Garcia Reiterates Sense of Urgency, Alarm

SACRAMENTO —On the heels of Gov.Newsom asking Imperial County to reinstitute their stay-at-home orders on Friday, Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, underscored the sense of urgency facing residents.

The stay-at-home announcement comes after the California Department of Public Health’s active coordination with County officials and the close monitoring of the County’s increasing coronavirus (COVID-19) positivity rate as well as hospital and testing capacity.

“The situation in Imperial County is alarming, and we need to be doing a lot more to address the sustained surge of COVID-19 cases,” Garcia said in a statement. “These stakes come at a high human cost. We need to get everyone on board and ramp up our mitigation efforts, medical capacity, as well as overall community awareness of the importance of testing and adhering to personal safety measures. We all must do our part to save lives. Staying home is certainly one of the most effective ways of keeping each other safe and slowing the spread of COVID-19.”

“I am grateful to the Governor and our California Department of Public Health for their active coordination with the County of Imperial – thus far, they have been very responsive to our concerns, and have committed to continue to provide us with additional resources to support our region’s emerging needs.”

“We must act with a sense of urgency. While Imperial County is currently being asked to take a step back, Riverside County remains highly monitored on the California Department of Public Health’s watch list of counties experiencing COVID-19 spikes. I implore community members to please get tested, practice physical distancing, use facial coverings, refrain from all nonessential outings, and take all other safety precautions.”

Garcia serves as the chairperson of the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. He represents the 56th district, which comprises the cities and communities of Blythe, Brawley, Bermuda Dunes, Calexico, Calipatria, Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, El Centro, Holtville, Imperial, Indio, Mecca, Oasis, North Shore, Salton Sea, Thermal, Thousand Palms, and Westmorland.