Fresno City Councilmember Luis Chavez sent a letter to Fresno County officials on Friday asking for detailed financial information to assist the City of Fresno in drafting a COVID-19 Mitigating Spending Plan to ensure that there is a minimal duplication of resources.
“The disproportionate effect of this pandemic on the Latino community is evident by the fact that Latinos account for 66% of COVID-19 deaths, while only being 50.3% of the population,” Chavez said. “County data will be key to reducing that figure and strategically focusing resources where they are critically needed.”
Chavez is asking the county for the following data:
- Positive COVID-19 data by zip code or census tract, number of cases, by ethnicity, age range and gender and declared employment profession of the cases.
- Data from tracing efforts, regarding where the individuals are believed to have been exposed – work (food plants, processing plants, construction, health facilities, etc.), bars, restaurants, private gatherings, gyms, family or co-habitant.
- What’s the county’s tracing effort/protocol for contacting other potentially exposed individuals that have been in close contact with COVID-19 positive residents? How extensive is that process? Please describe who is contacted and what criteria is for contacting?
- Plans the county has to utilize the CARES funding granted by the federal government for the purpose of COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Testing and tracing in the City of Fresno, particularly areas with high COVID-19 positive cases.
