A homeless man in Montreal who has tested positive for COVID-19 turned up at a Montreal homeless shelter Monday seeking food.
The patient's contact with staff was minimal, and he didn't enter the building, according to the Old Brewery Mission's executive director, Matthew Pearce.
"We are very concerned about a homeless person out on the streets of Montreal with COVID-19," said Pearce.
It's not known if the man knew he was positive or if he only found out from police.
"The police came to find the man, and they did find him in a line outside our men's pavilion," said Pearce.
Whatever the circumstance, Pearce said, it is disconcerting to learn that a homeless person who was tested for COVID-19 was then left to roam city streets while awaiting results.
"I think the person should have been given a designated area," he said. "When you're being tested, and there's a concern, you need to isolate."
The man's coronavirus infection, the first known case among that vulnerable population, is only the beginning, he said. He and other advocates for the estimated 3,000 Montrealers living on the streets are desperately trying to stop the virus from sweeping through that population.
The patient's contact with staff was minimal, and he didn't enter the building, according to the Old Brewery Mission's executive director, Matthew Pearce.
"We are very concerned about a homeless person out on the streets of Montreal with COVID-19," said Pearce.
It's not known if the man knew he was positive or if he only found out from police.
"The police came to find the man, and they did find him in a line outside our men's pavilion," said Pearce.
Whatever the circumstance, Pearce said, it is disconcerting to learn that a homeless person who was tested for COVID-19 was then left to roam city streets while awaiting results.
"I think the person should have been given a designated area," he said. "When you're being tested, and there's a concern, you need to isolate."
The man's coronavirus infection, the first known case among that vulnerable population, is only the beginning, he said. He and other advocates for the estimated 3,000 Montrealers living on the streets are desperately trying to stop the virus from sweeping through that population.
