KEY POINTS

  • Portable washing stations had been distributed and installed in some areas in Atlanta, GA
  • These areas where the portable washing stations were distributed has high density of homeless people
  • WHO and CDC had repeatedly placed an emphasis on hand washing amid COVID-19 outbreak

Portable washing stations were donated by Love Beyond Walls in Atlanta, GA to battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 or more commonly known as COVID-19’s outbreak was declared Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Jan. 30 by the World Health Organization. Since there is no cure, as well as vaccine —yet— for the said disease, the best way to prevent contracting the disease is to avoid being exposed to the said virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Where did the term coronavirus come from?
Where did the term coronavirus come from? geralt - pixabay

The biggest challenge every average community is currently facing is the lack of test kits for the COVID-19, so would they know if someone is already positive when not all carriers exhibit the symptoms of COVID-19 or what the experts call asymptomatic?

What everyone can do thus far is to take the necessary precaution to protect themselves from contracting the virus. CDC has emphasized the importance of taking steps in protecting one’s self by washing hands as often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially if a person has been to public place or after blowing his or her nose, sneezing or coughing.

coronavirus new continuous cough
coronavirus new continuous cough Andrea Piacquadio - pexels

Apparently, even the most basic precaution is hard for homeless people to undertake. That was the identified challenge in some areas in Atlanta, GA where there is high density of homeless people; hence, the initiative of Love Beyond Walls, together with rapper, Lecrae Moore, to distribute 15 wash stations to the aforesaid area.

Moore and the volunteers Love Beyond Walls loaded these 15 wash stations, which were filled with water and hand sanitizer, to a truck for distribution on Thursday, St. Albert Today reported.

Apart from the 10 gallons of water for each wash stations, the same was also loaded with soap, CBS News tweeted. In addition, Moore and the volunteers Love Beyond Walls also helped in installing them.

Here’s a video of the wash stations’ distribution and installation courtesy of CBS News.

Love Beyond Walls is an organization that helps the homeless and the poor by proving support, and one of its organizers, Terence Lester, came up with the idea for the hand washing stations last week, 11Alive reported.

In his statement, Lester reportedly wondered how homeless people would keep their hands clean. With the threat of COVID-19 at bay and the government’s aim to lessen the transmission of the same, it will be a challenge for the homeless people to have access to clean water.

Lester reportedly contacted RV manufacturers, who could use the technology that helps build portable washing stations.

To date, the organization was able to raise enough funds to create 20 more wash stations.

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