Code Blue Shelter relocated to Senior Center
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly convened a special meeting of the City Council on Monday night at which a unanimous motion passed to designate the Saratoga Springs Senior Center, at 5 William St. as the location of the interim site of the Code Blue shelter during the specter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Tuesday morning, Kelly referenced the access clause in the lease for the Saratoga Springs Senior Center that states the following directly:
“The City or its agents have the right to enter the premises at the City’s discretion. The Parties acknowledge that the premises may be utilized as an Emergency Shelter for the City. The City will provide notifications the tenant re
garding such use, as soon as reasonably practical.”
The move is an effort to address the immediate needs of two of the City’s most vulnerable populations as well as to utilize available resources to best advantage and in compliance with the guidelines set forth by New York State and federal government directives during the COVID-19 response.
Lois Celeste, Executive Director, Senior Citizens Center of Saratoga Springs said the center was trying to facilitate whatever it takes to come together as a community at this time:
“This is an unprecedented emergency situation facing our city and community. We would like to see this situation end soon so that we are again able to fully serve our vulnerable senior population.
“In the meantime, we are continuing to work remotely and keep in touch with and check on our seniors. Any senior with a question can still call 518 584-1621 X203 and leave a message and we will get back to you within one business day. Or you can call the Saratoga County Office for the Aging at (518) 8844100.”
Kelly referenced Governor Cuomo’s directive that people practice “social distancing” that is, in practical application, to stay at least 6 feet away from each other. US News and World Report states that is because “experts believe the virus is mainly spread through droplets that come out of the mouth and nose.
“When an infected person speaks or exhales or coughs or sneezes, the droplets travel about 3 to 6 feet before gravity pulls them to the ground.”
The move to the larger facility brings the City’s and Shelters of Saratoga Springs (S.O.S.’s) efforts into compliance with Cuomo’s advisory late Monday to New Yorkers
Code Blue houses up to 61 people each night from October 15 to April 15. to limit recreational and social gatherings to 10 people, as well as practicing social distancing.
The Code Blue initiative is sponsored by S.O.S., which along with the City of Saratoga Springs moved rapidly on Tuesday to relocate the guests who obtain shelter and basic needs at the temporary Code Blue location to the 5 Williams St. facility.
Code Blue houses up to 61 individuals each night between Oct. 15 through April 15. Karen A. Gregory, Executive Director of Shelters of Saratoga, Inc., said quarantining someone inside the building is not an option.
The Saratoga Seniors Center has been declared closed indefinitely to protect the health and wellbeing of the City’s seniors who gathered there regularly for many services and large events.
“People experiencing homelessness are not only challenged to do what we are asking such as washing hands, staying indoors, talking to their medical providers when they are not feeling well - but, many are already impacted with health issues, thus putting them at-high risk of contracting the virus.” Gregory said.
Individuals experiencing homelessness include many older adults, often with compounding disabilities, who in Saratoga Springs reside in small, congregate shelters or in unsheltered locations with poor access to sanitation. Their age, poor health, disability, and living conditions make them highly vulnerable to illness. Once COVID-19 is introduced to this high-risk population, further transmission will be very difficult to contain.
S.O.S.’s Case Managed Emergency Shelters house up to 32 individuals a night in a congregate-style setting.
“Across all of our programs, we will be working unconventional hours to secure coverage. Until this passes, we will not be doing business as usual - the safety of the team and all of the guests are of utmost importance to me. This is a difficult time and we do not have the luxury of working remotely. We are here, present and in the trenches - side by side the individuals we are serving,” Gregory stated.
Shelters of Saratoga also operates an outreach program for the many individuals living in motels scattered throughout the county, parking garages and those who do not come indoors. The SOS outreach team is working to get critical information about the virus to people, who are in many cases unaware of the dangers posed by this virus.
Shelter staff are monitoring guests for symptoms and encouraging people to self-report if they’re not feeling well. But in the event of an outbreak, Gregory said she would need support from the Department of Health, the Local Department of Social Services and area hospitals to treat and house the sick, as well as to make sure that they are connected with food and other services they depend on the shelter for.
“Our team is so grateful to Saratoga Spring’s City Council and Mayor Meg Kelly for their unanimous vote. In this new location, we will have three rooms which will easily allow for separation. I am proud and grateful to work in a city that cares so deeply for its most vulnerable,” Gregory stated.