Chicago targets three neighborhoods for COVID-19 response

Chicago officials are targeting three neighborhoods in an effort to address the disproportionately high rate of COVID-19 deaths among African Americans.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said its “racial equity rapid-response team” will focus on the Auburn Gresham, Austin and South Shore neighborhoods, which she said have been hit especially hard by the pandemic.

“In response to the shockingly disproportionate impact this disease has had on our communities, (the team) is working aggressively and in close collaboration with local leaders and partners to mount a public health response that addresses the specific and contextualized needs of our residents and families,” she said.

African Americans make up 301, or 56 percent, of the city’s 538 total deaths. Latinx residents make up 18.2 percent, while whites make up 15.8 percent and Asians make up 5 percent of deaths.

Nearly 46 percent of Chicago’s 13,000 confirmed COVID-19 patients are African American, who make up about 30 percent of the city’s population.

Monday’s press conference came two weeks after Lightfoot announced several steps to address racial disparities in COVID-19 cases. Along with the response team, the city is requiring all healthcare providers to collect and provide the city with demographic information, such as race and ethnicity, for each COVID-19 patient they test or treat.

Lightfoot said the team will provide outreach in those three neighborhoods, as well as connect residents with health services and distribute personal protective equipment like masks.

The city is also working with neighborhood organizations on a series of tele-town halls to provide education and information for residents.

Statewide, nearly a quarter of confirmed cases and just under 40 percent of deaths have been African Americans. African Americans make up less than 15 percent of the state’s population.

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