KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer has released a statement after receiving threats of violence against her and other public health officials across the country.
Ferrer made the public statement on Monday following a threat on a Facebook Live conference saying the public health director should be shot.
“COVID-19 has upended thousands and thousands of lives all across the nation. The virus has changed our world as we know it, and people are angry,” Ferrer said.
As of Monday, 83,397 cases have been reported in Los Angeles County and 3,120 people have died from coronavirus.
“We mourn every single one of those deaths, and we are working tirelessly to slow the spread of COVID-19 and find good solutions for the future of our communities,” Ferrer said. And while the devastation experienced by so many is heartbreaking, it is also disheartening that an increasing number of public health officials, across the country—myself included—are threatened with violence on a regular basis.”
In my case, the death threats started last month, during a COVID-19 Facebook Live public briefing when someone very casually suggested that I should be shot, Ferrer said.
“I didn’t immediately see the message, but my husband did, my children did, and so did my colleagues,” she said. “One reason I handle these briefings myself is to shield the extraordinary team at L.A. County Public Health from these attacks which have been going on, via emails, public postings, and letters—since March.”
It is deeply worrisome to imagine that our hardworking infectious disease physicians, nurses, epidemiologists and environmental health specialists or any of our other team members would have to face this level of hatred, the public health director said.
“Our job and our calling is to keep as many people as safe as possible during this pandemic,” Ferrer said. “We did not create this virus. We come into work every single day prepared to do our very best, prepared to work with everyone, with all of our partners, to try to continue to contain this pandemic and to try to continue to minimize the loss of life. And while frustration boils over in our communities as people are done with this virus, this virus is not done with us.”
This statement on threats comes at the heels of the resignation of neighboring Orange County Public Health Director Dr. Nichole Quick after death threats due to the mask order.
“As public health officials, we try hard not to be influenced by partisan politics or public sentiment – we must follow the science in order to save lives. And the science says if we don’t change the way we go about our daily routines, we could pay for it with our lives or the lives of others around us. Change is hard, but we must change if we want to contain this virus,” Ferrer said.
Face coverings must be worn because they help to stop the spread of the virus. I recognize there is a lot of pushback from people not wanting to wear face coverings—when wearing a seatbelt was made mandatory in California there was a lot of pushback, too, the public health director said.
“But the data proves that seatbelts save lives, and the data also proves that wearing a face covering will help stop transmission of COVID-19, which will save lives,” Ferrer said. “And that’s what drives public health officials and is our passion: saving lives.”
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Seriously, what is wrong with people threatening the lives of public health officials during a worldwide pandemic? Dr. Ferrer, like most public health officials, is doing her best to keep us informed and educated during this very trying time. To react with threats whether directly or in veiled social media posts is truly an act of cowardice. These officials are here to present the facts, not opinion. To all those who deny or fear scientific and medical information/data, go back into the ‘stone age’ and leave the future to those of us who are willing and able to embrace progress.
It really is simple folks: wear a mask when out in public, practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently and limit your exposure to others as much as possible. This is our new “normal” for now, not permanently, but for now. This virus doesn’t care what political party you identify with and wearing a mask is NOT a sign of weakness or fear; it is COMMON SENSE. Over a lifetime, wearing a mask is a temporary inconvenience, but respect of others and common sense is not.
We wonder if the foolish idiots who are frustrated with what BLM mobs have done across the US, heard your Liberal “explaining away” excuses why blacks have a higher incidence of contracting COVD, and not telling the real facts about behavior/lifestyles of blacks—when we keep hearing Liberals excusing the behaviors of blacks, people get frustrated in view of what’s going on and the cause!
I believe that public is confused because for months you have said to wear a bandana or cloth covering. As I care so deeply for my community, I believe that you have never really been convincing or had a great argument with the one layer mask. Additionally, Dr. Faucci recently confessed to misleading the public, with the idea of trying to save the medical community due to the real-time storage we are having with PPE. I believe real leadership looks a little clearer than the mixed and very late response to the mask situation. Trust me I support you! The public intimidation isn’t just aimed at you, but many of us choose to wear a mask in public!~Many are angry and don’t believe you!
This is really sad to hear. Other people have been socially pressuring take syrup off the shelf it’s offensive, to take rice off the shelf it’s offensive and now we can’t hear from Public Health people? It’s a shame. People act that being quarantined in their homes for approximately 3 months and now masks are required in public places. So they are trying to save lives It’s that the part you the public don’t want to hear because it’s bad? People are dying and the attitude that”it doesn’t effect me” will bite you in the ass. My ex husband died from this and it’s very hard on the family because we couldn’t be there with him. That’s a whole different conversation. Just do what you’re told to do before we all must be quarantined again and you’ll have no one to blame other than yourself. Anyone who threatens a person like that should be arrested.