Officials on Long Island have moved dozens of homeless people out of group shelters and into motels to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Suffolk County social workers have moved 95 homeless people who tested positive for coronavirus into motels since March. Nassau County has moved 75.
Greta Guarton is with Long Island Coalition for the Homeless. She said traditional shelters have shared common areas that would make it difficult to self-quarantine.
“It is very difficult to maintain safe social distancing and certainly it’s almost impossible to quarantine,” she said.
The motel rooms for infected homeless people are part of the social services programs that both counties provide for families in need.
“Both departments of social services were very much following CDC guidelines and recommendations by HUD in reducing density in their congregate shelters and using motels, both as a means to accomplish the reduction of the density and for quarantine,” she said.
Newsday reports county officials declined to disclose the locations of the motels because of privacy concerns.
