SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — Officials say 82 of the nearly 750 migrant children staying at the San Diego Convention Center have tested positive for COVID-19.
The unaccompanied minors are tested for the coronavirus before they leave for San Diego, when they arrive, and every three days after.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday the convention center saw 27 cases of coronavirus on Saturday, when 500 girls started arriving from Texas. An additional 32 cases were identified in a second wave of 247 girls who arrived at the center Monday night. The remainder of the cases were found via onsite testing by Rady Children’s Hospital, HHS said.
HHS said none of the minors who tested positive have required hospitalization for COVID-19. HHS has contracted with Rady Children’s Hospital to provide medical care to the children at the facility, including primary care, urgent care and medical screening.
Children who test positive after arrival are removed from the group and kept in a separate area on a separate floor to ensure the welfare of others. Children who have been exposed to an infected child are also put in a separate group from children who have tested negative for the virus.
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The first group of teens seeking asylum in the U.S. got to San Diego Saturday evening on three charter flights from Texas. They were taken by bus to the convention center. Another 247 arrived Monday night.
City and county officials announced the decision to transition the convention center into a migrant shelter on March 22. Leaders said the site will be used for about 90 days with the average stay for each child averaging 30-35 days.
The girls, ages 13 to 17, are provided with food, medical care, a place to sleep and showers. City leaders said the girls will also have a recreation area on the exterior of the facility. They’re not allowed to leave the convention center shelter until they’re reunified with family members in the U.S. or connected with other sponsors.
The Health and Human Services Refugee Resettlement Program is funding the shelter. Partners include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Center for Disease Control and the convention center.