Isolation centre for unhoused people with COVID-19 nearly full as Omicron moves through shelters

As 34 homeless shelters grapple with COVID-19 outbreaks, an isolation centre for unhoused people with the virus is 95 per cent full and that means the facility will accept only complex cases.

City officials have directed shelter staff to develop plans that will enable unhoused people infected with the virus to isolate "in situ," which means remaining in place at the shelters in which they are staying. 

Homeless advocates say people who try to access a bed at the isolation and recovery centre are not having any luck and they are urging the city to enlist outside help, including from the federal government, to manage the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in shelters.

They say the city needs to create space in the isolation centre. And they say they believe the shelter system may be collapsing because of worker burnout, staff shortages and the recent number of deaths in the shelter system.

A senior city official, however, rejected the idea of outside help, saying the city is managing the situation. He added that the shelter system is functioning.

"We don't need any help, currently," Gord Tanner, general manager of the city's Shelter Support and Housing Administration division, told CBC's The National.

"Listen, these are challenging times for all of us in communities right across Canada. And certainly, the impact for vulnerable people, including people who are homeless, has been significant. But we are prepared and we have contingency plans in place, as I say, to deploy staff should they be needed, from across city departments in Toronto, to ensure that these essential services continue."

Tanner said the city runs the largest shelter system in Canada, providing shelter to about 7,200 people a night in 101 shelters.

"People are working around the clock to ensure that people experiencing homelessness in Toronto have the support they need and a safe place indoors that is warm," he said.

As for the isolation centre itself, Tanner said: "Our isolation and recovery site here is a place where people who are COVID-positive can go and receive the support of some enhanced health services. And it is a very busy place as you can imagine right now with the Omicron variant. People are coming in and discharged from that program on a daily basis so there is constant churn." 

Though Tanner rejected the need for outside help, he did acknowledge that "the ability to keep isolation space for the number of people who may be impacted from this variant is very challenging."

According to city data, the city's isolation centre is at 95 per cent capacity. The city said there are about 60 rooms at the centre for unhoused people who test positive for COVID-19.

Currently, however, the city says the centre can only accept complex cases, including people with "more significant vulnerabilities" and harm reduction needs.

Tanner said the city is doing everything it can to curb spread of the novel coronavirus in its shelter system: "We are in touch with all of our shelter operators on a daily basis and ensuring they've got the supports they need in terms of personal protective equipment and supports around infection prevention and control."