Illinois launches campaign to address COVID-19 cases in underserved communities

Illinois is launching a new information campaign to address disparities in COVID-19 fatalities in underserved communities.

The campaign, announced Tuesday, will include a series of video messages and radio announcements stressing the need to practice social distancing and take proactive measures to protect themselves from the virus.

“This virus doesn’t discriminate, but it does have a disproportionate impact on black and brown communities across our state and nation that have experienced decades of institutional inequities and obstacles,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement.

As of Tuesday, African Americans make up 31.4 percent of Illinois’ 4,379 COVID-19 deaths, despite making up less than 15 percent of the state’s total population. Latinx residents, who make up 17 percent of the state’s population, equal 17.9 percent of the state’s COVID-related deaths.

Officials previously announced efforts to expand testing capacity in underserved communities.

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