Members of the Miami Police Department handed out cans of mosquito repellent to the homeless Wednesday night as the fight against the spread of the Zika virus continues.
Police said informing the homeless population is important because they spend so much time outside. Zika is a threat to everyone, and Downtown Miami, where a lot of homeless spend their time, is so close to Wynwood and Miami Beach which have been declared areas where Zika has been detected.
"We are passing out 240 cans of Deet product today, also with literature in three languages, Creole, English and Spanish, to make sure that our homeless population, the most needy, who are more susceptible to mosquito bites, are protected and informed," said James Bernat, Senior Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police.
In addition to handing out repellent, Miami Beach Police said they placed half a dozen people in homeless shelters Wednesday night.
