PROTECTIVE OVER SOME TURKEY, JUST WAIT UNTIL SANTA GETS
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED.
INVOLVED. >> TONIGHT'S BIG STORY IS ALL
ABOUT A GROWING OUTBREAK AT
PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTER.
>> NOW AS OF TONIGHT, 20 PEOPLE
ARE SICK.
ARE SICK.
ARE SICK. DOZENS MORE ARE STUCK IN
QUARANTINE.
QUARANTINE. ONE PERSON IS IN THE HOSPITAL
AND THE TIMING OF THIS IS
REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY IMPORTANT. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TWO REASONS
.
.
. NUMBER
. NUMBER ONE, STAFF AT THE
SHELTER LEARNED ABOUT THE
FIRRST CASES OF COVID ON
THURSDAY HOURS AFTER THEIR BIG
THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION.
THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION. NOW THEY TAILORED THAT THAT
EVENT THERE TO THE STANDARD
KOVEN PROTOCOLS WHICH STILL
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT FACE
TO FACE INTERACTIONS THERE.
NOW NUMBER TWO, AS YOU KNOW,
IT'S GETTING COLDER AND COLDER
OUTSIDE AND THE CLOSER WE GET
TO WINTER THE MORE OUR LEADERS
ARE GOING TO BE TRYING TO GET
PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING ON THE
STREETS HERE IN PORTLAND OFF
THE STREETS AND INSIDE
SOMEWHERE WARM WHERE THEY CAN
TAKE SHELTER.
TAKE SHELTER. >> AND IT'S ALL HAPPENING
DURING A PANDEMIC.
HERE'S MAGGIE VESPER.
DOZENS OF RESIDENTS AND STAFF
MEMBERS HERE AT PORTLANDS UNION
GOSPEL MISSION ARE JUST
QUARANTINING AND WAITING AMID A
GROWING IT OUTBREAK.
A SPOKESPERSON TOLD US WHAT
STARTED WITH ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE
CASES OF CKO 19 LAST WEEK HAS
NOW BALLOONED TO 20 AND ONE
STAFF MEMBERS IN THE HOSPITAL.
>> IT'S ROUGH.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I THINK
EMOTIONS ARE UP AND DOWN.
>> COURTNEY DODDS IS THE
SPOKESWOMAN FOR PORTLAND'S
UNION GOSPEL MISSION.
SHE'S ALSO IN QUARANTINE
HERSELF AMID THE GROWING
OUTBREAK AT THE DOWNTOWN
SHELTER.
SHELTER.
SHELTER. >> WE ARE SUPPORTING EACH OTHER
AS BEST WE CAN.
BRINGING A LOT.
>> IT ALL STARTED WHEN FOUR OR
FIVE RESIDENTS TESTED POSITIVE
FOR KOBAN 19.
IT HAPPENED LAST WEEK AND WE
FOUND OUT ON THANKSGIVING GIVNG
EVENING THANKSGIVING EVENING
HOURS AFTER THIS SCENE PLAYED
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. >>
OUT. >> OUTFIGHT GIVNG THANK YOU SO
THURSDAY.
THURSDAY.
THURSDAY. >> HUNDREDS LINED UP IN FRONT
OF THE MISSION FOR A HOT
THANKSGIVING MEAL TO GO A
PANDEMIC FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE
TO THE SHELTERS ANNUAL SIT DOWN
BANQUET.
BANQUET.
BANQUET. DODD SAYS STAFF DON'T BELIEVE
THIS EVENT FUELED THE OUTBREAK
.
.
. RATHER,
. RATHER, THE RESIDENTS EXPOSED
ARE MEMBERS OF LIFECHANGE THE
MISSION'S INPATIENT ADDICTION
RECOVERY PROGRAM.
RECOVERY PROGRAM. DODD SAYS THEY ALL HAVE MILD
SYMPTOMS AND ARE QUARANTINING
HERE ALL OTHER OPERATIONS
WITHIN THE SHELTER HAVE SHUT
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. STAFF ALSO CLOSED OTHER
FACILITIES INCLUDING THE
MISSION'S THRIFT STORE IN
TIGARD.
TIGARD.
TIGARD. ALL THIS IN MIND.
DODD SAYS DIRECTORS ARE
CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO
STOP THE SPREAD.
AND SHE ALSO NOTES THAT
EMPLOYEE WHO WAS HOSPITALIZED
IS DOING BETTER.
WE HAD A LONG PHONE CALL WITH
THE OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY AND
MONTGOMERY COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY AND THEY
AFFIRMED THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT
WE SHOULD WITH HOW WE'RE
HANDLING THINGS.
HANDLING THINGS. >> COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS
WOULD KNOW THEY'VE HAD MORE
PRACTICE THAN THE PUBLIC
REALIZES.
REALIZES.
REALIZES. >> IS THIS THE FIRST OUTBREAK
AT A SHELTER IN MUTLNOMAH
COUNTY THUS FAR?
>> I WOULD SAY NO.
WE'VE HAD OUTBREAKS IN ALL
KINDS OF CONGREGATE SETTINGS IN
LIGHT OF THIS OUTBREAK.
>> I SPOKE TO MUTLNOMAH COUNTY
HEALTH OFFICER DR JENNIFER
THIGNS AND MARK JOLIN, DIRECTOR
OF THE JOINT OFFICE OF HOMELESS
SERVICES.
SERVICES.
SERVICES. THEY POINT OUT AMONG PEOPLE
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN
MUTLNOMAH COUNTY, INFECTION
RATES HAVE REMAINED RELATIVELY
LOW.
LOW.
LOW. EIGHTY TWO PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY
AS HOMELESS HAVE TESTED
POSITIVE EARLY ON IN THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. OFFICIALS FEARED THAT NUMBER
WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER.
>> THAT'S WHY WE HAVE FOCUSED
ON MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN
REMOVE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
PARTICULARLY HIGH RISK OUT
OF CONGREGATE SHELTER SETTINGS
INTO MOTEL ROOMS AND AND
SPACING OUT THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE
STILL IN CONGREGATE SETTINGS AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
>> HEALTH OFFICIALS BELIEVE
THOSE TACTICS HAVE WORKED WHICH
IS WHY THEY PLAN TO KEEP
EMPLOYING THEM.
EMPLOYING THEM. AS IT GETS COLDER RIGHT NOW
THEY'RE BUSY SECURING EXTRA
SEVERE WEATHER SHELTER SITES SO
THAT WHEN TEMPERATURES DROP
BELOW FREEZING THEY CAN BRING
MORE PEOPLE INSIDE WHILE
KEEPING THEM SOCIALLY DISTANT.
THAT SAID, DR. VIOLNCE POINTS
OUT GENERAL INFECTION RATES ARE
SURGING AND KEEPING CAUVIN OUT
OF ANY SETTING IS GETTING
HARDER.
HARDER.
HARDER. >> BUT WE DO HAVE THE POWER TO