The average number of Latino residents dying from coronavirus each day in Los Angeles County has increased by more than 1,000% since November, according to county public health officials.
Los Angeles is battling one of the worst Covid-19 outbreaks in the United States, amid a winter wave that has left hospitals across the region overwhelmed. The Latino population in Los Angeles County faced the worst of the crisis.
In November, the average number of Latino residents in LA County dying from Covid-19 each day was 3.5 per 100,000 residents. There are now 40 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. “It’s an increase of more than 1,000%,” said Barbara Ferrer, the county’s director of public health, at a news conference this week.
“Los Angeles under the leadership of Covid-19 won the world baseball series, the basketball championship and holds the title for most Covid-19 infections and for most Latinos who are losing their lives,” said Sonja Diaz , founding director of the Latino Policy and Politics Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles, for the Guardian.
The population of Los Angeles County is 48.6% Latin, but Latinos are dying at a rate of more than one and a half times that of all Los Angeles residents. This week, 231 Latinos died per 100,000 people in Los Angeles County, according to county data, compared with 82 whites per 100,000. “Our Latinx community is, in fact, enduring the worst of this pandemic,” said Ferrer.
It is a devastating trend that is also reflected in other parts of the state. Latinos represent 38.9% of the population of California, but constitute 55% of positive cases of Covid-19 and almost half of the deaths.
Diaz pointed out that this is because Latinos make up a large part of the essential workforce and are often forced to risk exposure to the virus and earn a salary.
“Nationally, Latino families have 1.6 employees per family, compared with 1.2 in non-Hispanic families,” said Diaz. “This means that there are more Latin households with adults who leave home every day because of the hyper-segmentation of Latin workers in essential work situations. This means that they will be more exposed to Covid-19, just to make sure they have the money to maintain shelter and food in their homes. They will work not because they aspire to be heroes, but because our economy and the current decision-making of our leaders requires them to show up to work ”.
Many in these positions reported having to work in unsafe conditions, without protective equipment and without social distance measures, said Diaz, and do not have access to medical licenses, despite legislation requiring employers to grant Covid-19-related medical licenses.
“No matter what happens, these people of color are showing up to work and are showing up to work in dangerous conditions that have not been corrected,” said Diaz. “We are still waiting for these low-income workers to show up to work without any of the necessary security measures.”
California this week suspended its request to stay at home across the state after recording trends in improving the rate of infections, hospitalizations and intensive care unit capacity, as well as vaccinations.
The announcement came after a relentless increase in cases after the winter holidays overwhelmed the state’s medical system and left many counties with limited ICU 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 earlier this year. Most regions are now vaccinating residents over 65, as well as health professionals and first responders.
Diaz fears what the reopening will bring to the Latin population. In the Latin communities of Los Angeles County, everyone knows someone who has had the virus.
“We are a disgrace to industrialized societies in our ability to bring Covid-19 under control,” said Diaz. “As a result, colored Californians are getting sick, dying and having a hard time recovering, while millions of Californians demand that they put their bodies at risk.”