State health data shows that the Latinx community makes up 14% of the Utah population but the latest COVID-19 information indicates they represent 41% of the cases. Public, private, and non-profit partners have come together to provide Summit County Latinx community members assistance with personal protective equipment.
Some of the most vulnerable people for contracting the COVID-19 virus are those that live in close quarters, sometimes sharing homes with other families. The impacts of sharing small, enclosed spaces, or common areas of apartment complexes is difficult to measure. Park City Community Liaison Lynn Ware Peek has held weekly Spanish Language virtual meetings to help inform people and dispel non-truths about the virus.
“It kind of came about out of these conversations that we're having with the County, with the Christian Center, with the Community Foundation and with Park City Municipal is how do we get masks to these people and we just decided to go to where they are. As we know, if someone's coming right to where you are, it’s going to be a lot easier and a lot more accessible. And I think especially with the Latinx community, there's a lot of fear right now, about even leaving the house.”
According to Utah coronavirus data, the Latinx community represents nearly 41% of the positive cases in the state. 918 Utahn’s have been hospitalized with 333 of those of Latinx ethnicity. The community has had more than 1100 people per 100,000 who have tested positive with COVID-19. That compares with the state average of just 319 people per 100,000.
Peek says the Facebook live meetings have been well attended and it seems the community is desperate for information.
“Of course, if you don’t have reliable sources of information and if you’re just trusting sort of the rumor mill within your own little neighborhood community, and that's your source of information, as we all know it's not reliable. And I think information is key and crucial to stopping the spread within that community."
Summit County Multi-Cultural Outreach Specialist Dalia Rodriguez is working on marketing the PPE distribution events. They’ve targeted specific apartment complexes in Park City and hope to provide PPE for some of the Basin apartment complexes next week.
Rodriguez says getting information out is a challenge. She says some people follow the social distancing and mask wearing guidelines and other people are not as cautious.
“You know there is definitely mixed messages I've been receiving and understanding from the Latinx community. There definitely are folks that are receiving the messaging that all organizations are trying to provide for people. They don't believe that it actually exists. They don't know someone immediate to them that it has affected. It hasn't hit home I would say.”
Rodriguez says now that restaurants are opening for dine in service, it’s critical for everyone to stay vigilant with hygiene practices, distancing and wearing masks. She says Latinx community members can be found in many of the local restaurant jobs. It’s important for employees and customers to comply and for everyone to realize how easily the virus can spread.
The distribution event runs from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday at Ironhorse apartments and Thursday at Aspen Villas. Next week, June 17, they hope to be at Elk Meadows. They’re scheduled to be at Park Side and Holiday Village apartments on June 18th. They want to bring PPE to the Deer Mountain apartments in Wasatch County since so many people who live there also work in Summit County.
They have 5600 masks, 300 bottles of High West hand sanitizer and plastic gloves donated from Summit County. The PPE supplies are free but they’re asking people to bring their own containers if possible.
