Monday. Staging car parade protests and calling for more to be done to protect the homeless from COVID-19.
On Friday, 70 people tested positive at the city’s MSC South Shelter and by Monday, that number increased by 30%.
“A total of 182 tested, 91 positive, 91 negative,” said SF’s Department of Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax.
The shelter is now empty with all of its residents moved to hotel rooms. City leaders said there are almost 450 unhoused people now in hotels.
“We’ve been getting a new excuse every week as to why they can’t do this,” said Sup. Matt Haney. “They should have been on top of this a month ago.”
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Haney is one of many who’ve been calling for the city to empty the shelters faster.
“It’s not as simple as people would like to think,” said Mayor London Breed. “If I could open up every hotel, it’s not even a question.”
City leaders say MSC South is now being sanitized and will be turned into a recovery center for prior shelter guests who tested positive for COVID-19.
