De Blasio at April 8 City Hall press conference
April 8, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The coronavirus is disproportionately killing Hispanic and Black New Yorkers across the five boroughs, according to newly released data.
Hispanic and Latino people account for 34 percent of all COVID-19 related deaths in New York City, while they make up about 29 percent of the city’s population, according to preliminary data.
The City’s Black residents make up about 28 percent of COVID deaths citywide, but are just 22 percent of the city’s population. In comparison, White New Yorkers make up 32 percent of the city population, but make up 27 percent of coronavirus deaths.
“There are clear inequalities, clear disparities in how this disease is affecting the people of our city,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at his daily coronavirus briefing this morning.
The demographic data supports earlier geographic data of coronavirus cases that showed neighborhoods where low-income communities of color live have had higher numbers of cases.
The larger Corona area in Queens has been called the epicenter of the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in New York. The neighborhood is 75 percent Hispanic and more than 20 percent of its population lives below the poverty line.
It has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the city, with 1,659 confirmed as of yesterday evening.
The now documented disparities should “cause great concern,” de Blasio said.
The disparities in coronavirus deaths correlates with healthcare disparities faced by low income and minority communities, who may not have access to or be able to afford quality healthcare, he said.
“The truth is that in so many ways the negative effects of coronavirus — the pain it’s causing, the death it’s causing — tracks with other profound healthcare disparities that we have seen for years and decades in this city,” he said solemnly.
“We’re seeing folks who have struggled before really being hit particularly hard by the coronavirus,” he added. “That’s a blatant inequality.”
The City’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot said immigration status and fears around it could also be playing a role in how the virus is disproportionately killing Latinos.
“I am very concerned when I see the large percentage of Latinos who have died of this illness,” she said.
While the city’s public hospitals treat all New Yorkers regardless of their immigration or insurance status, the fear prevails among Hispanic New Yorkers, Barbot said.
“The overlay of the anti-immigrant rhetoric across this country I think has real implications in the health of our community.”
Dr. Barbot also said the communities which have been harder hit by the virus have higher premature mortality rates during normal times due to higher rates of underlying chronic illnesses and the coronavirus is compounding this.
The Mayor is launching a campaign to address the disparities, beginning with a “double down” effort to ensure that the city’s public hospitals are fully equipped with what they need to treat patients with coronavirus.
“We need to ensure that our public hospitals get absolutely everything they need because we know that so many new yorkers who are in the most vulnerable communities, in the most danger — where do they turn to?” de Blasio asked. “They turn to our public hospitals, the most obvious example is Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. We’ve all seen what’s played out there.”
Elmhurst Hospital has become ground zero of the pandemic in New York City and lines of people waiting to get tested for COVID-19 has continuously wrapped around amid near constant sirens.
“The public hospitals are the greatest guarantee we have that there will be fairness in saving lives,” the mayor said.
The Mayor is also launching a multi-million dollar public awareness campaign in 14 different languages focused on specific zip codes with the highest number of coronavirus cases.
He said the inequalities in healthcare must be addressed.
“We’re all trying to fight this battle and keep focused and keep calm in the midst of a battle that we must win,” de Blasio said. “And as leaders we have to stay calm, but it made me angry to see that the disparities that have plagued this city — this nation — that are all about fundamental inequality are once again causing such pain and causing innocent people to lose their lives.”
Source: DOH
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9 Comments
First the main group killed by COVID19 consists of Males. Secondly it is with one of the following comorbidities: Hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney disease, diabetes, BMI of over 34%. Lifestyle of the two racial groups that have the highest deaths tend to lead to these comorbidities. But this is just a small part of the COVID19 puzzle.
The reality of what is going on in Corona, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst is that these areas have become mostly of either illegal immigrants or low income people. Many of them live in a 1 bedroom apt and there can be say 12 people living there. If one gets sick, they all get sick. I see many men on the street corners urine all over the place and go about their business. Or blow their noses with one finger pushing the snot out their nose to the street. Do you think they wash their hands??? Have you stopped to think that urine or mucus is infected? Or when they spit? There are whore houses all over the area.
Of course this is going to be the Epicenter for this virus. Amongst these people are the folks who actually have MANNERS. And are clean and have respect not only in their homes but their surroundings. Unfortunately, they have to deal and live amongst the people who don’t have manners. They will most likely end up getting the virus.
These politicians are so out of touch and don’t even know what goes on in these areas. So they play politics. Maybe they should move to these areas to see what many of these people are really like and how they live.
In accordance with today’s standards politicians have to be politically correct, otherwise they risk of media being all over them just like with current president. So they will continue calling spade not a spade.
A lot of the people living in the surrounding areas are Ecuadorians; They don’t know proper hygiene and you can see that through their vendors.
The mayor’s going to waste millions of dollars on a public awareness campaign in multiple languages. The reality is most of the people who don’t understand English just don’t care. They’re going about their lives as if nothing is happening.
How about spending that money on medical supplies and protective equipment for hospital staff? That’s an urgent need.
As usual, this mayor caters to the lowest denominator. Why is he outraged when he’s encouraging and welcoming unchecked illegal immigrants to live a subpar quality of life in this city?
DEMOCRATS No wonder this city is ground ZERO stop pitting poor folks against each other
Of course more Hispanic will have test positive when the Hispanic population is over 70%. What is this going to be a race issue too?
Not Asians ? not white ?
very interesting
Umm 40% of NYC is white. Maybe you need to consider that latinos and blacks are affected in higher percentage because they fall on the lower income spectrum and don’t have the luxury to work from home and often have jobs that are essential and they continue to commute and take public transportation into work.