Stark statistics from Chicago health officials
have underscored the heavy toll of
coronavirus on black Americans.

Black Chicagoans account for half of all
coronavirus cases in the city and more than 70%
of deaths, despite making up 30% of the
population.
Other cities with large black populations,
including Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans and
New York, have become coronavirus hotspots.

What do Chicago's statistics show?
As of 5 April, 1,824 out of Chicago's
4,680 confirmed Covid-19 cases were black
residents, said city officials on Monday.
That compared with 847 white, 478 Hispanic
and 126 Asian Chicagoans.

Chicago has seen a total of 98 deaths as of
Sunday, with 72% of them black residents.
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The disparity is reflected across the state, where
black people account for 41% of Covid-19
deaths, despite making up 14% of the
population of Illinois.
Chicago public health commissioner Dr Allison
Arwady told reporters that black city residents
already lived on average about 8.8 years less
than their white counterparts.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the coronavirus was
"devastating black Chicago".
She said city inspectors would be sent into
shops to ensure everyone was adhering to social
distancing guidelines.

Mayor Lightfoot also raised the possibility of
curfews in areas where people gathered outside
liquor stores, reports the Chicago Sun-Times .

What's the picture nationally?

Though the coronavirus has been called the
"great equalizer", data suggests that
vulnerability to the infection may vary by
neighbourhood.

In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of
the population, but they account for 33% of the
coronavirus cases and 41% of deaths, figures
from the state health department showed on
Monday.
White residents account for about 23% of
recorded cases in Michigan and 28% of deaths,
according to the data.

Detroit, Michigan, is about 80% black, and the
city together with its surrounding suburbs
accounts for around 80% of confirmed
coronavirus cases.

A similar disparity has emerged in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, one of the most segregated cities in
the US.
African Americans made up almost half of
Milwaukee Country's nearly 1,000 cases as of
last Friday and 81% of its 27 deaths,
despite
black people accounting for 26% of the
population there, according to a study by
ProPublica .
Some 40% of Louisiana's coronavirus deaths
have occurred in the New Orleans area, where
the majority of residents are black.

Health officials have previously said the Big
Easy's residents suffer from rates of obesity,
diabetes and hypertension that are higher than
the national average, making them more
vulnerable to Covid-19.

What's behind the disparity in Chicago?
Mayor Lightfoot said diabetes, heart disease and
respiratory illness were "really prevalent" in
black communities.

Dr Arwady told reporters that even if everyone
in the city did have access to a doctor, "we
would still see significant health disparities
because of food deserts and lack of walkable
streets".
Dr Cameron Webb, an African-American
physician who is running for Congress in the US
state of Virginia, told BBC News that US racial
and economic disparities were being amplified
by the pandemic.
"It really exposes our society's fault lines," he
said.Stark statistics from Chicago health officials
have underscored the heavy toll of
coronavirus on black Americans.

Black Chicagoans account for half of all
coronavirus cases in the city and more than 70%
of deaths, despite making up 30% of the
population.
Other cities with large black populations,
including Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans and
New York, have become coronavirus hotspots.

What do Chicago's statistics show?
As of 5 April, 1,824 out of Chicago's
4,680 confirmed Covid-19 cases were black
residents, said city officials on Monday.
That compared with 847 white, 478 Hispanic
and 126 Asian Chicagoans.

Chicago has seen a total of 98 deaths as of
Sunday, with 72% of them black residents.
Are social disorder fears behind US gun
sales spike?
Virus fears linked to US couple's murder-
suicide
Killed by a virus he thought had been
overhyped
The disparity is reflected across the state, where
black people account for 41% of Covid-19
deaths, despite making up 14% of the
population of Illinois.
Chicago public health commissioner Dr Allison
Arwady told reporters that black city residents
already lived on average about 8.8 years less
than their white counterparts.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the coronavirus was
"devastating black Chicago".
She said city inspectors would be sent into
shops to ensure everyone was adhering to social
distancing guidelines.

Mayor Lightfoot also raised the possibility of
curfews in areas where people gathered outside
liquor stores, reports the Chicago Sun-Times .

What's the picture nationally?

Though the coronavirus has been called the
"great equalizer", data suggests that
vulnerability to the infection may vary by
neighbourhood.

In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of
the population, but they account for 33% of the
coronavirus cases and 41% of deaths, figures
from the state health department showed on
Monday.
White residents account for about 23% of
recorded cases in Michigan and 28% of deaths,
according to the data.

Detroit, Michigan, is about 80% black, and the
city together with its surrounding suburbs
accounts for around 80% of confirmed
coronavirus cases.

A similar disparity has emerged in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, one of the most segregated cities in
the US.
African Americans made up almost half of
Milwaukee Country's nearly 1,000 cases as of
last Friday and 81% of its 27 deaths,
despite
black people accounting for 26% of the
population there, according to a study by
ProPublica .
Some 40% of Louisiana's coronavirus deaths
have occurred in the New Orleans area, where
the majority of residents are black.

Health officials have previously said the Big
Easy's residents suffer from rates of obesity,
diabetes and hypertension that are higher than
the national average, making them more
vulnerable to Covid-19.

What's behind the disparity in Chicago?
Mayor Lightfoot said diabetes, heart disease and
respiratory illness were "really prevalent" in
black communities.

Dr Arwady told reporters that even if everyone
in the city did have access to a doctor, "we
would still see significant health disparities
because of food deserts and lack of walkable
streets".
Dr Cameron Webb, an African-American
physician who is running for Congress in the US
state of Virginia, told BBC News that US racial
and economic disparities were being amplified
by the pandemic.
"It really exposes our society's fault lines," he
said.Stark statistics from Chicago health officials
have underscored the heavy toll of
coronavirus on black Americans.

Black Chicagoans account for half of all
coronavirus cases in the city and more than 70%
of deaths, despite making up 30% of the
population.
Other cities with large black populations,
including Detroit, Milwaukee, New Orleans and
New York, have become coronavirus hotspots.

What do Chicago's statistics show?
As of 5 April, 1,824 out of Chicago's
4,680 confirmed Covid-19 cases were black
residents, said city officials on Monday.
That compared with 847 white, 478 Hispanic
and 126 Asian Chicagoans.

Chicago has seen a total of 98 deaths as of
Sunday, with 72% of them black residents.
Are social disorder fears behind US gun
sales spike?
Virus fears linked to US couple's murder-
suicide
Killed by a virus he thought had been
overhyped
The disparity is reflected across the state, where
black people account for 41% of Covid-19
deaths, despite making up 14% of the
population of Illinois.
Chicago public health commissioner Dr Allison
Arwady told reporters that black city residents
already lived on average about 8.8 years less
than their white counterparts.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the coronavirus was
"devastating black Chicago".
She said city inspectors would be sent into
shops to ensure everyone was adhering to social
distancing guidelines.

Mayor Lightfoot also raised the possibility of
curfews in areas where people gathered outside
liquor stores, reports the Chicago Sun-Times .

What's the picture nationally?

Though the coronavirus has been called the
"great equalizer", data suggests that
vulnerability to the infection may vary by
neighbourhood.

In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of
the population, but they account for 33% of the
coronavirus cases and 41% of deaths, figures
from the state health department showed on
Monday.
White residents account for about 23% of
recorded cases in Michigan and 28% of deaths,
according to the data.

Detroit, Michigan, is about 80% black, and the
city together with its surrounding suburbs
accounts for around 80% of confirmed
coronavirus cases.

A similar disparity has emerged in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, one of the most segregated cities in
the US.
African Americans made up almost half of
Milwaukee Country's nearly 1,000 cases as of
last Friday and 81% of its 27 deaths,
despite
black people accounting for 26% of the
population there, according to a study by
ProPublica .
Some 40% of Louisiana's coronavirus deaths
have occurred in the New Orleans area, where
the majority of residents are black.

Health officials have previously said the Big
Easy's residents suffer from rates of obesity,
diabetes and hypertension that are higher than
the national average, making them more
vulnerable to Covid-19.

What's behind the disparity in Chicago?
Mayor Lightfoot said diabetes, heart disease and
respiratory illness were "really prevalent" in
black communities.

Dr Arwady told reporters that even if everyone
in the city did have access to a doctor, "we
would still see significant health disparities
because of food deserts and lack of walkable
streets".
Dr Cameron Webb, an African-American
physician who is running for Congress in the US
state of Virginia, told BBC News that US racial
and economic disparities were being amplified
by the pandemic.
"It really exposes our society's fault lines," he
said.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52194018