The average number of Latino residents dying from coronavirus every day in Los Angeles County has risen by more than 1,000 percent since November, according to county public health officials.
Los Angeles is battling one of the worst outbreaks of Covid-19 in the United States, amid a winter wave that has left hospitals in the region overwhelmed. The Latino population of LA County has faced the weight of the crisis.
In November, the average number of Latino residents in LA County who died of Covid-19 every day was 3.5 per 100,000. Now, there are 40 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. “This is an increase of over 1,000%,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, at a briefing this week.
“Los Angeles under Covid-19 has won the World Baseball Series, the Basketball Championship and holds the title for most Covid-19 infections and most Latinos who lose their lives,” said Sonja Diaz, founding director of Latino Initiative. politics and politics from the University of California, Los Angeles, to The Guardian.
The population of Los Angeles County is 48.6% Latino, but Latinos die at a rate of more than one and a half times that of all Los Angeles residents. As of this week, 231 Latin Americans have died per 100,000 people in Los Angeles County, according to county data, compared to 82 white people per 100,000. “In fact, our Latinx community is suffering the worst from this pandemic,” Ferrer said.
It is a devastating trend that is reflected in other parts of the state. Latinos make up 38.9% of California’s population, yet they make up 55% of Covid-19 positive cases and nearly half of deaths.
Diaz pointed out that this is because Latinos make up a large part of the essential workforce and are often forced between the risk of exposure to the virus and earning a salary.
“Nationally, Latino households have 1.6 employees per household, compared to 1.2 in non-Hispanic households,” Diaz said. “This means that there are more Latino households with adults leaving the house every day due to the hypersegmentation of Latino workers in essential work situations. That means they will be more exposed to Covid-19, just to make sure they have the money to keep shelter and food in their homes. They will work not because they aspire to be heroes, but because our economy and the current decisions of our leaders require them to come to work. ”
Many of these positions reported having to work in unsafe conditions, without protective equipment and without social restraint measures, Diaz said, and did not have access to sick leave, despite legislation requiring employers to provide sick leave related to Covid. -19.
“No matter what, these people of color show up at work and show up at work in dangerous conditions that have not been remedied,” Diaz said. “We still expect these low-paid workers to show up for work without taking the necessary common sense safety measures.”
This week, California lifted its state order at home after recording improved trends in the rate of infections, hospitalizations and capacity of intensive care units, as well as vaccinations.
The announcement came after a steady wave of cases following the winter holidays overwhelmed the state’s medical system and left many counties with limited intensive care capacity.
Parts of the state, including Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley region, still have high rates of infection.
Meanwhile, the state is trying to speed up vaccination after a slow start at the beginning of the year. Most regions now vaccinate residents over the age of 65, in addition to health workers and first responders.
Diaz fears what will reopen the Latin population. Already in all Latino communities in Los Angeles County, everyone knows someone who had the virus.
“We are embarrassed by industrialized companies in our ability to control Covid-19,” Diaz said. “As a result, black Californians get sick and die and have a hard time recovering, at the same time, millions of Californians are asking them to put their bodies on the line.”