Mayor: City Need Not Panic Over Coronavirus Fears

Mayor Terry Tornek sought to reassure Pasadenans on Wednesday that the city is taking the threat of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) seriously and is prepared if a case should be identified in the city – but he stressed, “We need also not to panic and blow it completely out of proportion.’’

Though there are no known cases of the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus in Pasadena, Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, the city’s director of public health, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. Reportedly, there have been at least seven cases of the virus in Southern California, with six new cases revealed in L.A. County in the last 48 hours.

Tornek’s comments to Pasadena Now came shortly after Goh’s declaration.

“We declared a public emergency, a public health emergency, because L.A. County did, and we need to be in sync with the county,’’ Tornek said.

“We think we are prepared, we know that the (city) Health Department is in active discussions with the county and others. Dr. Goh is very wired into this whole process. Huntington (Hospital) is very well-prepared.”

“This is not something that we’re nonchalant-ing, but it’s also not something to get completely freaked out about.’’

Tornek also said the coronavirus issue will be Item 1 on the agenda at Monday night’s City Council meeting, with “a discussion by Dr. Goh and Huntington Hospital, so people can get better informed about the sort of do’s and don’ts.’’

While Goh on Wednesday said “there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pasadena,” Tornek said he would be surprised if the virus didn’t touch the city in some way.

“I think we’re pretty confident that there are probably cases, if not in Pasadena, at least in the San Gabriel Valley,’’ Tornek said. “There just hasn’t been enough testing, really, to determine definitively that’s it’s here.

“But it would be surprising if we don’t get any cases, frankly.’’

Tornek stressed that some carriers of COVID-19 will face only minor symptoms, or none at all – with the severest threat coming to vulnerable populations such as seniors or people with chronic lung conditions.

“Some people remain asymptomatic, they don’t even know that they had it,’’ Tornek said. “For some people, they’ll feel like they had a cold or a mild case of the flu.’’

The mayor said while people should be aware of protocols to guard against the spread of the virus, social media have fanned some overreactions – including some shelves in the city being emptied of supplies, in the manner that people brace for an oncoming hurricane.

“People need to be aware and they need to wash their hands and maybe not handshake so much and try not to touch their faces all the time, but it’s not something to get completely nuts about,’’ Tornek said.

“I’m afraid that the megaphone of social media and the pictures of people in health institutions in their moon suits or whatever those are called, the haz-mat gear, has got people really agitated and stirred up.”

“So we’re taking it seriously, but we’re asking people not to panic and not get completely carried away.’’

According to Goh, the city’s declaration of a health emergency “is part of an ongoing response, and will empower the city to more effectively respond to COVID-19 and prepare for community spread of the virus, maintain coordination with our partners, including the Los Angeles County and Long Beach Health Departments, seek and utilize mutual aid, potentially obtain reimbursement, and ensure that the city’s health professionals and other local stakeholders have all the necessary tools at their disposal.’’

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