Images of homeless people, who each sleep on the ground in their own profession, are met with incomprehension, even if the city authorities speak of an emergency.
A 500-bed shelter had to close after someone there tested positive for the new coronavirus. The authorities, therefore, had to find a new place to sleep. The parking at a football stadium seemed the best option for them.
Lines have been drawn on the ground that indicates the guidelines for social distancing. Many of the compartments contained blue mats that were easy to clean. But the photos show people lying on the floor, some of them not even that far apart.
“After the criminalization of homeless people this year, Las Vegas is now putting people together on concrete boxes and out of sight,” tweeted Julián Castro, the mayor of San Antonio. “There are 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas that are not currently being used.”
City spokesman Jace Radke says medical staff will be there to see if people have symptoms and provide them with medical attention.
“This is an emergency,” he says. “People will always be critical. But the board is trying to ensure that people get the resources they need. “