Los Angeles County is witnessing the “horrific” new levels of COVID-19 deaths among its Latino population, calling for more government assistance for needy workers and those living in overcrowded housing, according to the Los Angeles Times,
The newspaper reports that the virus mortality rate for Latinos in LA County is nearly triple that of the white residents among all groups.
The latest increase has caused deaths among Latino residents to skyrocket by more than 1,000% since the fall.
Over a two-week period in November, the number of Latino provinces dying daily from the virus averaged 3½ per 100,000, according to the outlet. The number has now risen to 40 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants of Latino.
“Our Latinx community is actually carrying the worst of this pandemic,” Barbara Ferrer, director of public health in LA County, told The Times.
Latinos and other colored people have been affected disproportionately by the virus since the beginning. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this summer found that Spanish and Black patients represent nearly two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths among people under 65.
Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Insider in July that the virus’ excessive impact on people of color can be attributed to ‘social determinants of health’.
LA County is the most populous country in the country, and also has the largest number of overcrowded homes in any major metropolitan area in the US. Certain Latino neighborhoods are overcrowded and house a large percentage of essential workers, reports The Times.
According to the UC Berkeley Labor Center, Latino workers also have the highest percentage of jobs in senior positions that are at high risk for COVID-19 exposure.
According to the LA Times, 55% of Latinos work such jobs, and 48% of Black residents. Meanwhile, 35% of white residents work on the front lines.
Officials believe these vital workers are being exposed to the virus on their job of bringing it home and spreading it among family members and housemates.
“While every race and ethnicity in LA County has a tremendous increase in mortality rates, the gap between the experiences of those in our Latinx community and everyone else is downright frightening,” Ferrer said.
Despite being currently a virus epicenter, LA’s restaurants are open for outdoor dining again on Friday, though restaurant workers under the age of 65 are still not eligible for the vaccine.
Other residents of the province have also raised a COVID-19 mortality rate since November. Black residents now have an average of 20 deaths per day per 100,000 residents, compared to one death per day in the fall, according to the LA Times. Asian residents have grown from one daily death per 100,000 in November to 17 deaths per 100,000.
At a press conference earlier this month, Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez said the inequality could not be ignored. She said the government should provide assistance to LA’s communities most affected, and that it is essential to vaccinate essential workers.
“If we do not focus on equity now, I will tell you who is going to get the vaccine: these are the people who have the luxury of staying home and sending their children to private schools and neighborhood learning pools,” Martinez said. “And the people who do not get the vaccine will be the babysitters, the girls, the housekeepers and the gardeners, the people who take our groceries, who prepare our food every day, who deliver our mail and clean our streets.”
LA county officials are increasingly concerned about inadequate access to vaccines for people who need them most, reports The Times. There are reportedly concerns that there are a lower number of vaccines available for health workers living in South LA, an area with a large population of Latino and Black residents.
Officials said they hope more predictable deliveries and the possibility of an approved vaccine manufactured by Johnson & Johnson could help.