LA County: Latino COVID deaths are up 1,000% since November, official says

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The pandemic continues to disproportionately affect communities of color.

L.A. County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis appeared on "GMA3: What You Need To Know" Tuesday morning to talk about the staggering statistics.

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The rate of death of Latinx people is three times that of white communities, and Latino COVID-19 deaths are up 1,000% since November in L.A. County, Dr. Muntu Davis said.

Dr. Davis says a lot of people living in communities of color are essential workers and have been working throughout the pandemic.

"We try to make sure that risk is mitigated in the workplace. Beyond that, we have housing available for those who can't isolate or quarantine. We know that we have to do what we can to make sure that they know there is support if they are infected," he said.

Dr. Davis says the high demand for a vaccine in L.A. County is making it hard to get an appointment.

Public health officials are trying to break down the numbers by race and ethnicity, to see how successful the distribution is for communities of color.

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