疫情之下，美国街头流浪者们何去何从？

加利福尼亚州州长加文•纽瑟姆（Gavin Newsom）3月19日晚宣布全州“禁足令”，要求居民待在家中，以遏制新冠肺炎疫情的蔓延。

此前，包括洛杉矶等多个城市已要求居民不要离开居所，除非是必要岗位或必须外出采购。

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday night issued a statewide order for all residents to "stay at home" amid the new coronavirus outbreak. 

Several cities in the state including Los Angeles had already required residents to "shelter in place" unless for necessary outings.

大多数人可以选择“宅家”，但没有家的人又该何去何从？

随着疫情在美国持续蔓延，越来越多人开始担心一个“特殊群体”——街头那些无家可归的流浪者。他们无法找到可供隔离的居所，不能及时得到医疗卫生服务，在来势汹涌的病毒面前，他们或许是“最脆弱”的群体。

The most common ways of limiting exposure to coronavirus, like social distancing, stay at home, and early testing, are nearly impossible for one significant segment of the U.S. population — those experiencing homelessness.

根据美国住房和城市发展部的数据显示，2019年每晚大约有超过56万人无家可归。

纽约、洛杉矶和西雅图三大城市有着庞大的流浪者人群。而这些城市本身人口众多，面临着住房资源紧缺的危机。如此情况下，在疫情期间为流浪者们提供隔离场所以及基本的卫生服务，更是难上加难。

According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 560,000 individuals surveyed on one night in 2019 experienced homelessness. Among those with the largest homeless population, New York City, Los Angeles, and Seattle, all are densely populated cities facing a housing crisis, making expanding access to quarantine space and basic hygienic services more difficult amid the pandemic.

疫情之下，何以为家？

西奥•亨德森已经在洛杉矶街头流浪七年，他开设了一个名为“我们流浪者”的播客。在他最近几期播客节目中，亨德森介绍了疫情期间洛杉矶街头流浪者们所面临的困境。

Theo Henderson, host of the "We the Unhoused" podcast, has been living on the streets of Los Angeles for seven years. In his most recent podcast episode, he listed the difficulties the unhoused community in LA is going through trying to cope with the pandemic.

为避免疫情期间人群聚集，流浪者们的帐篷营地被取缔；把车停在居民区、学校附近，在车中过夜也不被允许。

那些本可以提供卫生间和淋浴点的图书馆、公园，目前都已经关闭；许多星巴克的店铺也对流浪者们“关上”了大门，让他们失去了一个临时落脚点。

Increased police operations that takes down homeless people's tents during the day makes it harder for the homeless to have social-distancing. Sleeping in a car in residential areas or near schools, parks and daycare units is illegal under the city's law.

Public libraries and parks, the few spots in the city where clean bathrooms and washing stations were available to the homeless, remain shut down. And many Starbucks stores have tried removing phone chargers to penalize and discourage the homeless from coming into the store.

经济低迷的环境下，肆虐的疫情对低收入人群来说更是“雪上加霜”。有一部分人甚至因为失去收入来源付不起房租而被驱逐出户，不得不流落街头。

With the economy in slow motion, the fear of eviction became real. Especially for those who had multiple part-time temporary jobs, the business shutdown is taking away major chunks of their paycheck. "To penalize them for not paying the rent because our economy and our system has shut down through a pandemic is cruel, illegal, and wrong," said Henderson.

洛杉矶市议会3月18日出台了新的法案，在疫情期间提供一定的庇护，包括中止驱逐那些欠缴房租的租户以及暂停取缔街头流浪者们的帐篷营地。

Amid public outcry for helping individuals struggling to respond to the outbreak, the LA City Council on Wednesday decided to pass legislation to enact basic protections. Measures include eviction moratorium to cover everyone who missed rent. Enforcement of tents down during the day will be suspended amid the crisis. 

疫情之下，健康如何保障？

3月17日，纽约报告一位居住在收容所的流浪者新冠肺炎检测呈阳性，让不少人担心新冠肺炎可能会在流浪者群体中传播开来。

其实一直以来，卫生健康部门的相关人士都十分担忧疫情可能会在一些流浪者收容所爆发。这些地方“人挤人”的现象较为严重，也无法提供隔离所需的基本空间以及必要的医疗卫生服务。

On the other side of the country, concerns about the transmission of COVID-19 among the homeless are rising on the East Coast, when it was reported on Tuesday that a resident of a New York City homeless shelter tested positive for coronavirus. 

Health officials have long feared that an outbreak could occur in homeless shelters where residents live in close range. Because residents do not have the ability to self-quarantine, access to separate space and medical help are of crucial importance to shelters with infected cases.

为了避免发生交叉感染的情况，一些收容所也开始调整运营管理方法。比如纽约市建议收容所床铺间隔至少保持三到六英尺、尽量避免成员间分食食物以及取消团体活动。

To prevent cross-infection in over-crowded shelters, staffs at the shelter have been modifying their operation methods. In a 11-page document issued by the New York City, beds are advised to be at least three to six feet apart. Shared eating is also strongly discouraged, as well as group activities. 

但是要做到上述要求，只能适当减少收容所收留的流浪者人数。美国国内许多收容所都已经暂时停止接收新的成员，以便能够腾出更多的空间，防止出现“人满为患”的情况。

另外，流浪者的“老龄化”问题也提升了疫情在这一群体爆发的可能性。不少流浪者都患有基础性疾病，脆弱的免疫系统让他们比普通民众面临更高的感染风险。

But to live up to the requirements, sheltering fewer people seems to be an inevitable choice. Shelters across the country report a halt on new intake. 

The aging trend among the homeless population makes them even more vulnerable. Many have underlying health conditions that weaken their immune system. 

目前，联邦政府和州政府也采取了一些措施来保障疫情期间流浪者们的健康与安全，如向流浪者们提供洗手液等清洁产品、搭建临时收容所、及时隔离安置那些新冠病毒检测呈阳性的流浪者等。

On a positive note, some adjustment measures have been taken on the part of state and federal governments. The Department and Homeless Services recently overruled the previous policy that forbids outreach officers from handing out supplies to homeless people on the street. Hand sanitizers and socks are distributed to the homeless population in a bid to help them cope with the coronavirus.

Greater efforts have been put into pulling the homeless off the streets. Modular tents and camp trailers were deployed as temporary shelters across several states. California blocked off nearly 400 rooms in two hotels and will purchase more than 1,300 trailers for homeless individuals, who tested positive for COVID-19 or who are at greater risk of infection.

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