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The City of Edmonton is boosting supports for vulnerable residents after rising concerns of “disruptive behaviour” on the transit system.

Closures of city facilities and many social agency spaces has forced homeless Edmontonians to find another place to go during the day. David Aitken, chairman of the city’s COVID-19 task team, said there has been an influx of people spending their days on the transit system.

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“We’re seeing these groups turning to transit for shelter and for gathering,” Aitken said Thursday, noting there has also been an increase in safety issues. “These incidents are raising some public concerns amongst transit users, operators and city leadership.”

The city is also grappling with as many as 600 people at the Edmonton Expo Centre’s day-use space during the day.

Options for additional daytime and overnight shelters for homeless residents are being considered, interim city manager Adam Laughlin said in his COVID-19 state of local emergency update to city council Thursday.

In an effort to address transit safety concerns, a new shuttle run by Edmonton Transit Service will take residents from overnight shelters to the Expo Centre and additional security patrols will be added at hotspot areas on the transit network.

Transit operators will be able to contact control centres directly to get support for transit users without a destination. There are about 1,900 Edmontonians experiencing chronic homelessness as of February.

A separate space in the Expo Centre is currently being used as an isolation shelter for about 60 homeless Edmontonians exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Most of these residents have been tested, but the centre didn’t confirm if anyone has tested positive.

Meanwhile, a second city employee has tested positive for COVID-19, Laughlin said Thursday, with 126 employees having completed tests. A total of 757 employees are self-isolating based on direction or by choice, the city said in an update that will now be posted weekly.