26-year-old man becomes first Miami-Dade homeless coronavirus death, Homeless Trust says
As Miami-Dade nears 200 novel coronavirus deaths, a 26-year-old man has become the county’s first homeless person to succumb to the illness, reported the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust.
The man was a resident at the Chapman South Homeless Assistance Center in Homestead. The trust said the man, who it did not identify, visited Chapman’s health clinic on Friday with a fever.
He was immediately taken to Jackson South where he passed away a few hours later.
“We are devastated and crushed. I am so proud of the work we are doing, which makes this news incredibly difficult to swallow,” Ron Book, chair of the Homeless Trust, said in a statement. “Our deepest sympathies go out to this young man’s family, who really lost their son, brother, and friend first to homelessness and now to this.”
The Homeless Trust cares for more than 8,000 homeless people and another 1,020 sheltered. Seven homeless people have tested positive for COVID-19, the trust said.
As of Saturday evening, the Florida Department of Health reported 25,492 confirmed coronavirus cases statewide and the death toll at 748. Miami-Dade County reported 9,045 cases and 198 deaths.
While Book emphasizes the aggressive work the trust is doing for the homeless, a coalition of advocates criticized the trust for its inaction during the pandemic.
Book denied these claims and said the Homeless Trust has been handing out brochures, masks, hand sanitizer and food for seven weeks now; it has been moving people into hotel rooms for more than a month.
“It’s obvious from the conditions that I’ve seen of humans living out the street in Miami-Dade County, that we’re not prepared and that we’re not doing enough,” said Armen Henderson, a University of Miami doctor who leads the coalition. “We should absolutely do more.”
Henderson and the coalition, which includes Dream Defenders, the Circle of Brotherhood, Miami Workers Center and Struggle for Miami’s Affordable and Sustainable Housing, has been distributing food, tents and toiletries during the pandemic. The organizations have also been collecting swabs and samples from the homeless for testing.
Henderson was recently handcuffed by Miami police for placing used boxes on the curb for pickup in front of his home.
Miami’s police chief said the incident would be investigated.
This story was originally published April 18, 2020 at 11:01 PM.
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