THUNDER BAY – Shelter House officials say they are heightening protocols in the wake of a positive COVID-19 test associated with the south-side shelter last week.
In a release issued on Thursday, the organization said it had moved to a static bed list in response to exposure risks identified by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and is working with other agencies and shelters to seek out access to beds should one not be available at the George Street facility.
Alternatives include the Salvation Army, Grace Place and the city’s isolation and overflow shelter, in an effort to ensure everyone who needs shelter gets it.
“The staff at Shelter House are working hard, they are committed to safety for our clients and for their families, we will continue to work with our partners to provide opportunities for safe shelter within our facility and through the shelter care system in Thunder Bay,” said Shelter House executive director Michelle Jordan in a statement issued on Thursday to local media.
Wanda MacArthur, board chair at Shelter House, thanked the city for declaring a state of emergency and making the issue front-and-centre in the battle against COVID-19.
“As the chair of the board of directors for Shelter House, our board is aware of the ongoing issues that affect the people we serve and we are committed to following all public health guidelines and directions to keep our staff and clients safe from COVID-19 as much as possible,” MacArthur said.
Mayor Bill Mauro, who declared the state of emergency earlier this week, confirmed that some inmates at the city’s two local correctional facilities could potentially be released with COVID-19 test results pending, and then later turn out to be positive.
Shelter House said anyone seeking shelter who has tested positive, is showing symptoms or is showing high-risk exposure must be moved to the isolation shelter and cannot be housed at Shelter House, which cannot require clients to isolate, Jordan said.
