There were calls last night for "proper support" services to be put in place for the homeless in Northern Ireland during the coronavirus crisis amid warnings there could be "a number of deaths".
A north Belfast homeless support worker said that without proper washing facilities as well as personal protection wear, including masks and gloves, those living on the streets, some of whom are high risk, will die.
Paul McCusker, founder of Homeless Aware, said the homeless community had been "forgotten about" during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr McCusker, an SDLP councillor, said the 20-30 rough sleepers in Belfast are "very concerned" about the virus.
"We have spent a lot of time giving them advice, trying to keep them safe," he said.
"We are being told to self-isolate but how can they when they have nowhere to go?
"They are concerned in case they do get it. A lot of these rough sleepers know people in hostels. In terms of transmission, it means it is going to be brought into hostels. They are already working at full capacity, if someone shows symptoms, they will struggle.
"There's been very little planning for homeless people around the coronavirus".
Mr McCusker said there were also concerns for hostel staff.
"Staff have been provided with very little PPE (Personal Protection Equipment)," he said.
"They are very frustrated about the lack of guidance around coronavirus. They feel they haven't been supported enough".
Mr McCusker said there had been examples of some homeless people being turned away from hostels and having to sleep rough.
"A lady presented at a hostel last week and she had a fever and a cough," he said.
"They couldn't take her she she had to sleep on the street for a number of nights until she was able to access her GP and it turned out to be a chest infection.
"It raised questions around people who are homeless and isolation. She should have been brought into an isolation room in a hostel which wasn't the case.
"When we are out we bring hand sanitizer but there is no real protection for rough sleepers. We need hygiene facilities provided on the street, access to hand washing even gloves and masks and also hand sanitizer. Protecting them is essential."
Both Sinn Féin and the Green Party also called for increased protections for the homeless community.
A spokeswoman for the Housing Executive said it was trying to "ensure resources are targeted at those in greatest need".
"The Housing Executive is doing everything it can to ensure people can access the necessary advice and support and to ensure temporary accommodation is made available if required," she said.
"In this current challenging and exceptional time, we are continuing to explore a number of potential alternatives for temporary accommodation. Plans are also being put in place to support those experiencing homelessness to self-isolate, if necessary".
