At an April 20 webcast briefing, Mayor Garcia said he believes Long Beach's current COVID-19 requirements are justified based on current conditions and said the City will follow Governor Newsom's lead in future measures to re-open CA. Garcia said Long Beach's actions will be guided by science and data not by "political pressure or...a group of folks holding signs on a corner."

Below is a salient transcript of Mayor Garcia's April 20 statements prepared by LBREPORT.com:

There are Health Orders and Guidelines right now about not gathering in parks and public spaces, about folks having face coverings when they're next to other people and so while I think all of us agree with everyone's first amendment rights we also will enforce and follow our Health Orders that we have put out in the City of Long Beach. And so what I would say is that individuals, anyone out there, we all have a right to give our opinions and to make how we feel known, but I would ask that every single person should be considering and think about the people, the workers in our hospitals, our nurses our paramedics, our firefighters, the doctors and the patients who are pleading with us to do the right thing and to stay at home and not cause further spread of COVID-19.

The sooner that we all follow the Safer at Home Orders, the sooner that we can all get back to and going back to a more normal economy that we all want to . And so groups of folks, and I saw of course what happened in Huntington Beach, that is not productive, that is not helpful, it is dangerous in my opinion when individuals were gathered in groups that way, and so I think that a vast majority of folks get it, I think that a vast majority of people in Long Beach understand the seriousness of the issue and I would ask people to be compassionate and think of others and not take actions that quite frankly in my opinion are shortsighted and dangerous...

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Commenting generally on the City;s current plan for restoring activities, Mayor Garcia said:

When we reopenour economy and go in that direction it will be done on the complete advice and really a process that's inclusive of our medical advice and the science that's at the end of the day the most important thing. I know that a lot of rush to open this and get something open as quick as possible and the truth is right now in California and as it relates to our Stay at Home Orders, to me the science and data is very clear: People continue to stay at home. Cases continue to rise. Hospitalizatiohs continue to increase. We continue to have folks out there that have not yet either been tested or that are not symptomatic and that are spreading the virus.

So our approach in Long Beach I think is in line with the Governor's approach and the approach we're taking across the County, which is the single most important factor is the health of the public and to ensure that our most vulnerable community, our seniors, folks with underlying medical conditions are not put in situation where they're hosptialized and could die in some case.

And so we are folowing the science and the data and knowing of course that people need to get back to work, and people need to survive and in many cases have an income and businesses, small businesses are suffering so we understand all of that which is why while we are guided by science and data we're coming up with the best ideas on how we reopen the economy using good science and data so when we are ready and when the Governor's frameowrk is in place for us to reopen California we do so in a way that is smart.

But, you know, we are in no way going to be pushed to reopen anything because of poltiical pressure or because, you know, a group of folks holding signs on a corner. That is not going to influence the science, the data and the medical advice that we're getting from our Health Dept, the County of Los Angeles Health Dept. and the state.

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Under LB's City Charter, Mayor Garcia doesn't set city policy; voted actions by a City Council majority set policy (subject to a Mayoral veto that 2/3 of the Council can override.) To date, LB Councilmembers haven't directed any COVID-19 actions inconsistent with public health orders directed by non-elected city management (i.e. LB's Health Officer.) (LB's City Charter says the Mayor "shall be recognized as head of City government for ceremonial purposes and "shall represent the City at large and utilize the office of Mayor to provide community leadership and as a focal point for the articulation of city-wide perspectives on municipal issues.")

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