PROVIDENCE — Nine guests at an emergency shelter operated by Amos House, a social-services agency serving the homeless population, have tested positive for the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronvirus, according to the agency.

None of the guests are symptomatic.

A man who had been staying at the shelter received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 on Wednesday. He was tested while undergoing a medical procedure for an unrelated condition, according to Jessica Salter, chief philanthropy officer for Amos House.

Ten staff members who work in close proximity with guests, along with 40 additional shelter guests, were immediately tested, according to Amos House. All staff members and 27 of the guests received negative diagnoses.

Eight guests tested positive, along with the case that led to the wider testing, and the results of five tests are still pending, according to the agency.

All of the guests with positive COVID-19 diagnoses are being transferred to the Wyndham Hotel in Warwick to quarantine. Gov. Gina Raimondo announced this week that the state had contracted with the hotel to provide 200 rooms for those who do not have homes and need to self isolate.

"Shelter guests are particularly susceptible to this highly contagious virus due to the congregant living situation," Amos House CEO Eileen Hayes said in a statement. "While we are obviously disappointed by this news and worried about our guests, we are also glad to have this knowledge so that we can prevent further spread and ensure that they receive high quality care should they become symptomatic.

"Given what we are learning about the impact of asymptomatic residents in shelters, we are grateful that the state is moving quickly to provide more widespread testing for the homeless population and service providers."

Amos House says it is working with the state on contact tracing, as well as accessing commercial cleaning services for continued disinfection of the building.

On any given night, around 40 people stay in the shelter, located at Amos House’s main facility at 460 Pine St., according to Salter.

The agency opened the shelter in February after a taking a survey of homeless people and finding that 125-150 individuals were still in need of shelter after all available beds were accounted for. The agency transformed some its larger community spaces to serve as emergency, temporary shelter.

The shelter was scheduled to close in March, but it will now remain open indefinitely due to the the coronavirus pandemic, according to Amos House. Guests are being spaced apart with greater distance and all staff members and guests have been wearing masks for the past two weeks.

Residents of other Amos House facilities have been sheltering in place and are not thought to be affected by COVID-19, according to the agency.

Amos House, which also operates the largest soup kitchen in Rhode Island, has expanded its meal service in response to the public health emergency. Because of a statewide prohibition on large gatherings, people are not able to eat in the dining room, but the kitchen is offering three boxed meals a day to go.

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