Omicron leads to changes at agencies serving LGBTQ elders

ebar.com:

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 was certainly not what anyone wanted — especially for LGBTQ seniors and the agencies serving them, beleaguered after two years of constant adjustment to the pandemic's challenges.A year ago, when the Bay Area Reporter published a series of articles on various issues of import to LGBTQ seniors — including the loneliness that comes with social distancing, getting needed services to the vulnerable, and housing, the nation was optimistic that the roll-out of vaccines would bring a return to living like it's 2019.

Now, policymakers are playing catch-up as new variants emerge the world over that are more likely to cause breakthrough infections.The more laissez-faire approach that the federal government is taking to the pandemic in the post-vaccine world — as well as the record number of cases caused by Omicron that started in late November and continues disrupting the workforce nationwide — is leaving local nonprofits and agencies to figure out for themselves how to respond and stay as safe as possible.

Kathleen Sullivan, Ph.D., a lesbian who is the executive director of the LGBTQ senior housing and community services agency Openhouse, told the B.A.R.

that "we haven't had — fortunately — too many" cases among staff."We have really stringent guidelines in the office, and Safer Together provides us with free testing on-site, on-demand for staff," Sullivan said.