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Homelessness hostels and day centres do not need to close due to coronavirus, says government
Homelessness hostels and day centres do not need to shut down as a result of coronavirus unless specifically instructed to do so, the government has said.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Public Health England (PHE) have issued guidance on how centres for rough sleepers’ should deal with ill residents and staff.
It comes after Inside Housing reported last week that London’s largest network of night shelters was forced to turn away rough sleepers as a result of coronavirus fears.
Hostel residents who become unwell should stay in their rooms or be isolated in an area of the building, and the local authority should be contacted if that is not possible, the guidance states.
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They should minimise visiting shared spaces such as kitchens, bathrooms and sitting areas as much as possible and shared areas should be kept well ventilated, it adds.
Staff who become unwell on site must be sent home and will receive statutory sick pay.
“There is no need to close the venue or send staff home if they’ve been in close contact with a person who has a new, continuous cough or a high temperature unless government policy changes,” the guidance says.
The government also warned that hostels and day centres should be prepared for shortages of supplies.
MHCLG and PHE said members of staff need to consider contingency plans for situations such as:
- reduced or interrupted supply of medicines, or access to them
- reduced access to or interrupted supply of drugs or alcohol
- greater vulnerability to the effects of viral infection because of reduced immunity from poor health, drug and alcohol use, or medication for other conditions
- risk of exacerbation of breathing impairment from coronavirus due to simultaneous substance misuse, eg opioids
