The Youth Inn at the Iowa State Fairgrounds will be used as a shelter for homeless individuals who test positive for coronavirus.
According to a press release on the department’s website, shelter occupants will have access to beds, food, supportive medical care, laundry services and other county resources.
“When we are sick, we want to be comforted in a place where you feel safe and can get well,“ Polk County Health Department Director Helen Eddy said in the release. “For people experiencing homeless, they do not have a home. Everyone needs care and compassion during this time.”
Those in the shelter will practice social distancing and a fence has been placed around the facility as an added security measure.
“The Youth Inn fence may look scary to fairground neighbors and the community,” Polk County Board of Supervisors Tom Hockensmith said in the release. “Please rest assured, this is to make sure we are reducing the spread of COVID-19 and respect the dignity of those who are staying at the shelter.”
The Iowa Department of Public Health reports there have been 235 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state with 28 of those cases occurring in Polk County.
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