COVID-19 Cases Rising Within The Homeless Population

Authored by Vanessa Serna via The Epoch Times,

As California witnesses a surge in CCP virus cases, homeless individuals are among the most vulnerable, officials say.

“People experiencing homelessness are at high risk of severe COVID-19 disease due to underlying health conditions, age, or both,” Los Angeles County Director of Public Health Barbara Ferrer said in an Aug. 18 statement.

“As we partner with others to reach people experiencing homelessness that are not yet vaccinated, layering protection at programs serving this population is critical.”

The number of CCP virus cases among the homeless has increased in the past month as of Aug. 18, according to the Los Angeles County of Public Health. This past week alone, homeless individuals accounted for 185 new cases. In total, nearly 8,000 unhoused people have tested positive in Los Angeles County, with 218 recorded deaths.

CCP virus cases in homeless individuals peaked back in December when 638 cases were recorded. Since then, case numbers have been on the decline prior to recently increasing.

With the CCP virus vaccines becoming more accessible, over 51,322 doses have been administered to homeless individuals in the county, with over 25,000 being fully vaccinated.

Similarly in Orange County, Douglas Becht, director of operations at the Orange County Health Care Agency, told The Epoch Times the county is working collaboratively with health centers and 35 emergency shelters to educate and administer vaccines to homeless individuals.

As of Aug. 19, over 1,500 doses of the CCP virus vaccine have been administered to homeless individuals in Orange County. While it is unclear how many homeless have become ill with the virus, 14 deaths have been reported.

The data provided by Los Angeles and Orange counties comes a day after federal health officials recommended booster shots for CCP virus-vaccinated citizens.