Monterey County grand jury report determines COVID-19 response inadequate, confusing

 SALINAS, Calif. —

The Monterey County Civil grand jury says the county's initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic was confusing and inadequate, in a report released Monday.

According to the Jury, the county failed to collaborate across agencies and disseminate a single unified response.

In a natural disaster, the County Administrative Officer activates the Emergency Operations Center, which comprises of county personnel familiar with the topic of emergency who is supposed to coordinate emergency response.

The EOC is led by an Incident Commander, who is the leading county expert. In the case of a public health crisis, the role of Incident Commander would fall on the County Health Department or the County Public Health Officer.

According to the report, neither of those public entities assumed the leading role of IC.

Moreover, the dissemination of pandemic-related information was not coordinated through the EOC.

"The County Health Department did not acknowledge its lead role and responsibilities as Incident Commander in the County EOC during a public health emergency," the report states. "The County Health Officer did not appear to use the full authority of his office to command and direct the County response to COVID-19 in Monterey County.

The report lists six other findings including insufficient communication and resource materials for non-English speaking county residents and hearing-impaired residents.

Outlined in the report are nine recommendations for the Monterey County Board of Supervisors and supporting agencies including: The development of an Infectious Disease Response Plan, the adoption and implementation of state and county emergency protocols dictated by EOC and California Standardized Emergency Management System, and more resources for non-English speakers and hearing-impaired residents.

"This issue of communication was not something that's a surprise to me," Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said. "And it's something that we know we need to continue to invest in. We have to be able to communicate with people in the language that they speak, in the methods that they're listening to. And in times of crisis, we have to understand that the county as an official communication channel is where people are going to go to verify information. So we need to ensure that our systems are super clear, that we're prepared to let people know what's going on and that we know how people are communicating and receiving their information."

KBSW News
By Christian Balderas
May 9, 2022