Amid a viral pandemic, Los Angeles is facing boiling rage that surfaced within the community. The murder of George Floyd due to police brutality has charged the rising angst floating on top of the hardships already felt from COVID-19. The Los Angeles County Officials delivered their strategies to keep all Angelenos safe during an era of unrest, while holding the cause of the protest as the priority. Additionally, The Los Angeles Director of Public Health Dr. Barbara Ferrer disclosed information surrounding the number of positive cases and deaths due to coronavirus. The focus towards recovery and safety has been split; the concern of the city’s wellbeing is at stake.
The community felt the morbid air that followed the day George Floyd had his life taken. People took to the streets and protested for the call of action for the injustice that happened in Minneapolis. Supervisor Kathryn Barger declared this a state of emergency on Saturday night. The County is looking to provide ordinances and safety measures to protect small businesses that are vulnerable to looting and property damage. Under the leadership of Police Chief Villanueva, the county has a set curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., Los Angeles City streets will be under high surveillance during those times for people who do not have the intentions to abide by that guided timeline.
Chairwoman Barger stated, “ For those who are doing peaceful protests, we hear you, we support you, and we know you are not part of this element that is going out and doing this looting, and we appreciate you helping to protect those businesses,” Barger said, “But please stay safe,”
latest numbers surrounding coronavirus shared on Monday, June 1, reflected 22 additional deaths, 16 of these individuals were between the ages of 65 and over, 15 of them with underlining health conditions. six people who died were between the ages of 41-65, all of them had preexisting health concerns. This brings the total COVID-19 related deaths in the L.A. County to 2,384. 14% of all positive cases were hospitalized at some point. Fatal cases within congregational settings such as assistant living represent 52% of overall COVID-19 deaths. 94% of those who died due to COVID-19 had preexisting health concerns.
Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director, Public Health. (Screen Shot)Ferrer disclosed as of June 1, there were 978 new COVID-19 reports. In summary, there is a total amount of 55,968 coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles region. 1,947 incidents were reported in the city of Long Beach and 928 cases in the city of Pasadena. The relationship between COVID-19 effects and ethnicity were provided. The racial background collected from a number of fatal cases shown 12% were African American, 17% were Asian, 1% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 41% were LatinX, 29% were white, and 1% identified as a different race or ethnicity.
Dr. Ferrer described the response to the George Floyd murder to be overwhelming. She highlighted the relationship between Disproportionate death rates in the African American community and the recent fall of a black man in Minneapolis. African Americans have been affected differently by coronavirus, than any other race in the county. Ferrer stated, “The root cause of health inequalities is racism and discrimination, and how it limits access to the very opportunities and resources each of us need for optimal health and wellbeing.” Ferrer expressed the lifetime of stress associated with being black in America, contribute to the health conditions found in the collective culture and it starts at birth. She admitted that her reports reflect a long-standing inequity.
