County officials hosted a roundtable Monday to provide the public with the latest information on the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer led the roundtable, alongside Zhang Ping, the consul general of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles.
“Nobody should assume that anyone of Asian descent is likely to have the novel coronavirus,” said Ferrer, in a news release. “Los Angeles County has only had one case of novel coronavirus in a traveler from Wuhan City, China, last month.”
The traveler has since been cleared from the virus, and is no longer under quarantine. According to Ferrer, there have been no additional cases in Los Angeles County, and the public’s risk of testing for the virus are low.
Only one Santa Clarita Valley resident — KHTS Radio co-owner Carl Goldman — has tested positive for the virus, but he is being treated in Nebraska. He contracted the virus while aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which docked off the coast of Japan early this month.
“There have been no additional cases in Los Angeles County and the immediate risk to the general public here is low,” Ferrer added.
“Participating in ongoing dialogue is critical to share accurate information about the latest efforts in Los Angeles County to protect our communities and to avoid any unnecessary repercussions,” Barger said in the release.
Concerns regarding the coronavirus have begun to impact residents, businesses, schools and health-care professionals throughout the county, according to Barger.
“At this point, our primary focus is restoring community confidence and dispelling misinformation,” Barger said on the Facebook livestream of the meeting.
