Tweet
Aug 1, 2022 Updated 2 hrs ago
Tyler Griffin The Canadian Press
TORONTO - A Toronto public health unit is investigating whether there could be more monkeypox infections in a homeless shelter after confirming that a person with the virus recently visited the facility.
A statement from city officials Monday said the person has been transferred to Toronto's COVID-19 isolation and recovery site, which is also accommodating people who need to isolate because of monkeypox. It said municipal public health and housing officials are investigating "to determine if there are additional cases."
The city did not release the identity of the shelter, state how long the person had stayed there or confirm whether the shelter is experiencing a monkeypox outbreak as a result.
Diana Chan McNally, a community worker at a Toronto centre for people in need, said the spread of monkeypox in Toronto's shelter system, on top of ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and other infectious diseases present in shelters, could be "a recipe for mass infection."
"This is a disease that can affect anybody," said Chan McNally of All Saints Drop-in. "If you have people in close proximity to each other, sharing space and tight quarters in congregate settings, I envision that we're going to see mass infection within the system."
... Toronto's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration is working with Toronto Public Health to determine if a monkeypox vaccination program can be developed for the shelter system, according to the city's statement.
Now that monkeypox has been confirmed in the shelter system, Chan McNally said people experiencing homelessness should be among the groups prioritized for vaccination.
"We need to make sure that shelter hotels do not close and we need to ramp up recovery sites for COVID as well as monkeypox," said Chan McNally. "We don't currently have enough space, if we're looking at, potentially, mass infection." ...
Tyler Griffin The Canadian Press
TORONTO - A Toronto public health unit is investigating whether there could be more monkeypox infections in a homeless shelter after confirming that a person with the virus recently visited the facility.
A statement from city officials Monday said the person has been transferred to Toronto's COVID-19 isolation and recovery site, which is also accommodating people who need to isolate because of monkeypox. It said municipal public health and housing officials are investigating "to determine if there are additional cases."
The city did not release the identity of the shelter, state how long the person had stayed there or confirm whether the shelter is experiencing a monkeypox outbreak as a result.
Diana Chan McNally, a community worker at a Toronto centre for people in need, said the spread of monkeypox in Toronto's shelter system, on top of ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and other infectious diseases present in shelters, could be "a recipe for mass infection."
"This is a disease that can affect anybody," said Chan McNally of All Saints Drop-in. "If you have people in close proximity to each other, sharing space and tight quarters in congregate settings, I envision that we're going to see mass infection within the system."
... Toronto's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration is working with Toronto Public Health to determine if a monkeypox vaccination program can be developed for the shelter system, according to the city's statement.
Now that monkeypox has been confirmed in the shelter system, Chan McNally said people experiencing homelessness should be among the groups prioritized for vaccination.
"We need to make sure that shelter hotels do not close and we need to ramp up recovery sites for COVID as well as monkeypox," said Chan McNally. "We don't currently have enough space, if we're looking at, potentially, mass infection." ...