Introduction:

The expansion of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in new territories represents great challenge for public health in the world, especially for countries like Brazil, due to its wide territorial extensions and regional inequalities.

Objectives:

To describe, during the pandemic, the COVID-19 outbreak in homeless people in inner Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Methods:

A descriptive study on COVID-19 outbreak was carried out in inner Mato Grosso state. The data were collected from the documentary records of the municipal epidemiological investigation, in line with the Unified Health System.

Results:

From the index case, a person living on the street who was transferred to the municipal shelter in Tangará da Serra, Mato Grosso. Forty seven (47) people got infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and they were confirmed by serological tests and / or molecular: (i) in the shelter: 8 homeless people and 5 employees; (ii) contact with the employees' home: 3 family members; (iii) in the hospital unit: 19 professionals and 6 patients in the intensive care unit.

Conclusions:

The lack of individual protection was a critical factor for SARS-CoV-2 infection in the index case and it spreads in the shelter due to the involvement of domestic contacts. In addition to professionals in the hospital environment, where the outbreak occurred due to structural factors, the lack of adequate personal protection equipment and the lack of careful adoption of biosecurity.

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