SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – The South Bay is making progress in slowing the spread of the coronavirus in communities that have been disproportionately impacted.
Reducing the positivity rate in these hardest-hit communities is important because they are a factor in any further reopening of the economy.
Fliers are posted at Story and King Roads in East San Jose reminding residents that their community has been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus.
After reaching a high of roughly 60-percent, the percentage of coronavirus cases here and in Gilroy is now at 57-percent and continues to trend downward.
The failure to meet what the state says are “health equity benchmarks” could be a problem for the county as it works toward further reopening, says lead PIO Betty Duong.
A multicultural populace, language barriers, and an early lack of testing and contact tracing contributed to the high numbers.
A door-to-door educational campaign and other outreach efforts are credited with helping to reinforce the need for face masks, social distancing, and the need for testing.
The state’s focus on equity is partly based on the fact that so many of the disproportionately impacted populations work in sectors seeing an increase in patrons which in turn increases the potential risk for exposure to the virus.