CHICAGO - State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) issued the following statement in response to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health showing shockingly high and disproportionate rates of COVID-19 related deaths for African-American communities in Chicago and Cook County:

“As devastating as it is, these results have been years in the making. Higher rates of underlying health conditions, less access to preventative care, barriers to treatment -- these things have burdened the black community for decades. The failure by leaders at every level to take bold action to reduce long-standing health inequities has placed black communities in the eye of the storm, and now those families are paying a profound and unprecedented price.

“Closing the vast health disparities can no longer be an afterthought. It must be an urgent and primary priority for leaders at every level of government, and I stand ready to work with them to deliver targeted healthcare resources and services necessary to build an equitable health care system.”

According to IDPH’s data, of the 86 recorded deaths related to COVID-19 in Chicago, 61, or 70% were of black residents. Blacks make up 29% of Chicago’s population. In Cook County, black residents account for 107 of the 183 COVID-19-related deaths.

Hunter has long advocated for stronger efforts by the state to address health disparities and improve access to comprehensive health care for black and underserved communities.