THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the district grapples with the spike in Covid-19 cases, homeless people are among the most vulnerable to the virus. To ensure their safety, city corporation and the Social Security Mission have converted the Attakulangara Central School into a shelter home for the destitute providing them with food and other facilities.This decision was taken by the authorities as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the pandemic. On Sunday, 84 homeless people in the city were identified and subjected to antigen testing. Two tested positive for the virus, owing to which they were shifted to a Covid First-Line Treatment Centre. The remaining 82 have been housed at the Attakkulangara Central School.

“Following the announcement of the first lockdown, we had taken an initiative and set up camps to shelter the homeless in the city. However, many had left the camps following the lockdown relaxations. Since then, as they have been vulnerable to the disease, we conducted antigen testing with the help of police personnel who brought them to the testing centres. As two people tested positive, we are planning to conduct more tests to prevent any further spread of the virus,” said Mayor K Sreekumar.

Apart from the newly opened facility at Attakulangara Central School, a facility set up earlier at Priyadarshini Auditorium is also providing shelter. Currently, there are around 30 residing in the centre. During the initial lockdown, a makeshift tent at Putharikandam ground in East Fort which was erected for a cultural event was converted into a home to shelter 200 people who were brought by the health squads of the corporation and the police.

The Mayor said they are facing challenges while sheltering the homeless since they don’t pay heed to social distancing norms. The corporation has employed some of them as sanitation workers and in community kitchens. Arrangements have been made for those who have a family and want to return. Food is being provided to those on the streets through the initiative ‘Oru Vayaroottam, Oru Vishappakattaam ’ by Kerala Police and Nanma Trust led by IGP Vijayan.