PASADENA, Calif.—At the March 6 council meeting, Pasadena City Council voted to adopt a resolution to terminate the local public health emergency. This action was recommended by Acting Director of Public Health Manuel Carmona and Interim Health Officer Dr. Eric G. Handler. With City Council’s adoption of the resolution, the COVID-19 local public health emergency in Pasadena ends effective immediately.
The local public health emergency enabled the City to mobilize staff to respond to the pandemic and access state and federal COVID-19 response and recovery resources such as testing, personal protective equipment, and vaccines. Similarly, the local emergency allowed the City to take local action to support Pasadena residents and businesses such as authorizing sidewalk and alley dining, enacting a moratorium on evictions, and providing access to free meals. City staff will assess potential impacts of ending the local emergency on City programs and services. Staff will present findings and related recommendations at the City Council meeting scheduled for March 27.
While the COVID-19 emergency response may be ending, Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) and local health partners are committed to providing continued COVID-19 services to those who live and work in Pasadena. PPHD will continue to monitor trends in COVID-19 data and publish updates through the COVID-19 data dashboard for 30 days following the end of the emergency.
Under California Health and Safety Code, the local health officer has the authority to issue guidance necessary to mitigate the impact of communicable diseases. PPHD staff will continue to closely monitor state and federal guidance to determine if any existing local requirements need to remain or if additional requirements will be necessary.
Public health guidance is available on the State of California’s COVID-19 resource webpage and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website. CDC recommends building your own personal COVID-19 plan and has published tools, information, and action steps that you can take in order to protect yourself, your family, and your friends against COVID-19.
“The end of the public health emergency comes as community spread of COVID-19 has decreased locally and statewide,” said Dr. Handler. “Despite these decreases, COVID-19 remains a threat to community health. In this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to communicate with your healthcare provider about any concerns or questions you have related to COVID-19. If you do not have a healthcare provider or are uninsured, there are resources available to assist, including 211 LA. Just dial 2-1-1 to find healthcare resources in LA County.”
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