The average number of Latino residents who die of 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 across the region overflowing. The Latino population of Los Angeles County has faced the weight of the crisis.
In November, the average number of Latino residents in Los Angeles County who died of Covid-19 each day was 3.5 per 100,000 residents. There are now 40 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. “That’s an increase of more than 1,000%,” Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, said in a news session this week.
“Los Angeles under Covid-19 has won the World Series of Baseball, the Basketball Championship and is the title for most Covid-19 infections and for most Latinos who are losing their lives,” Sonja said. Diaz, the founding director of the Latin Political and Political Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles, in The Guardian.
The population of Los Angeles County is 48.6% Latinos, but Latinos are dying at a rate of more than one and a half times that of all Los Angeles residents. As of this week, 231 Latinos per 100,000 people died in Los Angeles County, according to county data, compared to 82 white people per 100,000. “Our Latinx community is, in fact, the one suffering the worst from this pandemic,” Ferrer said.
It is a devastating trend that is also reflected in other parts of the state. Latinos make up 38.9% of California’s population, but make up 55% of Covid-19 positive cases and nearly half of all deaths.
Diaz noted that this is because Latinos make up much of the essential workforce and are often forced between the risk of being exposed to the virus and earning a salary.
“Nationally, Latino households have 1.6 wage earners per household compared to 1.2 in non-Hispanic households,” Diaz said. “This means that there are more Latino households with adults leaving home every day due to the hypersegmentation of Latino workers in essential work situations. This means they will be more exposed to Covid-19, just to make sure they have the money needed to maintain shelter and food in their home. They are going to work not because they aspire to be heroes, but because our economy and the current decision-making of our leaders require them to show up to work. “
Many of these officials have reported that they must work in unsafe conditions, without protective equipment or social distancing measures, Diaz said, and do not have access to medical leave, despite legislation requiring employers to provide low due to Covid-19 related disease.
“No matter what, these people of color show up to work and show up to work in dangerous conditions that haven’t been resolved,” Diaz said. “We still expect these low-wage workers to show up to work without any of the necessary common sense safety measures.”
This week, California withdrew its statewide home stay order after recording trends in improving the rate of infections, hospitalizations and capacity of the state’s intensive care units, as well as vaccines.
The announcement came after a relentless wave of cases after the winter break had overwhelmed the state’s medical system and left many counties with limited ICU capacity.
However, parts of the state, including the Southern California regions and the San Joaquin Valley region, continue to experience high infection rates.
Meanwhile, the state is trying to speed up vaccination after a slow start earlier this year. Most regions now vaccinate residents over the age of 65, in addition to health workers and first aid.
Diaz fears what will reopen the Latino population. Already in every Latino community in Los Angeles County, everyone knows someone who has had the virus.
“We are a disgrace to industrialized societies in our ability to control Covid-19,” Diaz said. “As a result, black Californians get sick and die and have a hard time recovering while millions of Californians are demanding to put their bodies online.”