The Health Department and the Mayor's Office giving mixed signals as Long Beach residents scramble for the COVID-19 vaccination.
The ink hasn't dried on Mayor Garcia's State of the City address but already residents are reporting that the mayor's vaccination promises aren't being kept.
Before a virtual audience of over 400 facebook viewers, Mayor Garcia pledged that "beginning next Tuesday we start vaccinating our Long Beach police officers and our grocery workers." The Mayor went so far as to call grocery workers "heroes" and offered them a $4 raise.
Sean Patrick Stidham, a food assembly worker, took the Mayor's pledge seriously and eagerly called the Long Beach Health Department to make an appointment. It wasn't far into the call before Sean learned that Mayor Garcia's promise didn't match the Health Department's calendar.
Sean was told that to make an appointment he would need to call back February 1st at 8AM. So much for being vaccinated in a few days. Thinking there was a misunderstanding, Sean reminded the Health Department of Mayor Garcia's pledge during his State of the City address. Sean recalls the Health Department employee telling him, "the Mayor never spoke to our department."
We reached out to the Mayor's office and have not received a response.
Sean is frustrated and says he and his 66 year old mother are still chasing the vaccine. A frontline food service worker, Sean suffers from asthma and his mother is a breast cancer survivor. Their age, area of work and underlying conditions make them eligible for the vaccine now.
But Sean and his mom aren't the only local residents chasing vaccinations promised by the Mayor. Facebook threads are growing with residents over 65 being told that the Health Department does not know when vaccinations will be available. This is alarming seeing that the Mayor was very clear on the date residents over 65 could be vaccinated. "Beginning January 23rd people 65 and above will also be able to be vaccinated at these same clinics," said the Mayor in Tuesday's State of the City address.
On the same thread, an 82 year old married couple were told that Memorial Care has no vaccines. The hospital said it would notify them when vaccines arrived. If you recall the Mayor said Tuesday, "Our clinics for residents 75 and over starts this Saturday." With the weekend only a day away this couple finds the availability of vaccinations far different from the promise made by Mayor Garcia during his State of the City address.
Tuesday the Mayor said, "while you are hearing and reading some real horror stories that happening across the state and the country, that is not happening in Long Beach."
Sean Patrick Stidham woke up today still searching for a vaccine in the city. He feels all the more let down because he helped to elect Mayor Garcia in his first bid for Mayor. "I went to college with the Mayor when he was our student body President at CSULB."
While residents struggle to find the vaccine in Long Beach, Mayor Garcia was vaccinated before a live audience yesterday. Wearing a CSULB athletic shirt, Mayor Garcia rolled up his sleeve to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While some are saying the mayor skipped the line ahead of more vulnerable and deserving groups, others believe his leadership encourages residents to vaccinate.
Questions still remain, however, are vaccines even available in the city?
According to Mayor Garcia, "I promise you that we will vaccinate every single person in our city who wants a vaccine."
During a pandemic, honest communication is as essential as healthcare, public safety and grocery workers. Mayor Garcia announced three days ago that "the State of the City is strong" and that his testing system was a "national model".
Long Beach residents could do without hyperbole. They'd settle for honesty, a vaccine and perhaps a bandaid.