Hiway 80 Rescue Mission programmer Leo “Spike” Lee, right, takes Derrick Bennett’s temperature Wednesday, March 18, 2020, before allowing him to check in for the night at the mission. (Les Hassell/News-Journal Photo)

Two Longview homeless shelters have stepped up sanitary efforts amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and are limiting close personal contact, while a day center that benefits the homeless population has altered its services.

Measures include checking the temperatures of new arrivals and banning access to volunteers for now at Hiway 80 Rescue Mission, Executive Director Brian Livingston said. The men’s shelter is at 3117 W. Marshall Ave. and the women’s shelter is at 3004 W. Marshall.

“We’ve had a couple of people with low-grade fevers, barely over 100 (degrees),” Livingston said. He said anyone who is seriously ill is taken to a hospital.

The Salvation Army also has tried to reduce close personal contact, Capt. Nick Hutchinson said. He said Sunday services and Bible studies that had taken place in the church building at 504 E. Cotton St. are now streamed on Facebook.

He said the soup kitchen that served at 6 p.m. daily at the shelter at 519 E. Cotton St. is now takeout only for people not staying in the shelter. Salvation Army staff advises overnight guests eating in the cafeteria when the soup kitchen operates to keep a distance of 6 feet or more from anyone else.

Hutchinson said clients must make appointments to use the social services office, which is open at the shelter from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday. The office provides services such as utility assistance and the food pantry.

“That way we don’t have folks just sitting the lobby,” Hutchinson said.

He said the drop-in center in the church building has been closed since a week ago Friday and will stay closed for at least two weeks. The drop-in center, which had been open three days a week, has offered a computer lab, movies, games, snacks and lunch.

Both the Salvation Army and Hiway 80 have increased cleaning.

“Our staff is on high alert,” Hutchinson said. “They are taking extra measures to make sure tables are sanitized.”

Measures taken at Hiway 80 now include changing and washing linens daily, Livingston said. He said staff previously changed sheets once a week or as needed.

“We have increased our cleaning schedules” to at least once a day, Livingston said. Items to be cleaned daily include door handles, floors and tables.

Livingston said bunks also are positioned so that heads do not bump up against each other when people are sleeping.

Both Livingston and Hutchinson said the occupancy rates at their shelters on Wednesday were below capacity, perhaps because of warmer weather. Hutchinson said guests might have left after receiving their tax refunds.

The Salvation Army shelter has a capacity for 54 people, while Hiway 80 has 120 beds for men and 80 beds in the women’s shelter for women and children.

“We’ve gotten a little bit spacier where we can spread folks out,” Livingston said.

Newgate Mission, which operates a day center at 207 S. Mobberly Ave., has taken measures for the time being to prevent to spread of the new coronavirus, Executive Director Hollie Bruce said in a statement.

They include suspending morning doughnuts, devotions and transportation; canceling Sunday services; and closing the front office until further notice, Bruce said. The Social Services Annex has cut back hours to 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursdays for showers and mail access, with only two clients allowed in at a time.

Bruce said meals will be provided for takeout, and recipients are to come to the side door on Oden Street.

She said staff and volunteers are advised to stay home if they are sick.

House of Hope, which operates a women’s shelter at 3011 W. Marshall Ave., was unavailable for comment.