WPTA21: Quarantine Shelter Set Up To Protect Community’s Most Vulnerable

FORT WAYNE, Ind (WPTA21) – The City of Fort Wayne is putting its federal funding to work by providing shelter for our community’s most vulnerable.

The CEO of United Way of Allen County, Matthew Purkey, explained: “So about 6 weeks ago, the need arose about what are we going to do with the community who are the most vulnerable population? How are the homeless, the homing unstable and those living in dangerous situations going to self quarantine themselves?”

The solution was to provide a quarantine shelter. City of Fort Wayne Director of Community Development Cindy Joyner said “the quarantine shelter is really designed for those individuals either been exposed or they may have the symptoms, but they don’t require hospitalization”.

These types of shelters aren’t a new thing in other areas.

“Cities across the country have been standing up quarantine shelters,” Purkey noted. “A lot of them might be cots in a gym. We’ve seen them in convention centers. That was not the goal in Fort Wayne. Our goal was to give the necessary health professional guidance while also doing it with dignity.”

Those living at the shelter will get more than just a place to sleep.

“Everything is given from hygiene products to three square meals a day to janitorial services. All the way to the SPCA providing care for pets,” Purkey said

City leaders aren’t saying exactly where the shelter is, just that it’s in Allen County.

“We don’t want them to be targeted potentially but also we don’t any stigmas with that particular establishment,” Joyner said.

You can dial 211 to find more information about a quarantine shelter.