In recent weeks, businesses
have closed their doors and
restaurants have been forced to
move to takeout only as residents
have taken to self-isolation, all to
slow the spread of COVID-19 as
the Center for Disease Control
and
Prevention’s
guidelines
recommend. However, homeless
shelters in Ann Arbor remain
open, in full operation and at
capacity.
Sarah Paspal-Jasinski, director
of development at the Shelter
Association of Washtenaw County,
said day-to-day operations have
shifted completely in response
to the coronavirus. Two people
housed at the Delonis Center,
located on Huron Street, tested
positive for COVID-19 in late
March. Since then, they have been
moved to the hospital.
Paspal-Jasinski said SAWC has
expanded the facilities to local
hotels in order to provide more
shelter for people experiencing
housing
insecurity
while
maintaining
social
distancing
guidelines.
In
addition,
they
recently hired more staff in
response to the crisis.
“We’re continuing to try and
house people so that they are not
forced into homelessness, but it’s
not as easy or as manageable as
it was prior to this pandemic,”
Paspal-Jasinski said. “Our mission
has temporarily changed from
ending homelessness one person
at a time to providing shelter for
anyone that needs it.”
She
also
explained
the
difficulty
shelters
face
in
complying with social distancing
recommendations.
In
each
bedroom, there are three to four
beds. While each bed is spaced
six feet apart, there is still a risk
involved.
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
AA homeless population faces sanitation,
shelter challenges amid COVID-19 crisis
Local shelters continue
operations, struggle
to adhere to social
distancing guidelines
DESIGN BY MAGGIE WIEBE
See SHELTER, Page 3A
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©2020 The Michigan Daily
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O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A
A RT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5A
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GOVERNMENT
The
Michigan
state
legislature
convened
in
Lansing on Tuesday and voted
to prolong Michigan’s state of
emergency.
The extension is 23 days,
until April 30, instead of 70,
as Michigan Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer
said
last
week
was her desired extension.
However, under the Emergency
Management Act, she needs the
legislature to vote to extend the
declaration.
State legislature votes to
pass 23-day extension
Emergency
declaration
prolonged
Michigan Medicine workers catch virus
More than 100 employees at the hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday
728
Michigan
Medicine
employees have been tested for
COVID-19 and 110 of those tests
have come back positive as of
Monday, according to a press
release from Michigan Medicine.
“Importantly,
please
note
these
numbers
don’t
indicate
how or where those who tested
positive contracted the disease,”
the release reads. “The numbers
reflect just those who sought
testing at Michigan Medicine or
those hospitalized at Michigan
Medicine.”
Some
Michigan
Medicine
employees may have been tested
outside
the
system,
and
are
therefore not counted in these
numbers. Fewer than 10 of the
employees were hospitalized for a
day or more.
In a video announcement on
Thursday, Jeff Desmond, chief
medical
officer
at
Michigan
Medicine, addressed the concerns
about medical professionals being
kept safe from exposure to COVD-
19. Desmond explained the use of
personal protective equipment and
its importance in keeping medical
professionals safe. He noted that
Michigan Medicine is taking all of
the necessary precautions advised
by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
“We
currently
have
enough
personal
protective
equipment
and we have adequate, appropriate
PPE in all our locations. That
said, we are also taking steps to
appropriately conserve PPE so that
will last through this pandemic,”
Desmond said. “Second, Michigan
Medicine made the decision to have
our entire employee population
wear masks during work on March
23, 10 days ago. This was done to
prevent potential spread within
the organization and was focused
on keeping our employees safe. We
were one of the first health systems
in the country to adopt this policy.”
Katie
Oppenheim,
chair
of
the
University
of
Michigan
Professional Nurse Council, spoke
to The Daily about the safety of
fellow medical professionals and
the difficulty of getting access to
testing for the public.
See EMERGENCY, Page 3A
LILY GOODING
Daily Staff Reporter
DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily
More than 100 Michigan Medicine employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
See HOSPITAL, Page 3A
BRAYDEN HIRSCH
Daily Staff Reporter
EMMA STEIN
Daily News Editor
APODCALYPS E
A limited podcast
series : covering the
COVID-19 pandemic .
statement