COVID-19 HITS NASHVILLE HOMELESS SHELTER SYSTEM

BY HANNAH HERNER

Seven days after testing positive, most of the 115 people experiencing homelessness staying in quarantine on the Fairgrounds Nashville emergency shelter premises were released on May 7. At that time, 21 people remained in the designated “sick” building. Those who recovered were given the opportunity to go where they pleased, and were not retested before being released, in accordance with Tennessee Department of Health guidelines.

The Nashville Rescue Mission main campus Downtown was closed from April 30 to May 7 due to the cluster of COVID-19 cases that hit the homeless population in Nashville. Any person released from the Fairgrounds Nashville shelter who has chosen to go back to Nashville Rescue Mission will spend three additional days in isolation, per CDC guidelines, says Glenn Cranfield, CEO of Nashville Rescue Mission.

On May 4, the mayor’s office announced that more than 100 people staying at homeless shelters throughout the city tested positive for COVID-19. A combined 115 people were quarantined in the “sick” building at the Fairgrounds Nashville emergency shelter. This included a number of people who were already staying at the Fairgrounds as well as those who were staying at Nashville Rescue Mission’s downtown campus and at The Salvation Army.

At the fairgrounds, there were originally 19 positive and 206 negative results. At Nashville Rescue Mission there were 395 tested, with 100 positive, nine indeterminate, 12 still pending and 274 negative. The Salvation Army had six guests who tested positive and were sent to the Fairgrounds Nashville emergency shelter for medical care.

In a press conference on the morning of May 4, Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of the metro coronavirus task force, said four positive cases at the Fairgrounds Nashville prompted comprehensive testing of all those staying there as well as at the Nashville Rescue Mission main campus, which was serving as a gothrough to the Fairgrounds shelter.