Manchester's rough sleepers are being urgently housed in hotels as public officials race to protect them from coronavirus. The council has commandeered hotels and other buildings to provide safe places for street homeless people to either stay indoors or self-isolate - in line with the national lockdown rules.
It has also purchased large amounts of hand sanitiser, which has been sent out across hostels and temporary accommodation, and is discouraging the few remaining soup kitchens from operating in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.
One source said the council was ‘working flat out’ to deal with the situation, but admitted there remain concerns about how to deal with those who have serious addiction problems, a lack of masks for