OUTBREAK OF VIRUS AT CENTER HOMELESS SHELTER

Cases climbed from 27 to 120 in one week at convention site

San Diego officials confirmed Thursday that a coronavirus outbreak in the emergency homeless shelter at the San Diego Convention Center hit 120 cases Thursday. Given that the number was just 27 before Dec. 3, that’s more than a four-fold increase in just seven days.

Dr. Eric McDonald, medical director of the county’s epidemiology department, said in a statement that the increase is “not unexpected given the recent surge in cases throughout the county.”

Though the detailed findings of case investigation efforts were not available, the physician did note that it does not take much to spark contagion among those sharing the same living space, even if it is as cavernous as a convention center.

“As we have seen among new cases throughout the county, one very contagious person who is ‘social’ can lead to a lot of other cases, and that may be what happened in this outbreak,” McDonald said.

The overall coronavirus situation in San Diego County continued to worsen Thursday with an additional 2,050 cases and 11 more deaths announced. Daily death reports always include fatalities

from previous days, and Thursday’s tally triggered a new record, making Monday the deadliest day during the pandemic so far. According to county records, 13 people, ranging in age from 69 to 95, passed away on the first day of the week. All had other underlying medical conditions present. The previous record was 12 set on July 13.

The number of COVID-19 patients in local hospital beds also continued its relentless rise, with the total number in beds Wednesday reaching 936. Intensive care unit bed occupancy dropped one percentage point, hitting 79 percent, due to the discharge of some patients without COVID-19, though the number of COVID-positive patients in ICUs simultaneously increased from 228 to 234.

What’s going on at the convention center, then, ref lects the pattern of the community as a whole.

Since Dec. 3, according to a statement from the City of San Diego, there have been 120 positive results returned — 115 residents and five staff — among 1,464 tests conducted. That’s a positivity rate of 8 percent, actually a bit lower than the 9.4 percent positivity rate averaged across San Diego County over the past seven days.

In its statement, the city said that it has re-examined its safety protocols at the convention center, welcoming a “public health strike team” to “do more frequent testing and rapidly transporting positive individuals and close contacts to off-site public health rooms.”

McDonald confirmed that those testing positive are convalescing in countycontracted hotels and added that he considers the facility’s infection-control protocols to be “excellent,” attributing them to making sure that monitors “picked up on the cases early.”

The rapid increase in activity has surprised even the most stalwart professionals who understand the local population experiencing homelessness the best.

“There was some anxiety from all of us, including me and my staff,” said Bob McElroy, president and CEO of the Alpha Project, the service provider overseeing shelter clients along with Father Joe’s Villages. “But I pray to

God we’re turning the corner on this.”

After all, coronavirus has generally been under control in this group for months with just 27 of those staying at the convention center testing positive out of more than 9,000 tests conducted at the shelter since April.

Ironically, the convention center shelter opened out of concerns that smaller city-run shelters might not be safe during the pandemic.

But the increase in positive cases at the shelter also does not mean it is suddenly unsafe, said Deacon Jim Vargas, president and CEO of Father Joe’s Villages.

“What happened in the last week or so is not surprising when you think that in the general population, you hear constantly of the higher number of cases that are testing positive,” he said. “It would be unusual for us to be exempt from that, to be honest. It would be unusual if that wasn’t the case.”

It’s not like those living at the convention center are required to stay inside the venue 24/7. Residents, according to the city statement, “are free to conduct essential daily activities in accordance with public health guidelines, which may include going to work, doctor visits, retail and gro

cery stores, etc.”

Vargas said he still believes opening a shelter at the convention center was the right thing to do and has kept people safe.

McElroy said he suspects that people who left the shelter to attend Thanksgiving dinners might have contracted the virus.

He also credits county health officials with acting quickly and requiring mandatory coronavirus tests of all people at the shelter, and he said cleaning efforts in the venue have doubled this past week.

Sandy Mystowski, who has been staying at the shelter since May, said the outbreak has left her and other clients on edge.

“There’s definitely more anxiety here,” she said. “It’s very unnerving.

“We do see lots of empty cots. Many people have been transferred to the COVID motels, we call them.”

Mystowski said she is most nervous about the tight quarters in the showers and restrooms, but otherwise is reassured by the protocols in place to keep people safe.

“Staff is very vigilant that everybody is wearing masks if they’re not eating or on their bunk,” she said.