City Council to Pass Resolution Declaring Coronavirus Health Emergency

The Pasadena City Council is set to pass a resolution Monday ratifying the City Health Officer’s earlier declaration of a local health emergency in response the Coronavirus.

There resolution claims there “is an imminent and proximate threat of the introduction of COVID-19 in the city of Pasadena and a threat to the public health of city residents,”

“CDC response guidance to local health departments, including the City of Pasadena Public Health Department (“PPHD”), requires extraordinary efforts to monitor and manage ongoing COVID-19 risk including monitoring individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19. As of March 4, 2020, there were 100 cases in the United States including ten deaths. There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pasadena,” according to a city staff report.

On Wednesday, March 4, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Pasadena’s Public Health Director and Health Officer, declared the local emergency, the same day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health declared health emergencies related to COVID-19.

Under the California Health and Safety Code, the City Council is required to ratify a local health emergency if it is to be in effect longer than seven days, and to review the need for continuing the local health emergency at least every 30 days, until the local health emergency is terminated. \

Declaring a local health emergency allows the \city to more effectively respond to any imminent and proximate threat of a contagious, infectious, or communicable disease, such as COVID-19. The declaration, once ratified, empowers the city to coordinate with partner agencies, seek and utilize mutual aid, and pursue potential federal and state reimbursement for costs related to the response efforts, an Agenda Report for Monday’s City Council meeting said.

The declaration should ensure that the City’s health professionals and other stakeholders “have all the necessary tools at their disposal.”

“We are working in partnership with City staff across departments, local healthcare providers, and county, state and federal agencies, daily,” Goh said. “We have confidence in our community’s medical system of care, and in our partnership with our healthcare providers.”

In its latest COVID-19 advisory Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said they were investigating two additional cases of the virus in the county, as of Sunday morning there are 13 known cases of the virus in LA County.

Of the new cases, one is an additional positive case that was part of a group of travelers who were in Northern Italy, the advisory said. The other is a person who was working as a screener at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) quarantine station and has a link to the previously reported case that was most likely exposed by an infected traveler at the same location.

The county public health department said they are identifying persons who may have had close personal contact with these individuals, including any friends, family members or health care professionals.

“All confirmed cases are being isolated and close contacts will be quarantined,” the advisory said. “There are no known public exposure locations.”