Homeless shelters will remain open, but city to begin putting up quarantine tents just in case

Mayor Walsh said today that the city is working closely with homeless organizations to ensure their clients continued to get services - and that they have already started watching out for any possible Covid-19 cases.

The city has no plans to close homeless shelters, but will be building special tents in a couple of locations, including off Southampton Street, where any homeless people can be treated and quarantined to try to break any chain of infection, Walsh said, adding that the tents will get resources such as running water, he said at a City Hall press conference this afternoon.

Walsh added the city has been helped by its five-year program to find housing for the homeless - he said some 2,200 people who might otherwise be on the street now have homes to stay in. Officials added that numbers at shelters have dropped a bit because of efforts to encourage families to take people back in if they can.

The mayor continued he has no plans at this moment to order residents to shelter in place, as has been done in the San Francisco area and will soon happen in New York.

"Inevitably, possibly there could be a reason for shelter in place," but Boston remains behind New York in the apparent rate of infection and, unlike Washington State, has yet to see any outbreaks in nursing homes, so for now, emphasizing the need for social distancing remains Boston's key tool. "Social distancing is a must," he said.

But things happen fast, and he allowed that maybe tomorrow he could be having a completely different discussion with reporters at a press conference.

Walsh discounted the need for fines or penalties for egregious social-distancing violators, says he would hope people are smart enough to do what's right. "If we have to put penalties for that, there's something wrong with society."

And speaking of fines, he said that the end of fines and towing for car owners is only for people who leave their cars on streets the days they are supposed to be swept. All other parking fines and reasons for towing or booting remain in place, he said.

Walsh said BPS now has 20,000 Chromebooks on hand that it will begin distributing to students who need them for remote learning.

He added that food pantries remain open, but that clients might expect to see delays - or maybe even the need to arrange an appointment - in coming days. Any seniors in particular who feel they are having problems getting food should call 311, he said.

He added that by the end of tomorrow, all city workers who can work from home will be.