Massachusetts Sets Up Regional Isolation & Recovery Sites at Hotels for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness

Post date
April 15, 2020

On April 13, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced that the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 Command Center and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) are setting up regional isolation and recovery sites located in hotels across the state. Currently there are sites in Pittsfield, Lexington, and Taunton with more coming on line in the days ahead. 

These locations are for individuals who:

  • Are homeless (people who normally sleep at a shelter, on the street, for whom home is unsafe due to violence, or who do not have a permanent address) AND
     
  • Who are COVID-19 positive OR have a medical provider’s note recommending isolation and can safely isolate without medical supervision.

These sites are for individuals who have mild or moderate symptoms and do not need hospital level of care or nursing facility level of care. Medical treatment is not provided on site. These locations cannot support individuals who need assistance with Activities of Daily Living or who need the level of care provided at a Skilled Nursing Facility.

For shelter providers located outside Boston please call 781-438-9254 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The intake coordinator will determine eligibility, register an individual for the program, and have the guest placed and transported to the nearest Isolation and Recovery location that has availability. 

To access sites located in Boston please call 617-534-5050.

Additional information on shelter resources:

DPH Guidance, April 3, 2020: