Alarmed at the impact of the new coronavirus on people of color, African American leaders across Cincinnati have deployed sweeping media campaigns urging the communities …
Alarmed at the impact of the new coronavirus on people of color, African American leaders across Cincinnati have deployed sweeping media campaigns urging the communities to boost social distancing and other infection controls.
“We know that it’s attacking African Americans,” said Dr. O’dell Owens, president and chief executive officer of the Norwood health-education nonprofit Interact for Health. “We had to direct that message and get people’s attention.”
“We decided to come together immediately,” said Renee Mahaffey Harris, president and chief executive officer of the Center for Closing the Health Gap.
Evidence is building on how COVID-19 is hitting minorities locally hard. On Friday, city health officials reported 533 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection, and of those 142 were African Americans,106 were whites,56 were “other” and 227 were “unknown.” Testing facilities must report all results for the coronavirus to public health authorities, but demographic information such as race is inconsistent and not required.
Total cases in Cincinnati jumped 41% from a week earlier and may partially reflect more widely available testing, including in the black community and in long-term care facilities. COVID-19 deaths rose in the city by 53% from 17 to 26 over the week.
New cases also have been rising in Cincinnati, an Enquirer analysis of city health data shows. The five-day average of new cases was 24 on Friday, roughly on par with the average of 25 a week earlier but up from 19 two weeks ago and 8 three weeks ago.
Infection data compiled by ZIP codes by Hamilton County Public Health shows a sharp increase in cases over the last two weeks in numerous minority-majority neighborhoods primarily in the city, a separate Enquirer analysis shows.
Those areas being hit hard include parts of Pleasant Ridge and Kennedy Heights (ZIP 45213); East Price Hill and West Price Hill (ZIP 45205); Carthage, Hartwell and Elmwood Place (ZIP 45216); West Price Hill and eastern Delhi Township (ZIP 45238); and parts of Forest Park and Springdale (ZIP 45246).
