Kern County health officials release new COVID-19 data, including race

Kern County health officials release new COVID-19 data, including race

JESSICA -- THAT'S RIGHT THIS ISTHE FIRST TIME HEALTH OFFICIALSARE RELEASING INFORMATIONREGARDING RACE, ETHNICITY ANDSEX OF PATIENTS WHO TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19 IN THECOUNTY.

HEALTH OFFICIALS ALSORELEASED THE AMOUNT OFCASES RESIDING IN EACH ZIP CODE.NOW THIS IS INFORMATIONTHAT MANY OTHER COUNTIES HAVEALREADY PROVIDED TOTHEIR PUBLIC, BUT HEALTHOFFICIALS HERE SAY THEY ARE JUSTRELEASING IT NOW BECAUSE THATHAD TO MAKE SURE ITDIDN'T VIOLATE HIPPA LAWS."YOU WILL SEE TWO NEW ELEMENTSTHATHAVE BEEN ADDED, THE CASES BYRACE AND ETHNICITY AS WELL ASTHE CASESBY SEX.THE NEWLY RELEASED DATA BY KERNCOUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH GIVES US AMORE DETAILED LOOK AT WHATETHNIC POPULATIONS INTHE COUNTY ARE CONTRACTINGCOVID-19.ACCORDING TO THEIR DATA --HISPANICS HAVE BEENCONTRACTING COVID-19 AT A HIGHERRATE THAN OTHERETHNICITIES ACCOUNTING FOR MORE65 PERCENT OF THECASES IN THE COUNTY... IT'S ATREND THAT IS CONSISTANT WITHSTATE TOTALS -- SHOWING THATHISPANICS MAKE UP FOR NEARLY 50PERCENT OF THE CASES INCALIFORNIA.HEALTH EXPERTS SAY ONE OF THEREASONS FOR THIS TREND ISBECAUSE COMMUNITIES OF COLORHAVE LESS ACCESS TOHEALTHCARE.MEANTIME -- THE U.S. CENSUSSHOWS THAT MORE THAN HALFTHE COUNTY'S POPULATION ISHISPANIC."RACE AND ETHNICITY ARE OBTAINEDFROM THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ORFROMTHE PATIENT DIRECTLY."DATA SHOWS MORE THAN 18 PERCENTOF CASES IN THECOUNTY ARE AMONG THE WHITEPOPULATION ..NEARLY 5 PERCENT ARE ASIAN ANDABOUT 2 PERCENT AREAFRICAN AMERICAN.MORE THAN 8 PERCENT OF PATIENTSDECLINED TOPROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TOHEALTHCARE PROVIDERS..."LASTLY ON OUR DASHBOARD YOUWILL SEE A NEW MAP, THIS MAP ISNOW DIVIDEDBY ZIPCODE ... IT WILL TELL YOUTHE POPULATION OF THAT ZIPCODE,THE NUMBEROF POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES ..

ASWELL AS THE NUMBER OF CASES THATHAVERECOVERED."DURING MONDAY'S LIVEPRESS-CONFERENCE --THE MAP WAS NOT OPERATINGCORRECTLY DURING PUBLICHEALTH'S PRESENTATION."I GUESS THAT MEANS THERE IS ALOT OF PEOPLE ON THE MAP."ACCORDING TO ONE PUBLIC HEALTHEMPLOYEE, THEWEBSITE MALFUNCTIONED AND THEMAP WAS NOT ACCESIBLEFOR SEVERAL HOURS ..

23ABC HASBEEN TOLD A FIXED MAP HASSINCE BEEN REUPLOADED TO THESITE.AT THE PRESS CONFERENCEOFFICIALS SPOKE ABOUT THEAT THE PRESS CONFERENCEOFFICIALS SPOKE ABOUT THEHEALTH OFFICER REVOKING HISEMERGENCY ORDER ONSATURDAY -- BUT OFFICIALS MADEIT CLEAR THAT RESIDENTS MUSTSTILL ABIDE BY THE GOVERNOR'SSHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS.THE KERN COUNTY BOARD OFSUPERVISORS ARE EXPECTED TODISCUSS THE REOPENING OF KERNCOUNTY TUESDAY.FOR NOW LIVE IN FRONT OF PUBLICHEALTH, BAYAN WANG, 23ABCCONNECTING YOU.NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT CASESAROUND THE COUNTY.