Council President Parker is calling on state and county officials to compile and release data on health disparities for minorities dealing with COVID-19

On Sunday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan called disproportionate coronavirus deaths among African Americans “very disturbing,” highlighting a troubling statistic that has begun to emerge across the country — African American communities are being disproportionately impacted by the virus

In Chicago’s roughly 6,100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, more than half were African American, while only representing 30 percent of the city’s total population. National experts now believe that African Americans may be disproportionately getting sick and dying from the virus across the United States.

Birmingham City Council President William Parker is calling on calling state and county officials to compile and release data on health disparities in Birmingham related to the treatment of COVID-19.

Birmingham’s population is 74 percent black and roughly 15 percent of the population is over 65, the most at risk demographic. Parker said the Council is in the process of seeking federal funding to help address health disparities in Birmingham.

“We’ve been working with representatives with various health organizations to identify ways in which we can expand testing in our communities,” President Parker said. “But we need to have a clear understanding of what we’re dealing with and we need help from our partners on the state and county level in providing data we can use while we seek federal funding to help fight this virus.”

The Council will be considering several items on Tuesday dealing with COVID-19 relief efforts.