LOS ANGELES — Amid the continuing rise in COVID-19 numbers in SoCal, city and health officials warn residents not to drop their guard, especially as the vaccine rollout might give a false sense of security.

Of course, not all communities are weathering the pandemic the same, and for some hit the hardest, new warnings are going up on the streets.

What You Need To Know

  • Councilman Gil Cedillo’s team placed 100 multilingual warning signs throughout his district, which includes Westlake, Union Pico, Highland Park and Lincoln Heights

  • The signs warn of COVID-19 risks and urge continued observance of health department protocols

  • The signs, which were printed in English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, include testing and vaccination resource information, and phone numbers

  • Cedillo’s office said the signs inform residents of how to protect themselves by wearing masks, physical distancing, hand-washing, self-quarantining, and how to get tested and vaccinated

Along the 26th Avenue corridor in Lincoln Heights, there is a surprising amount of foot and car traffic, and a popular barbecue street stand draws workers from the area all day long. This community is in Councilman Gil Cedillo's 1st District, and it has been impacted hard by the pandemic.

Conrado Terrazascross, Cedillo's communications director, has helped spread the message of continued vigilance by placing multilingual, sidewalk signs throughout the district, including Westlake Pico Union, Highland Park, and Lincoln Heights.

"After the surge of Thanksgiving and Christmas, we saw the cases skyrocket even further. So, we thought it was very important to do this," Terrazascross said.

Cedillo's team placed a hundred of the multilingual (English, Korean, Spanish, Chinese) in high-risk area sidewalk signs throughout the district, reminding the community of health department protocols and listing resources for vaccines and testing.

"We have to stay vigilant," Terrazascross said. "You have to wear a mask. You have to get tested. You have to wash your hands frequently."

Some officials worry the holiday spike in COVID-19 cases has not peaked yet. With vaccines now being administered, people might get a false sense of security and engage in risky behavior. Terrazascross stressed the importance of keeping the messaging going, especially in communities of color dealing with extra challenges.

"I have an [vaccine] appointment for tomorrow," Terrazascross said. "I'm over I'm 65. So, we wanted people in my age group and people who are healthcare workers to know that they could get the vaccine and to keep trying online. If they don't have a computer or keep getting blocked, they can call the phone number [listed on the signs]." 

José has been selling BBQ on the corner of 26th Ave. and Humbolt for a couple of months now. He lost his restaurant cooking job due to the pandemic many months ago.

"I decided to do this to support my family. I have five kids," said José, who calls his new barbecue business, Holy Sh*t This Is So Good

José said the new street signs are a good idea. He added that most of the people he serves are following safety protocols, including himself.

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"We try to provide sanitizer, and masks to customers that don't wear, and they can call us to order, and we just prep it and deliver it to them," he said.

Unfortunately, Terrazascross said there is a continued mistrust of health officials and the vaccine for many reasons. Still, within some communities, social media has stepped in as a way to increase trust.

"A lot of people are starting to post on social media, telling their friends that they're getting vaccinated. This kind of person-to-person is how the trust is in communities of color," Terrazascross said.

The one hundred signs that have gone up throughout the council's 1st District are part of Cedillo's continued outreach and education effort to help residents stay safe and informed during the pandemic.