With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA County And Local Cities Declare Public Health Emergency Over Coronavirus
LA County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer speaks at a press conference Wednesday at which county officials announced they were declaring a local public health emergency. (Robert Garrova/LAist)
()
Six new cases of coronavirus infection have been identified in the last 48 hours in Los Angeles County, prompting county leaders to declare a local public health emergency.
All six new cases were assumed to be linked to someone known to have been exposed, which means officials are still not aware of any community transmission in the county, L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said at a mid-morning press conference. Officials would not say precisely where the cases occurred within the county.
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the declaration was being made out of an abundance of caution. The declaration allows the county to coordinate with local partners.
To prepare, the county is increasing its capacity for testing at local labs, and people who test positive will be monitored, Ferrer said.
Support for LAist comes from
Meanwhile, Pasadena and Long Beach, both of which have their own health departments, have also declared local emergencies.
City of Pasadena Public Health Officer Dr. Ying-Ying Goh has declared a Local Public Health Emergency to empower us to more effectively respond to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). There are currently NO CONFIRMED CASES of COVID-19 in #Pasadena: https://t.co/DwMaDrBz7K
— City of Pasadena (@PasadenaGov) March 4, 2020
Today, @LongBeachCity declared local health and city emergencies to strengthen the City’s preparedness and ability to respond to #COVID19 (#Coronavirus). These declarations must be ratified within seven days by the City Council.
— City of Long Beach (@LongBeachCity) March 4, 2020
Read more. ➡️ https://t.co/dPaeD0nLiJ pic.twitter.com/GLZkPyKCot
Orange County officials declared their own local health emergency last week after one case of the disease, now dubbed COVID-19, was confirmed. Officials there said they did so to be able to respond to any further cases "in a nimble and flexible way."
Supervisor Barger: LA declaring local and local public health emergency. Says this is out of an abundance of caution. Will allow county to coordinate with local partners. Some context here: https://t.co/Kr35yI3BB5 @kpcc @laist pic.twitter.com/Xgl5XfaFSe
— Robert Garrova (@robertgarrova) March 4, 2020
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead. -
The program is for customers in communities that may not be able to afford turf removal or water-saving upgrades. -
More than half of sales through September have been to corporate developers. Grassroots community efforts continue to work to combat the trend.
Best of LAist