Related
Seventy-five percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sonoma County are Latinx, according to new data from the county’s health department.
That’s a staggering 464 out of a total 722 cases. White, non-Hispanic patients have the second-most cases in the county with 122. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic or Latino residents make up just 27% of the county's total population.
There are a number of reasons for the high numbers including cramped housing, workers in industries that don’t offer sick pay and a lack of information.
KCBS Radio spoke with Rafael Vasquez, a community activist and advocate for undocumented students and families in Sonoma County’s Latinx community.
"The biggest problem we have here is there are no specific guidelines, no training, there’s no support for many of these individuals," Vasquez said. "We had reports of individuals talking to their supervisors when it was time to wear masks if you wanted to work and employers were saying 'No, if you want a mask you’re going to have to bring it yourself.'"
Vasquez said he’s repeatedly asked county leaders to reach out to the Latinx community, speak in their languages and go to their neighborhoods, door-to-door, if necessary.
Last week, County Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase informed the Board of Supervisors it is planning to stage COVID-19 testing events in Latinx communities and popular Latinx workplaces.
In all, four people have died from COVID-19 in Sonoma County.
The update is also available in Spanish.