A person who was staying at the Salvation Army’s men’s shelter in Hamilton has tested positive for COVID-19, raising the spectre of the virus spreading through the city’s vulnerable homeless population.

He has been taken from the Booth Centre shelter on York Boulevard to Bennetto Community Centre, which the city has set up in the North End as an isolation space for homeless people who test positive for coronavirus, the agency said Monday.

“The Salvation Army continues to stand by and serve our communities to the best of our ability and we are taking a variety of measures at the Booth Centre to limit exposure to COVID-19,” the agency said in an emailed statement.

“We will continue to follow the local health authorities’ recommended approach and guidance for prevention and protection to ensure the comfort and safety of our clients and staff.”

Keeping Six, a local organization that looks out for homeless people and drug users, urged decisive action to prevent the potentially deadly virus from infecting others.

The harm-reduction group has advocated that homeless people be moved into hotel rooms to protect them from the potentially deadly virus, said member Lisa Nussey.

“And, in fact, it now becomes more urgent that people should be moved into conditions that will allow them to socially distance and isolate. And that is not shelters; it is hotels.”

A special vehicle from DARTS — a Hamilton charity providing transit to those with disabilities — as well as trained, equipped drivers have been dedicated to transporting people to the centre. As of Sunday, Hamilton had 70 COVID-19 cases overall.

“The reality is that creating physical distance and employing infections prevention strategies inside an emergency shelter is very challenging, but we are certainly doing our very best,” said Katherine Kalinowski, Good Shepherd’s chief operating officer.

Depending on the shelter, cots can be placed close together in dormitories. Occupants share washrooms and eat in cafeteria-like settings and spend time in communal spaces.

The city has a contract for 40 hotel rooms and roughly 400 more available during the coronavirus crisis, Paul Johnson, director of the city’s emergency response centre, said in a previous interview. Johnson didn’t specify for what purpose each of those rooms would be used.

Putting up all shelter users in hotels would be an “ideal situation” that demanded an “endless supply” of rooms, Kalinowski said, adding that the city and agencies are deciding how to prioritize or “stream people” into rooms “so that we’re creating the highest degree of infection prevention possible.”

“That is exactly what we’re looking at right now,” she added. “Who is best placed where.”

Shelters have screening in place to help detect COVID-19 positive cases; if necessary, Shelter Health Network professionals do further assessment, Kalinowski said.

Bagged lunches are being offered in some cases instead of sit-down meals; in the latter instance, groups are kept small or to people eating separately.

“The Salvation Army is taking a variety of measures to limit exposure to the coronavirus. The Salvation Army continues to stand by and serve our communities to the best of our ability,” the agency said.

The Salvation Army said it continues to practise physical distancing of two metres; using gowns, gloves, masks and goggles when staff are in close contact with clients; screening clients when they enter the Booth Centre; and diligent handwashing and/or hand sanitizer practices.

Nussey said the city needs to “take action that is outside of the box” as the virus crisis continues to unfold.

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She noted how difficult it will be to trace the contacts of shelter users who test positive for COVID-19. Even if such a list could be compiled, it’s hard to track down people who don’t have addresses or phones.

Among 18 new cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton announced Sunday is a Good Shepherd employee.

“I’m happy to report that person is doing very well and we’re anticipating their return to work,” Kalinowski said, but declined to share further details.