As the Delta variant continues to surge and escalate the war with COVID, communities most under siege are Latinos and Blacks.
Recent statistics released by Los Angeles County showed Latinos with the most cases of the virus by far with 651,788.
Inglewood has recorded 14,864 cases and 315 deaths as a result of COVID and the city for all intent and purpose has followed all federal, state and county guidelines in an effort to keep it citizens safe.
COVID prevented the grand opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020 and there is hope that this fall will offer fans and citizens an opportunity to experience live events at the stadium while also allowing for many of Inglewood residents to work at the saucer.
All of that sounds well and good, but if the vaccination numbers don’t increase it will threaten all of those plans and beyond.
Veteran Inglewood City Councilman Eloy Morales knows all too well how important it is for all eligible citizens to get vaccinated.
“During the past eighteen months, I have seen the impacts of COVID 19 on, and within my
Community,” Morales explained to Inglewood Today in a statement.
“For the most part, we have dealt with the same issues most cities have with regard
to rent relief, food banks, making sure kids have what they need for their virtual learning, and
establishing a plan for protection and vaccination. Our city employees worked from home, and did not return until Governor Newsom established a date that we agreed was a safe return.
Currently, the best plan for our safe return to work and school is to get vaccinated. We were
fortunate to have a large vaccination site within our City at the Forum, and it was full for some
time. However, the lines softened and many continued to go unvaccinated.
The City of Inglewood is a city with a majority population of Latinos and African Americans.
I know the Latino population has made a tremendous contribution to the service industry,
throughout the pandemic, that has allowed so many services to continue. This makes it even
more important for Latinos to get vaccinated, and keep themselves safe while continuing to
work. However, it has continued to be reported that over fifty percent of Latinos are not
vaccinated. I realize that many have not had the opportunity to understand how safe the
vaccine is, or whether undocumented residents need to worry about getting vaccinated and
suffering any consequences.
For now, we know the leading medical experts have established the vaccine is safe, and there is
no residency questions at all. In fact, if someone is currently in the process of applying for their
residency card, and forbidden from getting any government benefits, receiving the vaccine does
not affect their status. You just need your identification and an appointment.
We encourage all of our residents to get vaccinated, and are available to help answer your
questions. You can get an appointment by logging onto the LA County Health Department
website, and inputting your zip code gives you the most convenient locations. Also, you can dial
‘211’ for any questions you may have, and if transportation is needed you can dial
833-540-0473. Please take advantage of these great resources, and let’s get better together.”
Inglewood Today coverage of local news in Los Angeles County is supported by the Ethnic Media Sustainability Initiative, a program created by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services to support minority-owned-and-operated community newspapers across California.
