More than 9.7 million Los Angeles County residents have not tested positive for COVID-19, yet have had their lives completely disrupted and put under enormous stress by overreaching and neverending Los Angeles County Public Health orders.
Churches, schools and businesses have been closed for almost seven months. The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services released a PowerPoint presentation titled, “Los Angeles County COVID-19 Hospital Demand Projections.”
They predicted 2.9 million infections by August if physical distancing guidelines were maintained, and 9.5 million if restrictions were reduced. covid19.lacounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/04.10.20-Daily-Briefing.pdf.
It’s October and we have had 272,822 positive COVID-19 tests.
In this same report, they claimed “there remains substantial risk that the need for hospital services will exceed system capacity.”
This prediction was proven false as hospital services in Los Angeles County have been readily available throughout the pandemic.
On June 29, when it was abundantly clear that their projection model was catastrophically incorrect, they doubled down. The L.A. Times reported this: “Los Angeles County health officials issued a dire warning Monday…sudden jumps in disease transmission have the potential to overwhelm hospitals.”
This is how our government has stretched “15 Days to Slow the Spread” into months of no employment for the “unessential,” no church for the religious, and no school for children and youth.
In the meantime: In May, a family I know lost their 27-year-old daughter to cancer. Her last agonizing days were spent alone in a cold, impersonal hospital room separated by plexiglass from her husband and denied the comfort of her mother and father who were not allowed to visit. No funeral was permitted.
Also in May, my 90-year-old uncle died. Husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather — hundreds wanted to pay their respects in the reverent atmosphere of his beloved church. Only a very small graveside service was allowed. For context, this was around the time that the maskless Eric Garcetti went out shoulder to shoulder with thousands to protest the death of George Floyd — who was allowed at least three indoor funerals.
In May and June, millions of L.A.’s youth and their families were robbed of the recognition and celebration of years of hard work when their graduations were canceled. Final sports seasons and championship games, music performances, proms, award nights, final months with friends and teachers — all gone.
Instead, our healthy young people were made sick by being locked in their homes for months on end. On July 17, a 17-year-old boy walked in front of a semi on Interstate 405, one of the many suicides that have occurred.
It is now October, and once again — like the boy who cried “wolf!” — our Public Health officials are proclaiming, “It’s not safe! Cases are rising! Hospitals may be overwhelmed!”
The truth is, cases and hospitalizations are way down and continue to decline. Remember, “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We do not tolerate autocrats in America. This blatant power grab must be stopped.
Every man, woman and child in Los Angeles County is being unnecessarily controlled and many more have been harmed by the government’s actions than from COVID-19. And the poor, the disabled, and the disadvantaged have suffered the most of all. It’s time to end the reign of Drs. Barbara Ferrer, Christina Ghaly and Roger Lewis, and restore freedom to Los Angeles.
Rebecca Gugler
Stevenson Ranch
