Pasadena City Hall dome (Photo – ColoradoBlvd.net).
Pasadena’s Public Health Director, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, requested a revision to the COVID-19 County Variance Attestation Form to allow Pasadena’s Health Department to control reopening.
By Kate Bartlett
On May 18, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom described the criteria for California counties to re-open faster than the state by applying for a variance. Up to that time, all of California was subject to State guidelines and local control was applicable only to imposing stricter rules than the guidelines.
The variance process announced by Governor Newsome is a means for counties to move more rapidly through the reopening phases. In particular, moving more rapidly through Phase 2 reopening would mean the reopening of such businesses as dine-in restaurants, in-store retail, office-based workplaces and manufacturing and logistics industries supporting retail.
Because it has its own Public Health Department, “Pasadena is well-prepared to develop, promulgate and administer regulations that would allow reopening according to its local health indicators as well as its economic and social needs,” according to a press release from the Pasadena Public Information Office.
Request not considered
Pasadena submitted a variance request, but it was informed by the California Department of Public Health that the request would not be considered because only requests from counties are considered.
Dr. Goh stated:
We are capable and confident of insuring adherence to all state requirements. We believe it is important to provide the latitude to exercise our local authority that the Governor has conferred by his Executive Order. Therefore, we are respectfully requesting revisions to the COVID-19 County Variance Attestation Form be made to allow for local control.
Absent a revision to the variance request form by the State, Pasadena and Long Beach are locked into whatever L.A. County decides even though each city has its own Public Health Department.
Thank you Ms. Bartlett for the article.
I had been digging into COVID-19 numbers. It was astounding to find out that of 79 death. Only 9 death were outside of nursing home. Not only that Median Age of 79 dead was 84. Basically half the people who passed away were in their late stage of life.
In conjunction, there were close to 700 death caused by top 10 cause of death in Pasadena. Likelihood is that Pasadena is experiencing less death than normal, is my guess.
But it was comforting that Dr. Goh in fact made extra effort to bring control of the local business down to the city level which I hope was in an effort to open them back up locally.
We are in lock down and people of the city are now running into dire living situation for 9 death. This is beyond disturbing. This is treachery by the government. This is inexcusable action.
Jonathan Kim