Supervisor Mitchell Joins South LA Leaders in Calling for an Equitable Distribution of the COVID-19 Vaccine

LOS ANGELES – Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, who represents Los Angeles County’s Second District, joins with union, health and business leaders in her district in calling for more doses of the vaccine and an equitable distribution plan that accounts for the State Health Order – that lifts stay-at-home restrictions to include outdoor dining.

SEIU 2015, St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, and South LA Cafe are among the leading organizations and businesses that serve communities throughout the Second Supervisorial District that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“I am committed to doing all that we can to not only get more of the vaccine but to ensure it is being distributed to residents who are most impacted. The County’s Vaccine Implementation Plan must account for the re-opening of restaurants and include restaurant workers in the next phase of prioritization for the vaccine. If we are to allow outdoor dining and other non-essential activities, we need to ensure that we are keeping these workers safe” Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell continued to share “We must learn from the lessons of this past year and efficiently utilize the new resources we have – including PPEs, quarantine/isolation beds and the vaccine. I’m asking that all departments ensure that these resources are made more widely accessible to our residents who will face the most harm from these lifted restrictions.”

“There is nothing more relevant to health equity than the fair distribution of COVID vaccine.  The people of South LA are the hardest hit by COVID and must be prioritized in vaccine distribution “ shared St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, CEO, Jim Mangia “St. John’s has opened 9 vaccination sites.  We are vaccinating thousands of people a day.  The infrastructure is in place.  But we’re constantly short and continuously fighting for vaccine.  We need vaccine to #vaccinateSouthLA!”

Celia Ward-Wallace, Co-Owner of South LA Cafe shared “As the owners of South LA Cafe, a restaurant in the heart of the Second District, we strongly believe that vaccinating as many of people as possible is important and it hurts us all of its not distributed equitably. We serve thousands of community members monthly and it’s imperative that we are able to do that safely. Including restaurant workers in the prioritization of vaccines is the responsible way to reopen businesses.”

“As COVID-19 rates continue to grow, we know equity, transparency, and accountability remain critical concerns in the vaccine rollout. This virus disproportionately impacts working class communities of color – often essential workers, like our members – at alarming rates. As we move to aggressively confront the virus, we must remain clear eyed and sober about the challenge we face. This means organizing our vaccination efforts to prioritize the workers and communities experiencing the worst of the pandemic. We can do it as long as we have the right priorities.” – April Verret, President of SEIU 2015

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