Homeless people from Košice and the surrounding area with suspicion of COVID-19 can spend quarantine in new container houses in the Oáza refuge in Bernátovce. The project was created under the auspices of the Košice self-governing region. The Slovak Training Academy also helped with the interior furnishing of the dwelling.
The coronavirus does not avoid the homeless either. But how to ensure that they do not spread the disease and do not endanger the public? The Košice self-governing region has built 14 container houses in the Oáza shelter, which will help isolate infected homeless people from the others. “God forbid to pay for everything, it will help people. Every crown, every penny is good for us. We see that we can help each other. In a situation where the disease attacks, we must be close and know how to encourage and help each other, “says priest Peter Gombita. The crisis center takes care of almost 300 homeless people and other people who find themselves in an unfavorable life situation. The regional self-government took care of the construction of temporary dwellings as well as their interior design. “Containers will serve to reduce the risk of endangering public health. We will also test them for coronavirus in these areas, “says Karolína Bortáková, head of the KSK social department. A private training center for STA helicopter pilots, which provided bed mattresses, also provided a helping hand in the implementation of the project. “It’s a big deal, because the most expensive item when buying interior equipment was the mattress. Paradoxically, mattresses are more expensive than beds. We, as well as the public, were spared considerable funds, “adds Bortáková. The managing director of the Slovak Training Academy, Lukáš Halás, is convinced that helping each other is necessary not only during the holidays. “Mattresses for homeless people are only a small part of the whole mosaic of this project, but we are glad that we can help in this way as well. We are interested in people from the region in which we operate, which is why we will try to support similar charitable projects in the future, “says Halás.
The container houses in Bernátovce will be officially handed over for use by the chairman of the Košice self-governing region, Rastislav Trnka, on Friday 18 December.