By Rough sleepers offered rooms in Coronavirus fight
Hotel rooms in London have been offered to rough sleepers in order to help them self-isolate and protect them during the fight against Coronavirus.
Around 300 rooms were made available to vulnerable people this weekend, most of whom were already known to homelessness charities.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is working alongside the Intercontinental Hotels Group to block book rooms at a discounted rate over the next twelve weeks.
Twelve weeks is currently the period of isolation being recommended to the UK’s most vulnerable groups.
On Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered restaurants, pubs, cafes and leisure centres to close. Many retail shops and outlets also followed suit, although not ordered to do so.
As such, Londoners and tourists have largely abandoned central London and its attractions.
Instead, people have taken to parks including Hyde Park and Battersea Park.
Because of the level of exposure they tend to experience, rough sleepers are significantly more likely to have underlying health conditions – including respiratory problems – than the wider population.
They are also at a significant disadvantage in that they are less likely to be able to follow Public Health England’s advice on self-isolation, social distancing and hand washing.
Offering rough sleepers rooms during the Coronavirus crisis offers them “vital protection” as they are able to use the space to self-isolate.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Rough sleepers already face difficult and uncertain lives and I’m determined to do all I can to ensure they, along with all Londoners, are given the best protection possible.”
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