City Reports Two COVID-19 Deaths on Thursday

Pasadena city officials reported two local deaths and six additional cases of the Coronavirus on Thursday, increasing the local fatalities to 79 and cases to 790.

The numbers came one day after the state’s public health department turned down a variance request from the city’s health department that would have allowed Pasadena to control its reopening process.

Pasadena has been required to follow the state’s guidelines and the only local control was the ability to have stricter guidelines, but not guidelines more liberal, than the state’s order.

The governor signaled a change in course with the possibility that local health jurisdictions have some control over the re-opening process.

Specifically, the Governor indicated that local health jurisdictions may apply for a “variance” to Stage Two re-opening requirements. If a variance was granted a local jurisdiction could, for example, reopen restaurants or allow drive-through graduations, provided certain criteria were met.

Only four cities in California have their own health departments — Pasadena, Long Beach, Berkeley and Vernon.

The city has been informed the California Department of Public Health will not consider Pasadena’s variance request and will only consider such requests from counties, despite what the Governor has said.

This will leave Pasadena and Long Beach locked into whatever LA County decides.

Earlier this week, the county targeted July 4 as a reopening date.