“Career Isolation Shelter” Details Released

(Updated) The shelter at Career High School for homeless people who test positive for Covid-19 but do not need to be hospitalized will have a maximum of 50 beds, will be staffed by nurses, medical reserve corps volunteers, and police officers, and will be cleaned by an ​“aeroclave” atomizing device when the pandemic is all through.

Those details are included in a Question & Answer document put together by the mayor’s office and distributed by email Monday night by Hill Alder Ron Hurt.

In the email, Hurt said that Mayor Justin Elicker and top city officials met with Hill Alders concerning the “Career Isolation Shelter.”

“I acknowledge that there have been a number of concerns in our neighborhood around this issue,” he wrote. “Click here for updated answers to some of the questions that we have asked, or see below. A robocall will be going out to the neighborhood with this information late this evening or tomorrow morning.”

All four Hill alders, several former Hill alders, and a handful of neighborhood community management team leaders slammed the mayor mid-March for selecting the Hill public high school to house the shelter during the public health crisies.

See below for more details about the soon-to-be-opened shelter, as described in questions asked by Hill alders and answered by the Elicker administration. This Q&A was updated by the Elicker administration on April 8.

1. Why was Career High School chosen over other sites?

Career has been our designated shelter facility identified from our state and local emergency operations plans since 2005. It was chosen due to its centralized location, its close proximity to both hospitals, it’s on a major arterial route and has the capability to be compartmentalized. These characteristics are crucial to the selection of a shelter best suited to protect our residents.

2. Who exactly is going to be housed at Career High School?

Persons experiencing homelessness and who have received a positive COVID-19 test result, but do not meet hospitalization criteria.

3. What is the maximum number of people that are going to be at the school?

Career High School will be utilized for a capacity of 50 beds.

4. How is Career High School going to be staffed? What personnel is going to be present?

The staffing plan includes nurses, medical reserve corps, support staff and police.

5. Will individuals being housed at Career be allowed to leave the facility and have interactions with the surrounding community?

No one identified to stay at Career’s emergency shelter will be allowed to leave until they have been cleared by medical staff, produce a negative COVID-19 result, or they are being safely arranged to go to another site.

6. Will Police be present at the High School? What about School Security?

Police will be present at all times at the one entrance and exit of the shelter site. Additionally the inside of the school will be under constant video surveillance by NHPS security officers and NHPD to ensure the safety of the facility and the surrounding neighborhood. School security will not be required. Individuals will not be allowed to walk off site.

7. What types of personal protective equipment will personnel inside the high school be issued to keep them safe?

Personal Protective Equipment based on CDC guidelines will be worn by staff at all times; that includes splash gown or Tyvek coveralls, n95 mask, and protective eyewear to include goggles or a full-face shield.

8. When do you anticipate sick individuals arriving at the site? How do they get there? By foot, by bus or by ambulance?

Now that full staffing, a security plan and proper Personal Protective Equipment are in place, patients will be transferred to the site after they have been prescreened to ensure the facility will be able to fit their needs. Because individuals will be confirmed COVID positive, all transportation to the site will be following social distancing and safety protocols. No one will arrive until a full staffing, security plan and Personal Protective Equipment are put in place.

9. After the pandemic is over, what steps are going to be taken to clean the school and return it to a workable and usable condition in order to ensure the safety of the students, staff and faculty at Career?

After the pandemic is over, disinfection and decontamination of this facility, will be completed by CDC approved electrostatic disinfecting equipment and product. In additional to standard disinfectant cleaning, the NHFD will use an atomizing device known as an ​“aeroclave” which kills the Corona Virus on solid surfaces, gear, equipment, rooms and in the air. This technology uses a chemical known as ​“vitaloxide” which is a hospital grade disinfectant but safe for normal human contact.

10. How long do we expect individuals to remain at the school?

Each individual would need to remain in the school until medically cleared or transported to another site.

11. What parts of the school will be used?

The isolation site will be housed in the gymnasium only, no other parts of the school will be used. The gymnasium has the ideal layout for treatment of the individuals, including showers for men and women and limited entrances to monitor occupants.

12. When patients are medically cleared to leave, where will they go?

Patients will be transported to an area hotel identified to house homeless individuals by the City of New Haven and the State. There, shelter staff will be monitoring and supporting them during the state of emergency.

13. What resources will individuals have while in quarantine?

The gymnasium has been fitted with televisions and other comforts while patients are recovering from the virus. Staff will also be working with our Office of Housing and Homelessness Services to make sure patients needs continue to be met.