Motel rooms available for homeless, marginalized people who need place to self-isolate in Thunder Bay, Ont.

People in Thunder Bay, Ont., who need a place to self-isolate,  but whose only option is an emergency shelter, will have a new place to stay in the coming days.

The rooms, funded by the provincial government, will be distributed by the DSSAB, and after hours, by staff at the Salvation Army.

"We just felt that that was the best way to at least deal with this initially, rather than looking at having a more congregate type of area, like a community centre or an arena,"  said Bill Bradica, the chief administrative officer of the DSSAB.

Bradica said shelters in the city have decreased their capacity, meaning people without a home may not have a place to go.

"For those people who are homeless, the shelters are at capacity, we've also secured rooms to put up those people as well," he said.

"One of the hotels will be specific to people who have been discharged from a medical facility, who have been told to self -isolate, not because they've had COVID-19, but because they've been in the hospital."

Bradica said the DSSAB is also offering child care for essential workers at sites in Thunder Bay and Geraldton.

Ontario Works clients, he said, have also seen some rules change on the required paperwork, and a $50 increase to discretionary funds for items like cleaning supplies, or personal protective equipment.

Bradica said the DSSAB has fulfilled more than 1,000 requests for the $50 Ontario Works payment to date.