Addiction battle unabated in Kensington during virus lockdown

Your neighborhood has probably changed a bit amid the pandemic. But there's one place that looks the exact same, and that's Kensington. As our Hank Flynn found out, people there are fighting a different battle – addiction.

KENSINGTON - Long before the coronavirus pandemic shuttered businesses and isolated people to their homes, Kensington was at the forefront of the nation's heroin epidemic.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the Bridesburg neighborhood ravaged by drug addiction and poverty is forced to fight two battles simultaneously.

During a time when so much emphasis has been placed on social distancing, FOX 29's Hank Flynn says the streets of Kensington are overcrowded. People with a heroin addiction can be seen in small clusters.

“Because they’re so caught up in their own microcosm of addiction, so caught up in chasing that next bag, that we’re just, everything else - even coronavirus - is a little mute because of that," Robert McMillan said.

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Flynn also talked to Michael, a man born and raised in the Kensington neighborhood, who says he is not planning on leaving the area. He’s a recovering addict, so he’s experienced the impact drugs have on lives.

“People sleep in these streets every day, every day. They sleep, there’s gunshots every day. Someone’s getting robbed, someone’s getting stuck up, it’s bad. And no one in their right mind would want to stay out here in the chaos,” Michael said.

The City Manager's Office was not available to comment on Kensington's struggle to juggle two unfortunate circumstances. Meanwhile, healthcare professionals think Kensington's neglect of social distancing could come at a detriment to several.

“Could a neighborhood that doesn’t observe social distancing for whatever reason, could they be a nexus for spreading the virus once everything calms down in our nation? The answer is probably yes,” Dr. Simone explained.

FULL COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS

As major cities on the East coast continue to grapple with the COVID-19 outbreaks, flyover states are beginning to see the virus flare-up. Plain State Governors thought a less dense populations didn't require a total shutdown.

But what is true in the middle of the country, is true in packed quarters like Philadelphia - and more directly - Kensington: The virus only needs a small population to be a big problem.

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