ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The coronavirus is disproportionately impacting black and Latino communities across the state and in Central Florida.
As of Wednesday, 46 people have passed away because of COVID-19 in Orange County. Of those, about 40% were Hispanic, 26% were black and 22% were white.
Compared to the population, about 32% are Hispanic, 23% are black and 40% are white.
Medical professional say they’re worried as more people take to the streets to protest.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic has so disproportionately impacted communities of color, you don’t want people going back home and infecting their friends, relatives and neighbors,” said Peter Pitts, president and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.
Read: Florida sees another 1,300 plus jump in COVID-19 cases as statewide death toll tops 2,800
Protesters started about two weeks ago in Florida. If the marches do lead to a spike in cases, the data would reveal it in about another week.
“Relative to COVID-19 and social protesting, they don’t need to be mutually exclusively, but they both need to be done smartly and aggressively and with the public good in mind,” Pitts said.
On Wednesday, the state reported more than 1,300 new cases.
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