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Councilwoman Faulk sounds alarm for unvaccinated As Delta variant surges delinquent Blacks at great risk

Just as Los Angeles County was poised to a fall season that would be fully open and life pointing towards normalcy following more than a year of combating the gravest health pandemic during modern history, a surge of the Delta variant specifically among unvaccinated Blacks and Latinos could present alarming consequences.

Inglewood Today recently gained access to a confidential report distributed by Martin Luther King Community Healthcare that revealed a slide deck from July 9th and July 16 which documented Blacks having the lowest vaccination rate.

The report also stated how COVID patients tested at Martin Luther King Community Hospital were predominantly Black, including inpatients and ER patients who subsequently were released. An additional slide deck from July 16 focused on COVID cases rising in the unvaccinated population, primarily Blacks and Latinos.

Moreover, the report showed a 300 percent increase in projected daily hospitalizations which is anticipated to soar to 560 percent increase if the unvaccinated community trend continues.

News was not particularly good for individuals who are vaccinated and don’t practice the recommended safety precaution guidelines urged by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of wearing a mask while indoors. The CDC released information that a vaccinated person could be infected with the Delta Variant and infect individuals who are not vaccinated.

Most reports specify the category of individuals who have refused to be vaccinated are of the younger population ages 35 and under although the infection rate of those age groups have continued to escalate.

 Locally Inglewood City Councilmember (District 4) Dionne Faulk weighed in on the crisis.

“As we continue on our path to ending the COVID-19 Pandemic, I want to remind you that this is not yet over.  The Delta Variant Is increasing in rate and poses new challenges for Los Angeles County residents and Inglewood residents specifically. Statistics show that the number of positive cases is on the rise in our Black and Brown communities, and there is a direct correlation to vaccination rates. According to LA County Public Health, only 61% of Inglewood residents age 16+ have at least one vaccine shot, and 99% of all new cases are of unvaccinated people. I encourage you to protect yourself, your family, friends, and children who cannot get vaccinated by getting your shot today. Vaccination is free, and your immigration status is not a factor in eligibility. I implore you to please do all that you can to stay safe!”

This week the CDC updated its masking guidance in response to new science related to the Delta variant. In areas with substantial and high transmission, CDC recommends fully vaccinated people wear masks in public, indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others. The agency is also recommending that everyone in grade schools wear masks indoors, including teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

L.A. County already requires masking indoors in all public settings and K-12 schools; with increased vaccinations and indoor masking, the County should be able to return to lower rates of transmission.

L.A. County has administered nearly 11 million total vaccine doses to residents 12 years and older, including more than 6 million first doses and nearly 4.9 million second doses. This means more than 6.1 million LA County residents have received one dose, and more than 5.3 million are fully vaccinated. Among County residents 12 and older, almost 70% have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 61% are fully vaccinated.

As of July 29 at County-run vaccination sites, LA City sites, and St. John’s Well Child and Family Center sites, everyone 18 and older coming to get a vaccine will have an opportunity to win one of seven packages of tickets to an array of concerts presented by AEG.?

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish). If you don’t have internet access, can’t use a computer, or you’re over 65, you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound. Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status.

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.

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