Once an Angeleno, Always an Angeleno
Like many leaders in our country, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti – who is a fourth-generation Angeleno, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley – has made big decisions for his city to combat the spread of COVID-19. For instance, in late April, he was responsible for making Los Angeles the first major U.S. city to offer free coronavirus testing to its residents. “We’ve brought testing to communities of color, underserved neighborhoods, nursing homes, and manufacturing plants hit hard by this pandemic,” he says. “The more people we test, the more information we will have and the better able we will be to get this virus under control, protect public health, and save lives. That’s the bottom line.”
Garcetti’s team has also been hard at work fighting the virus through a contact-tracing program led by L.A. County, joined by nearly 300 City of Los Angeles employees. “This effort is founded on a simple premise and focused on a singular mission: identifying infections, getting ahead of outbreaks, tracking this pandemic, and stopping its spread,” Garcetti elaborates. “It will enable our public-health officials to know who’s tested positive for the virus and who has been in close contact with them, so we can prevent more people from getting sick and ensure more Angelenos stay healthy and safe.”
In order to best protect Angelenos, Garcetti remains alert and flexible. “We’re making decisions based on the latest data and guidance from public-health experts, and when we have to, we will quickly change course to save lives,” he says of his June 29 announcement where he put a “hard pause” on reopening movie theaters, concert venues, and other gathering places. This came a day after California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered bars to close in seven counties, including Los Angeles. (Bars were allowed to reopen in Los Angeles County on June 19.) “Our response and recovery are up to us. COVID-19 is taking control, and we need to take control back. We can do so by taking simple steps,” Garcetti adds. “Stay safer at home when you can, and don’t gather with anyone who doesn’t live with you. Keep practicing physical distancing. Wash your hands and sanitize surfaces. And wear a face covering any time you are near others. These straightforward actions are part of a system to keep you and our communities safe.”
On July 13, Newsom announced that all counties would close certain indoor operations, including restaurants, wineries, movie theaters, family entertainment centers, zoos, museums, and card rooms, and that bars would be required to close all operations. Additionally, counties on the state’s monitoring list (again, including L.A. County) would close additional indoor operations, including fitness centers, places of worship, noncritical offices, hair salons, barbershops, and malls.
Garcetti affirms that as challenging as this year has been, we are all in this together: “Progress is always hard. Even in this time of pain, anguish, and anger, this can be a moment of hope, opportunity, and change. And we can’t afford to waste it. The real, tough, necessary work happens away from the cameras, apart from the politics, and inside those moments when everyone understands that there’s only one way we’re going to get there – together. Together, we will move forward with strength. Look ahead with resilience and resolve. And lead with love.”
Writer: Grace Callahan
Editor: Eiko Watanabe
Special thanks to EPK Media (@myepk & @epkmedia - epkmedia.com)
