AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin-Travis County Hispanic/Latinx community has been disproportionately and inequitably burdened by COVID-19, says the city of Austin.
Austin Public Health data from July 7 shows that 52 percent of confirmed cases and 41 percent of deaths in Travis County are self-identified as Hispanic. Additionally, the Hispanic/Latinx community comprises 59.8 percent of hospitalizations in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA).
APH, in partnership with the City of Austin’s Equity Office, the University of Texas Dell Medical School, and CommUnityCare, have developed a draft plan for comments from the public. This plan will be a working document to address issues impacting the Hispanic/Latinx community.
The city says the plan encompasses a broad set of strategies that build on the foundation outlined in the Austin-Travis County COVID-19 Outreach Strategy released in June and developed by APH with input from local Latinx community members.
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The plan recommends a focus on four strategic areas:
- Outreach, Prevention, and Communication
- Testing and Contact Tracing
- Access to Quality Clinical Resources
- Economic and Employment Support
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Community members are encouraged to learn more, review each strategy, and provide feedback through a 10-minute survey by July 15. The strike team is also directly reaching organizations that work heavily with the Hispanic/Latinx community to get their input and learn more about ongoing efforts.
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