Coronavirus Update: 2nd COVID-19 Case Closes San Francisco Mission District Navigation Center
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Officials with the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management announced Thursday that a new coronavirus case at the Mission District's Division Circle Navigation Center has led the center to be shut down and all guests and staff to be tested.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
According to a release issued Thursday, the second positive case of COVID-19 at the navigation center located on the 200 block of South Van Ness Avenue was confirmed on Wednesday, three weeks after the first positive test was found.
While officials said that the two cases are believed to be unrelated given what is known about the coronavirus, the confirmation will lead to a targeted testing of the new subject's close contacts as well as deep cleaning, symptom screening and additional preventive measures at the navigation center.
With the discovery of the new COVID-19 case, the San Francisco Department of Public Health is now testing all remaining guests and staff at Division Circle Navigation Center. All 59 guests -- as well as with staff who need it -- will be transferred to isolation and quarantine hotel rooms.
Following the transfer of all guests, Division Circle will be temporarily closed for deep cleaning and disinfecting per the city's coronavirus protocol.
Concerns over a large outbreak among San Francisco's homeless population has led city officials to take serious preventive measures to curb the virus.
A far larger coronavirus outbreak at San Francisco's MSC South shelter grew to 96 positive tests among homeless individuals and 10 staffers as of last weekend.
The outbreak at the massive shelter triggered an emergency ordinance by San Francisco Supervisors that requires the city to house all homeless residents, regardless of age or health status.
During a news conference at the city's Emergency Operations Center last week, Human Services Agency Director Trent Rhorer said so far, the city had secured 2,151 hotel rooms across 14 hotels to protect homeless individuals against the coronavirus.
The Division Circle Navigation Center has a capacity of 186 beds but, in accordance with the city's COVID-19 prevention efforts, it was not full at the time the first case was confirmed on April 1.
Since that first case was identified, San Francisco officials have moved 48 vulnerable individuals out of the navigation center and into isolation, quarantine, and shelter-in-place hotels.
