Communication problems hindered L.A.’s emergency COVID-19 response, report finds

A review of Los Angeles’ emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic found that Mayor Eric Garcetti and his team excluded city departments when making decisions, resulting in an “uncoordinated and inefficient” operation. Asked about the report, Jeff Gorell, a former deputy mayor under Garcetti, said the mayor’s “swift, decisive action at the beginning of the pandemic saved lives.” He also pointed to the city’s testing and vaccination programs, adding that “we did not hesitate to cut through bureaucracy.” “As we reflect on lessons learned, I think all of us should look back with humility and pride in the way EMD and all of our departments have come together to lead L.A. through this crisis,” Gorell said. The draft report covered the start of the pandemic until April 2021 and focused only on the city’s emergency management system, which includes the “structures in place to support and enable field operations, programs, and service.” While the EMD was tasked with leading the pandemic response, Garcetti also took a lead role, which was within his rights, but not anticipated by the EMD. Mayor’s office staff told the researchers that they thought of the mayor’s office as the “de facto health department for the city of Los Angeles.” While the mayor’s office staff felt that by “being decisive and swift they were considerately reducing the burden” on other agencies, some emergency responders interpreted that as a desire to take credit and “the lack of transparency exposed the mayor’s office to some criticism and speculation.” The report was budgeted at $156,000, and the contract is now being amended, Kellogg said.