California governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said up to 60,000 homeless residents of the state could contract the Wuhan coronavirus, potentially overwhelming healthcare providers.
“Over the next eight-week period, we have modeled that of the 108,000 unsheltered Californians that are out on the streets, if you had an attack rate of about 56%, you’re looking at 60-plus thousand individuals that may have COVID-19,” Newsom said in an address live-streamed on Facebook.
“That creates a deep point of anxiety for the existing population but moreover for our healthcare delivery system, our capacity to move people in and out of the shelters safely without contacting other people and putting them at risk as well,” Newsom continued.
California’s homeless population of 108,000 is the highest in the U.S., with over 60,000 in Los Angeles County alone. The coronavirus outbreak puts that population at risk because of the highly contagious nature of the illness.
Newsom said he had issued an executive order to direct $100 million toward certain cities for aid in fighting coronavirus among the homeless, and another executive order setting aside $50 million to convert hotels into shelters for homeless coronavirus patients.
California has confirmed 875 cases of coronavirus, with 17 deaths, as of Thursday morning, according to the New York Times. Most cases in the state are centered around the San Francisco Bay area, where six counties have issued a “shelter in place” order until at least April 7.
soooo sad, the last gov and current gov have perpetuated the homeless crisis and will soon want federal aid. one must recall that newsom has insulted pres and his wife at every opportunity. the useless ninth circuit court has repeated rules against presidential request to limit immigration and has overruled multiple legislative efforts to control the influx of illegal immigrants. not to mention how brown and the dnc efforts to rig the 2016 election. it is estimated that the drug trade in the homeless in la/ca last year was about $1.2 billion. newsom’s efforts to convert hotels into shelters for homeless coronavirus patients will become a permanent homeless hood.
Yep, that’s one grand mess the left has made in California. However, if I understand how homelessness works, NO ONE goes near them anyway and it’s not like any of them have been visiting the cruise buffet. Provide them food and leave them where they are. That’s what you do anyway.
Liberal policies led to the state’s healthy people being ordered into isolation while the weak, the addicts, the boozers and the gangs run free.
There are scattered reports that, in some areas, some of the homeless are becoming squatters.
They are moving into abandoned properties that are unsafe and unclean, some even contaminated ex- eth labs.
Bankrupt CA can’t seem to move fast enough.
The state is still covering up its budget overshoot on the high speed rail.
The state is still suffering from diverting infrastructure money into boondoggles like bike paths.