Up to 61 kids are getting COVID-19 treatment between the migrant shelters situated at Long Beach Convention Center and Fairplex. The shelter in the City of Long Beach recorded 47 COVID-19-positive cases from the 710 children without legal guardians, whereas Pomona saw 14 cases from 216 kids. The kids who tested COVID-19-positive are isolated from the others, and 10 more joined them in the city of Long Beach.
The kids have very mild COVID-19 symptoms or do not have symptoms, the Health Department’s Zhan Caplan told City News Service. The kids are receiving quality care from the provider UCLA Health, Caplan added.
The convention center started to take in the kids found at the Mexico-United States border this April. On the other hand, Fairplex let its first set of kids stay there on International Workers’ Day.
Both shelters faced resistance when protestors damaged the convention center following the announcement of their plan to hold the kids. There was red paint on the aisleways and steps, in addition to vandalistic messages on the walls.
Both are likely to be only temporary shelters, as Long Beach’s agreement is set to end this August and the centers plan a reunion for the kids with their families.
Describing the unaccompanied immigrants found along the Mexico-US border as ‘sibling pairs’, Mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia stated that family reunion must be a top priority. Garcia also said that the children deserve our love, care and support, and that there would be work to quickly reunite them with their relatives.