California adds COVID-19 equity requirement. It could trip up counties' reopenings MSN, Oct 1, 2020, LA Times
California's larger counties will not be permitted to reopen their economies further unless they reduce coronavirus infections in the hardest hit places where the poor, Black people, Latinos and Pacific Islanders live.
Under a new state requirement for reopening during the pandemic, counties with more than 106,000 residents must bring infections down in these places and invest heavily there in testing, contact tracing, outreach and providing means for infected people to isolate. Los Angeles is one county sure to be affected, along with others in Southern California.
The measure is designed to ensure that test positivity rates in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods do not significantly exceed a county's overall rate, a disparity that has been widespread during the pandemic.
The new requirements, which take effect Oct. 6, may make it difficult for some counties to reopen as quickly and broadly as local leaders would like.
Black people, Latinos and Pacific Islanders have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic. Many are essential workers, lack easy access to healthcare or live in crowded conditions. In San Francisco, at least half of all the the city's infections stem from the Mission District, which is heavily Latino.
“Our entire state has come together to redouble our efforts to reduce the devastating toll COVID-19 has had on our Latino, Black and Pacific Islander communities,†Acting State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan said in a news release.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-adds-covid-19-equity-requirement-it-could-trip-up-counties-reopenings/ar-BB19Ch3P