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

GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail 
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

INDEX
Vol. CXXIX, No. 101
©2020 The Michigan Daily

N E W S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 A

O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A

A RT S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5A

S TAT E M EN T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1B
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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

