Not less than 37 children living at a migrant housing center in Chicago have tested positive for coronavirus.
Disclosing this on Tuesday April 14, 2020, a spokeswoman for Heartland Alliance said the outbreak had hit more than half of the 69 children staying at the center on the South Side.
“We are operating under the assumption that we will see additional positive diagnoses as we receive results from the other tests that have been administered, and the steps we are taking to ensure the health and safety of our participants and staff are based on that assumption,” spokeswoman Mailee Garcia said.
“Heartland Alliance is continuing to focus on our participants’ health and well-being and that the center has aggressively moved to obtain testing for all of the children in our care, even those who are asymptomatic, which goes even beyond the CDC recommendations,” Garcia added.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has faced criticism for maintaining its packed facilities, making it virtually impossible for migrants to follow social distancing guidelines.
More than 70 adults in ICE custody have tested positive for coronavirus, according to health officials.
“The health, welfare and safety of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainees is one of the agency’s highest priorities,” ICE said in a statement on its website.
According to ICE officials, more than 550 detainees over 60 years old or pregnant were identified and 160 of those were marked for release, although it’s unclear if they have been released yet.
