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“More than ever, we and all homeless-serving agencies will need the community’s support to protect our city’s most vulnerable people during this pandemic,” the statement says.

Other agencies haven’t yet taken the same steps but say they’re watching the situation closely.

A spokesman for the Mustard Seed, which operates a 370-bed shelter among other services in Calgary, said the organization has an internal committee working closely with Alberta Health Services and the provincial government “to ensure we are following the standard protocol on how to handle this situation.”

Alpha House executive director Kathy Christiansen said shelter staff started checking clients’ temperatures at the door this past week to monitor any possible fevers. They’ve also been making sure people sanitize their hands when they come to the shelter, which has capacity for 120 people. For those sleeping there overnight, there are some new measures to keep more distance between them.

Staff are also keeping an eye out for flu-like symptoms to help people receiving services get tested for COVID-19 if necessary. No one has tested positive so far.

“Clearly, the biggest barrier is lack of housing and having a safe place to stay and isolate,” if they’re sick, Christiansen said. She added there might eventually be a need for separate quarantine space for people without anywhere to go.

“The biggest challenge we’ll need to figure out is how do we support people who do test positive in a safe and caring way.”

Christiansen said proactive measures are being taken and she’s been speaking with officials from the city and province on a regular basis. At this point, Alpha House hasn’t cancelled volunteer shifts or other programming but that could change.

“I don’t know how to articulate it,” Christiansen said. “We’ve had pandemic responses in the building, like during H1N1, but this one does seem to be a different story. The anxiety around just not knowing is part of it.”