Authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada have been branded 'barbaric' after making homeless people sleep on the floor in a carpark while hotels and casinos sit empty.
The city has painted 'social distancing barriers' on the ground, which rough sleepers are expected to sleep in, after one of the main shelters in the area was shut down.
A man had tested positive for Covid-19 while using the Catholic Charities' shelter, which is one of the most popular in the city, forcing it to close down, as reported by CNN.
Around 500 homeless people were left with nowhere to go as the other main shelter, the Courtyard Homeless Resource Centre, was full.
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The new 'shelter' initially had 24,000 square feet of carpet, which was being used for sleeping mats, but it was soon removed, meaning 117 people had to sleep on the concrete floor, with the painted lines making sure they stay six feet apart.
The carpet was removed as it was too difficult to disinfect.
David Riggleman, communications director for the City of Las Vegas, told the news outlet: "We found that it was very difficult to disinfect and clean. We had asked for sleeping mats, which we use at the Courtyard, and those can be disinfected easily. But there were none to be had."
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People who saw the photos on social media branded the move 'sickening'.
Another Twitter user responded: "This country is a failed state. Images like this will be in history books showing what the collapse of the U.S. looked like and how citizens ignored the images until it was too late. A level of dystopian beyond any Hollywood has shown us."
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Someone else commented: "Images like this will be in history book chapters on late capitalism."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Coronavirus, US News
