| (Aug. 1, 2021, 10:45 p.m.) -- On July 29, L.A. County's Dept. of Public Health released data indicating that in a recent week, COVID-19 cases among L.A County's homeless increased by 21% (July 19-26). We dolubt most of these trasients/vagrants routinely wear face masks or practice "social distancing."
The County acknowledges that while 1,066 providers are vaccinating homeless persons, of 45,950 doses administered to date fewer than half -- 20,188 -- are fully vaccinated. That's a de facto refusal rate -- among homeless persons taxpayers are spending large sums to try to help -- considerably higher than in the general population. Statewide over 60% of Californians are fully vaccinated. The City of Long Beach says over 70% of its adult population are vaccinated. The LA County data indicates roughly 44% of LA County homeless are vaccinated. That means an LA County homeless refusal rate of nearly 56%. It's politically incorrect but necessary to say that unvaccinated homeless persons have become a COVID-19 risk to themselves (with impacts on the health care system) and a spreader to others, both in their encampments and to those beyond. In our opinion, it's no longer acceptable to make excuses for homeless encampments that have always been a public nuisance but are now a pandemic public health incubator. And while Mayor Garcia Tweets insipidities, the fact is that salient COVID-19 conditions are worse in Long Beach than in L.A Couanty overall. See LBREPORT.com's front page COVID-19 dashboard. It shows that as of Aug. 1, the City of LB reported a seven day case rate and positivity test rate higher than L.A. County. What is the response of the City of Long Beach -- which has its own Health Dept. independent of LA County -- to the homeless aspect of this public health issue? On July 21, 2021 LB Health Human Services Director Kelly Colopy sent memo to City Manager Tom Modica for the Mayor and Councilmembers on transfering the Homeless Education and Response Team (HEART) from LBFD to her Health and Human Services Dept. Her memo doesn't even mention the words "vaccines" or "vaccinations." Instead Ms. Colopy says that beginning Aug. 2, her department will be prepared to "provide field-based outreach and engagement services and intensive case management functions within the City to people experiencing homelessness" with two full time equivalent Public Health Nurses." Consider the cliches offered in her memo as bullet points (listed verbatim below): |      |
