Black People Comprise 100 percent of the Coronavirus Deaths In Richmond, Virginia
It’s a story that has become all too familiar in the COVID-19 pandemic: African Americans are disproportionately bearing the brunt of coronavirus deaths.
In one of the most recent instances, all eight people killed by the virus in Richmond, Va. are African American, APM.org reported on April 15.
Although African Americans comprise 48 percent of Richmond's population, they represent 62 percent of the city’s 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Danny Avula stated.
In Virginia, Blacks account for 20 percent of the state’s population but a much higher percentage of coronavirus victims.
“In terms of deaths, with 59 deaths among African Americans, and with the race and ethnicity data available on 168 of our total of 195, that means 35 percent of deaths are African American,” said State Health Commission Norman Oliver.
Data from states and cities across the United States show a consistent racial disparity in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. In New York City, Blacks and Hispanics are dying from complications related to the coronavirus at twice the rate that it kills White New Yorkers. In Chicago, Blacks make up a shocking 72 percent of the city’s COVID-19 deaths.
For the latest on the coronavirus, check out BET’s blog on the virus, and contact your local health department or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
