Los Angeles COVID-19 surge maps show unequal community gaps
MARCUS PARTIDA (Staff Writer)
As the number of COVID-19 cases in Los Angeles increases, surge maps show that poorer communities of color are being hit the hardest, with a greater number of infections compared with other communities. For instance, maps show that communities such as Pacoima, which is predominantly Latinx, have higher case rates than more white-dominated communities such as Santa Monica. The gapping conditions between the rich and the poor contain many factors that contributed to unequal case reports. According to the New York Times, residents of these poorer communities have a higher chance of being essential workers who would risk getting sick on the job, people who have little room to isolate and people who have a low household income.
“People with lower incomes tend to not have necessities like soap, clean water or access to medical help,” sophomore Alex Becerra said. “Unlike people who… can afford to protect themselves.”
Many essential workers from these poor communities risk getting sick on the job because of their working conditions. Those who live in these communities often have to work in service jobs that require many face-to-face interactions causing a higher chance of getting sick. The New York Times explains that these service jobs often require a greater capacity of people to earn more money.
“Latino or African-American workers predominantly in service jobs are providing services to more affluent neighborhoods where there’s more capacity for consumption,” Daniel Flaming, president of the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Economic Roundtable said. “So the income polarization is certainly a factor.”
Communities with a lower median household income have higher infectious rates of about 1 in 5 residents. Meanwhile, communities such as Santa Monica, Brentwood and West Hollywood with higher medians of household incomes have infectious rates between 1 in 19 and 1 in 24 residents.
“Income salaries play a huge role in affecting many communities because not all are privileged enough to provide necessities that are helpful during this time of the pandemic, not to mention not all can pay for health insurance or hospital bills when severely sick,” Junior Sharon Nathaniel said.
Despite the evidence of risk, especially to those who live in these lower-income communities, there is still a push to reopen the state.