Racial Disparities In Cuyahoga County Highlighted By Coronavirus

CLEVELAND — The spread of the new coronavirus has revealed continued racial disparities in Cuyahoga County, health officials said Friday morning. Despite composing approximately 30 percent of the county's population, nearly 40 percent of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cuyahoga are among people who identify as black.

"These disparities and inequalities did not emerge with COVID-19. They come for our original sin of racial injustice in our community," said Terry Allan, commissioner of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

As of Friday morning, there were 1,021 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cuyahoga County. Here's how those cases break down racially:

• 44-percent people who identify as white
• 39-percent people who identify as African American
• 7-percent all other races
• 10-percent no racial data available

"Our under-resourced communities are already living on the edge," said Romona Brazile, deputy director prevention and wellness. COVID-19, she said, could push them over the line.

Brazile said a number of factors encourage the spread of the virus in under-resourced communities, including housing insecurity, unsafe food distribution and an inability to take time off from work.

She said health officials have spoken to residents who were sick with possible COVID-19 symptoms. Those residents were told to stay home and self-isolate, but were unable to do so because they had no paid time off from their job and couldn't afford to lose the work.

Dr. Heidi Gullett said insecure housing also plays a role in the spread of COVID-19. Families living in a smaller house or apartment will struggle to isolate away from their family members. She added that there are many Northeast Ohioans who may not have access to transportation or primary care physicians, which limits their ability to access testing.

"I definitely feel [our results] are under-represented," Dr. Heidi Gullett said. She added that limited testing impacts all Ohioans, regardless of race or ethnicity.

"We have to be very careful with our approach to make sure no one is left behind during coronavirus and beyond," added Gullett.

Helping Cleveland Schools

Nearly 25 percent of Cuyahoga County residents lack access to either a computer or the Internet. To try and help students impacted by school closures, the county is donating 300 hotspots to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

The school district will then deliver the hotspots to students who need internet access, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish said on Friday during a news conference.

Thanks to a donation of laptops, the county will also ask the school district to deliver Chromebooks to Cleveland students. County officials will also distribute a map of locations offering free internet access.

Local businesses are being asked to donate hotspots, computers, keyboards, mouses or other computer technology for students to use.

"During this crisis we want to give our kids, all of our kids, even the kids who can't afford a computer or internet access, the chance to continue learning," Budish said.