Long Beach Employs COVID-19 Health Ambassadors

On July 23, more than a dozen young adults, paired with Parks, Recreation and Marine staff, circulated on foot or on bikes throughout parks and beaches to observe visitor activities and capture hourly usage data, celebrate visitors compliant with physical distancing and safety protocols, educate those who are not compliant and report field issues using the GO Long Beach App.

These “community ambassadors” are the latest to be trained by Pacific Gateway, the City’s workforce agency, for COVID-19 response. The city of Long Beach saw the need for COVID-19 Health Ambassadors, and Pacific Gateway’s year round programs created a natural match for those youth seeking employment at a time when job opportunities were limited.

“The economic downturn brought on by COVID-19 has left many young people without opportunities for employment,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Our new Health Ambassador program will provide health training to young people in our city so that they can help us keep people safe and educated about COVID-19.”

The COVID-19 Health Ambassadors, of which the Community Ambassadors are a part, is made possible through a collaboration between Pacific Gateway, PRM and the Department of Health and Human Services. Pacific Gateway trained 70 Long Beach residents to fill job roles for the emerging career field of COVID-19 response. Thirteen young adults will serve as Community Ambassadors, and an additional 35 people are assigned to support COVID-19 contact tracing and testing sites, the 4BIZ hotline, the Business Restart Grant program and other City operations. Another 21 people are completing additional training specific to their COVID-19 Health Ambassador assignments.

Community Ambassadors will monitor park and beach routes, and depending on need, can be shifted and expanded to other parks, beaches and open street locations. They will have a presence in these parks during peak usage days, Thursdays through Sundays, and will be identified by bright blue uniforms. 

Details: 562-570-3700 to add their name to an interest list, or visit the Pacific Gateway WorkPlace (4811 Airport Dr.) to fill out an interest form.