The mayor said the person was isolated as a potential case, adding that public health officials trace his recent contacts with other people.
It is a challenge to house and protect the homeless against the pandemic.
Photo:
FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP / Getty Images
A homeless person is being examined for possible exposure to the new coronavirus, said the mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti during his daily briefing on Friday, March 27, reports Daily News.
Garcetti said the person was isolated as a potential case, adding that public health officials are working to trace the person's recent contacts for possible exposures.
The announcement was the first to occur about a homeless person with possible COVID-19 infection, given that so far, county officials have said there are no reports of coronavirus cases among the area's homeless population.
The update came as the city continues to increase its capacity to house homeless people during the coronavirus outbreak, which As of Friday, it had killed 26 people in Los Angeles County, with 1,465 confirmed cases, according to the report from the county Department of Public Health.
Those cases, Garcetti said, will surely increase in the next two weeks, lOr that he says he could overwhelm local hospitals with sick patients suffering from the respiratory disease that is more deadly and contagious than the common flu.
The city opened five more recreational centers on Friday to house the homeless, with which they add 13 shelters open for those who need refuge. That number will increase next week, he said.
Recent tests of COVID-19 have resulted in conducting more than 5,000 coronavirus tests in the city of Los Angeles.
Still limited testing was a boon to the county, where it took time to get going when the pandemic hit the United States.
But this week, COVID-19 tests were started at sites in the city of Los Angeles, including the Hotchkins Memorial Training Center (a fire training center), the Hansen Dam (near the Aquatic Center), the Christian Center Crenshaw and West LA Veterans Administration Lot 15.
The mayor said another location will be listed starting Monday and that the number of tests completed will triple next week. He said that It will help open the waiting list for people seeking evidence through the city's maximized web portal.
Garcetti also said that the city reached an agreement with the UPS parcel service, which will "pay, deliver and collect" the coronavirus tests, which will also increase the city's testing capacity.
The mayor had just met with the governor Gavin newsom earlier that day on the USNS Mercy, a 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship that docked in the port of Los Angeles on Friday morning.
The ship will add 1,000 beds to help care for patients who do not have COVID-19.
He also said that 2,725 medical workers have answered the call for any medical worker who can help through the city's web portal.
However, ultimately, he said that the city will need to prepare for two or three difficult weeks.
"These are crucial days," Garcetti said, urging patience among residents who may be eager to get away from orders for social distancing from the city and state.
"There will be a point at which our ability to meet this challenge will be exceeded," he said. "We have to prepare for that."
