Durham homeless shelter reports COVID-19 cases, 2nd shelter outbreak in NC

A Durham homeless shelter became the second shelter in the state to have a coronavirus outbreak when a mother and three children tested positive about a week ago, according to the nonprofit’s chief operating officer and state data on coronavirus outbreaks.

Other people staying or working at the Durham Rescue Mission’s women and children’s shelter were tested if contact tracers identified them as being at risk. Results so far show none has caught the virus, Rob Tart said in an interview with The News & Observer.

Although the mother had flu-like symptoms, the children appeared healthy, Tart said. They have been staying in a private room, except for pre-planned play time for the children. The shelter is a converted hotel on Knox Street.

Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Durham Rescue Mission stopped taking new clients to try to minimize the chance of the virus spreading through clients’ close contact. It was difficult to turn away people who needed services, Tart said, but with so little known about COVID-19, it seemed the prudent choice.

The organization began accepting new clients when Gov. Roy Cooper announced the beginning of Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, Tart said, and among the newly admitted was the woman who tested positive. The test results prompted the Durham Rescue Mission to again stop new admissions.

“We don’t want to become a place where people come to get it,” he said.

The organization has been sheltering about half the women it typically did before the pandemic, Tart said, and safety measures like frequent cleaning, face coverings and temperature checks are in place. Some group meetings have resumed, he said, but with limited capacity to allow for social distancing.

There’s no reliable data on COVID-19 among North Carolinians experiencing homelessness, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Services said. The population was expected to be hit hard, in part due to how quickly the virus can spread when people live in close quarters.

In April, Durham and Wake county governments approved plans to spend millions of dollars on hotel rooms to try to keep people with unstable housing safe from the coronavirus, The News & Observer previously reported.

Urban Ministries of Durham moved its sheltering operation to the Marriott at RTP, but the rental period approved by the Durham County Board of Commissioners runs out July 9.

After that, Urban Ministries of Durham plans to resume sheltering people in its own facilities. To allow for social distancing, the occupancy cap will be 89, instead of 149 before the pandemic, the group said on its website.

Wake County plans to continue renting about 200 hotel rooms for people experiencing homelessness through the end of the year.

Congregate shelters are beginning to admit new clients again, but with lower maximum occupancy, a county spokeswoman said. The South Wilmington Street Center, for example, will shelter no more than 65, compared to 160 before the pandemic, she said.