Politics & Government
Coronavirus Cases Surge In Chicago Hispanic Neighborhoods
As of Tuesday, Latino residents represented 37 percent of confirmed coronavirus cases and 25 percent of deaths citywide, officials said.
CHICAGO — Mayor Lori Lightfoot Wednesday said public health officials are responding to a surge in confirmed new coronavirus cases in Hispanic communities.
Last month, Hispanics accounted for 14 percent of COVID-19 cases and 9 percent of deaths. Those numbers have more than doubled. As of Tuesday, Latino residents represented 37 percent of cases and 25 percent of deaths citywide, city officials said.
Lightfoot said the city's Racial Equity Rapid Response team will increase outreach and education efforts in Hispanic neighborhoods hit hardest by COVID-19 on the city's Northwest and Southwest Sides. Those plans include a virtual, bi-lingual town hall discussion hosted by AARP and Univision this month.
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"We will not stand idle as COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact members of Chicago's black and brown communities, and today's action marks another step in our robust citywide response to the COVID-19 global pandemic," Lightfoot said.
The city has teamed with Esperanza Health Centers, which serve mostly Latino residents, to get word out.
Find out what's happening in Chicagofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
