Tent cities are springing up around streets and parks in Washington D.C. amid concerns the coronavirus is making homeless people even more vulnerable.
Images show makeshift encampments such as these that have sprung up on sidewalks, parks and close to office buildings amid the pandemic.
The tents have sparked concerns that the streets could turn into potential contagion zones due to vulnerable people living outdoors and in close proximity to one another.
Coronavirus is also disproportionately causing fatalities among homeless people in the city. Fifteen people in D.C.’s homeless system have died from the virus.
Those deaths make up 4 percent of the city’s 368 coronavirus fatalities. Washington D.C. is thought to have around 9,800 homeless residents, a number which can fluctuate significantly.
Those without a roof over their head are left at even greater risk of contracting Covid-19, as they are unable to self-quarantine and do not have regular access to sanitation.
The increase in homelessness prompted the city’s Department of Human Services to install 17 handwashing stations near tent encampments in early April.
See the pics here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8335381/Tent-cities-spring-sidewalks-parks-Washington-D-C.html
Seems the stimulus wasn’t very stimulating.
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