Advocate makes call for COVID-19 protection of street folk

The Barbados Alliance to End Homelessness (BAEH) has asked Government to consider removing the homeless from the streets with the recent confirmation that Barbados has community spread of COVID-19.

The alliance has also suggested that the homeless be considered for early vaccination against the coronavirus.

According to BAEH president Kemar Saffrey, the vulnerable group must be protected to ensure they do not unwittingly become spreaders of the virus given their exposure to the wider society.

The authorities should first separate those with mental challenges, he suggested.

Saffrey told Barbados TODAY: “What I think the Government needs to do is isolate those that have serious mental challenges, those that do not understand, that cannot fend for themselves or is in no position to understand their surroundings.  Government needs to take a step to isolate those persons either in the Psychiatric hospital or a school or something like that.

“Second to that, we would need to look at those on the streets, how do we assist those on the streets and get them off the street for a period of time. That period of time could be a month or so  until Government can get a grip of the situation.”

Saffrey stressed that an action plan must be prioritised especially since it will be difficult to carry out contact tracing involving the homeless who are reluctant to seek help from health care providers.

He said: “It [ contact tracing] would be a rigorous task for Government. If we are already having a challenge in finding some of the persons that live in known places, that went to events and we are still having to tell people to get tested, you are talking about a population in Bridgetown of well over 100 homeless persons that all are not going to be compliant to come and get tested at any level.

“A large number of homeless people don’t even go to the hospital seeking medical attention unless they are severe, so if you are having that challenge with them seeking medical attention, how much more then with telling them to go and get help from a particular facility or a COVID test, it is going to be quite hard.”

The homeless people’s advocate made a strong case for Government to include the homeless population when it starts the process of vaccination.

He said: “I don’t think you can leave them out when the vaccine is being given out They should be included among those who are most vulnerable, they are the ones congregating with the general public, they are the ones that could be reckless or careless. They definitely should be considered to be vaccinated.”

Saffrey said the alliance has been working with the homeless to ensure they understand how to protect themselves from COVID-19 and they have generally been compliant.

“We give them sanitisers, masks, some of them because of their medical condition sometimes forget,  but we remind them to sanitise, use their masks. and they are generally respectful of the protocols.”

The BAEH president said the alliance was ready to assist Government and will also tighten its own measures to ensure the homeless population is not impacted by the virus that has infected 1,401 people here as of Sunday. (SD)