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Information for organizations serving people experiencing homelessness

Last content update: 12/2/24

ENGLISHESPAÑOL

Masks are required for patients, visitors, and staff in patient care areas of health care delivery facilities in Santa Clara County from November 1 through March 31.

The County’s Health Order Requiring Use of Face Masks in Patient Care Areas of Health Care Delivery Facilities During Designated Winter Respiratory Virus Period requires use of face masks in patient care areas of healthcare facilities from November 1 through March 31 of each year.

For more information, visit our Public Health Orders webpage.

Welcome, organizations serving people experiencing homelessness (PEH). The resources here are for shelter staff, administrators, outreach workers, and other service providers working with PEH to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

For health care professionals: This information does not apply to dedicated patient care areas within health care settings. Any health care workers who provide care in these settings should follow CDC's Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Healthcare Personnel During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic.

For employers: In the workplace, employers are subject to the Cal/OSHA's COVID-19 Prevention Non-Emergency Regulations or in some workplaces the Cal/OSHA Aerosol Transmissible Diseases (ATD) standard, and should consult those regulations for additional applicable requirements.

Disease reporting
Disease information
Guidance for COVID-19 isolation and quarantine
Guidance for management of Shigella infection
Additional resources

 

 Disease reporting

Reporting is an important part of public health response to diseases. It helps us detect and respond to outbreaks, identify exposures in high-risk settings, and allocate local resources. 

If you have questions regarding reporting or need to report a disease urgently, please call (408) 885-4214. The Communicable Disease (CD) program is also available through email at [email protected].

Note: Healthcare providers are required to report certain illnesses to the Public Health Department. For more information, see the Report infectious diseases webpage.

Table 1. Disease outbreak reporting recommendations for congregate shelters

Type of disease outbreakReporting recommendationReporting method
Gastrointestinal (GI) illness outbreak

When three or more individuals (residents or staff) have acute gastrointestinal illness* within a 72-hour period.

*Acute gastrointestinal illness is defined as vomiting and/or diarrhea (three or more loose stools in a 24-hour period) when symptoms have no other apparent cause. Additional symptoms may include nausea, abdominal discomfort/cramping, or fever.

Call (408) 885-4214
Respiratory illness outbreak

When 10% or more of the total population of residents and staff, facility-wide, have acute respiratory illness symptoms* and/or a positive test for an acute respiratory illness (including COVID-19) within a 3-day period.

*Acute respiratory illness is defined as new onset of two or more of the following symptoms: fever or chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, difficulty breathing, and body aches.

For COVID-19: Report online through the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). See SPOT Reporting Resources below.

For other respiratory illnesses: Call (408) 885-4214 

Scabies outbreakWhen there are at least 2 cases of suspected or confirmed scabies at a shelter during a six-week period.Call (408) 885-4214
Other diseases or outbreaksWhen there are occurrences of any unusual disease or outbreaks of any disease.Call (408) 885-4214
SPOT Reporting Resources

Reporting of COVID-19 is completed online through the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). Shelters that report COVID-19 cases by phone will be redirected to report the cases through SPOT.

SHARED PORTAL FOR OUTBREAK TRACKING (SPOT)

 

Disease information

 

Guidance for COVID-19 isolation and quarantine

Shelters and other congregate care facilities should follow the Public Health Department's COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for Congregate Care Settings.

 

Guidance for management of Shigella infection

 

1 - Report Suspected Shigella Cases 

  • Notify the Public Health Department at (408) 885-4214, ext. 3 if individuals with symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea in the last four weeks are identified in or around encampments or shelter settings.

2 - Support Access to Clean Water and Hygiene Supplies

  • Ensure adequate supply of clean water for drinking and handwashing.
  • Ensure adequate supply of hygiene items such as hand sanitizer, soap, paper towels, and safer sex supplies.
  • Encourage handwashing by increasing availability of handwashing stations and toileting facilities.
  • Distribute diapers, wipes, and gloves to individuals caring for children with diarrhea.
  • If providing food, follow food safety practices and CDC recommendations to prevent Shigella infection among food service workers.

3 - Prevent Spread of Infection Within Public Restrooms and Workplaces

  • Promote thorough hand washing.
    • Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating and drinking or preparing food, and after using the restroom, changing diapers, cleaning and/or touching soiled items.
    • Dry hands using disposable paper towels, not shared cloth towels.
    • Use hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) when you can’t use soap and water.
  • Consider posting handwashing signs in and around bathrooms.
  • Clean surfaces of visible soil, dirt, or debris before attempting to disinfect surfaces.
  • Disinfect surfaces using a bleach solution OR a cleaning agent that is EPA-approved to be effective enough to kill norovirus. Leave the cleaning agent on the surface for the amount of time recommended by the EPA.
    • To make a bleach solution, mix 1 gallon of water with 3/4 cup of concentrated bleach or 1 cup of regular strength (5.25%) bleach. Leave all surfaces wet for at least 5 minutes. Rinse all surfaces intended for food or mouth contact with water before use.
  • Clean and disinfect handwashing stations, toileting facilities, and high-contact surfaces (doorknobs, light switches, handrails, etc.) at least daily.
    • In the setting of more vomiting and diarrhea than usual or visible soiling, consider increasing frequency of cleaning and disinfection to multiple times per day.
  • Clean up spills of human waste (diarrhea, feces, or vomit) using appropriate protective equipment and absorbent materials, and discard appropriately. See full instructions under "Specific cleaning methods for human waste" below.

To request protective supplies such as masks, gowns, and gloves, email [email protected].

For any residents or staff identified with vomiting or diarrhea:

  1. Notify the Public Health Department at (408) 885-4214, ext. 3 of any individuals with symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea.
  2. Facilitate testing by providing a stool collection kit to the ill resident or staff. Kits can be dropped off and picked up by the Public Health Department upon request by calling (408) 885-4214, ext. 3.
  3. Isolate the ill resident and/or ensure use of a separate/dedicated bathroom, if possible.
  4. Ill staff should remain home while actively symptomatic and should not be allowed to prepare or handle food until testing results return.
  5. Promote thorough handwashing and consider posting handwashing signs in and around bathrooms.
  6. Follow workplace cleaning guidance (above).

To request protective supplies such as masks, gowns, and gloves, email [email protected]g.

When cleaning spills of diarrhea, vomit, or feces:

  1. Use personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, masks, and gowns to protect yourself and your clothes from contamination.
  2. If possible, block-off the area immediately.
  3. Clean up visible debris using disposable absorbent material (paper towels or other disposable cloths).
  4. Discard soiled items carefully in a sealed plastic bag.
  5. Liberally clean and disinfect area and objects surrounding the contamination with a bleach solution OR an EPA-approved cleaning agent that is effective enough to kill norovirus. Leave the cleaning agent on the surface for the amount of time recommended by the EPA.
    1. To make a bleach solution, mix 1 gallon of water with 3/4 cup of concentrated bleach or 1 cup of regular strength (5.25%) bleach. Leave all surfaces wet for at least 5 minutes. Rinse all surfaces intended for food or mouth contact with water before use.
  6. Take off gloves, gown, and mask, in that order, and discard before exiting contaminated clean-up area.
  7. Place discarded PPE in a sealed plastic bag.
  8. Re-glove and dispose of bag in a secure trash container; do not allow the bag to touch your clothing.
  9. Always wash your hands after handling any contaminated material, trash, or waste.

If you would like to request laminated copies of the educational materials listed above, please reach out to [email protected].

The Mobile Response Team may have limited availability to provide on-site Shigella outreach and education. If you would like to request on-site health education, please e-mail [email protected].

 

Additional resources