West Covina officials announced in a news release on Thursday, Dec. 10, that the city has engaged consultant and medical advisor Dr. P. Basil Vassantachart to assist in evaluating public health decisions and orders.
The West Covina City Council began exploring alternative methods to assist in making local health decisions at the beginning of the month, in response to Los Angeles County health officials’ management of the pandemic, including the decision to shut down outdoor dining.
Vassantachart’s background includes family medicine, multiple primary care management and experience in preventive medicine and industrial facilities. He formed a doctors group to manage Alhambra Community Hospital, according to the release.
“To better serve our community, we must look at options West Covina has in providing public health services and assisting state and county in fighting the pandemic. Dr. Vassantachart will be a vital part of determining the best path for our city,” said West Covina Mayor Tony Wu in the release.
City officials have been looking for alternatives to the guidance provided by the L.A. County Department of Public Health, which they considered urgent when the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and the governor ordered restaurants to cease offering outdoor dining.
“We see their struggles and we feel for these small businesses and restaurants, especially when they spent thousands of dollars of money to comply with the health order to operate,” said Mayor Pro Tem Letty Lopez-Viado. “They actually spent more money when they are losing money just so that they can operate, just to be shut down again. We felt for these businesses. We wanted data and information. It was a consensus to have it open.”
Restaurant owners in West Covina and City Council members challenged the Board of Supervisors on the dining ban. Wu said the city wants to find ways to work with county and state health officials to make decisions that benefit the community on a local level.
“Our community wants to ensure that needed risk benefit analysis are performed when coronavirus measures are enacted. Having Dr. Vassantachart’s expertise and experience is critical,” said West Covina City Manager David Carmany in a statement.
The city manager and mayor encouraged West Covina residents to continue wearing masks when around others, practice social distancing, wash hands and avoid crowds.
“We’re looking to the horizon,” Wu said. “We want to work together with the public health community and other agencies to find a way through this crisis.”