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Gap Narrows But Latinos Still Bearing Brunt of COVID-19 In LA
People walk past a store selling face coverings in East Los Angeles. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
During the recent peak of the pandemic in July, Latinos in Los Angeles County had four times the number of new COVID-19 cases as white residents. County health director Barbara Ferrer said Wednesday that the rate of infections among Latinos in the county is still consistently higher than in all other groups, but the gap is closing.
Ferrer said:
"As of October 11, the case rate amongst Latinx residents is now twice the rate for white residents. Compare that to four times the rate in July."
"The case rate now among Black residents is less than that of white residents. The case rate amongst Asian residents continues to be the lowest," she said.
Earlier this month the state instituted an “equity metric” that forces large counties like Los Angeles to show they are investing in bringing down COVID-19 cases in their most vulnerable neighborhoods.
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That means hitting goals both for overall testing and in lowering the percentage of new positive cases, in areas that have been disproportionately harmed by the pandemic for socioeconomic reasons.
Ferrer urged caution as new COVID-19 cases have ticked up recently.
Since the pandemic began, more than 290,000 people in L.A. County have tested positive for the virus, and 6,944 people have died.
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