Latinos have the most coronavirus cases in Washington state

More Latinos have contracted Covid-19 than any other race in the state, according to data published by Washington State Department of Health. As of June 17, 8,673 Latinos contracted the coronavirus -- 43 percent of all confirmed cases.

For context, 7,152 white patients were confirmed to have the virus in the state, 1,521 less than Latinos, despite the Latino population only accounting for 13% of the state’s total population.

Locally, an analysis completed by Seattle and King County Public Health in May, found that Covid-19 is disproportionately impacting communities of color. Latinos, Native Hawaiians and Blacks had significantly higher rates of infection and hospitalizations, when compared to white people.

And in King County, while the total number of Covid-19 deaths is highest among white people, the rate of death ( based on an age-adjusted number per 100,000 people of that race) for Latinos and Native Hawaiians is more than double than whites.

In Yakima County, where about half the population is Latino, 5,777 people have contracted coronavirus.

Enrique Pérez de la Rosa, reporter for Northwest Public Broadcasting, told Seattle Now about David Cruz, an agricultural worker in Yakima who died of the coronavirus. He was raised in Mexico and at age 25 moved to Yakima County.

Cruz was afraid to go to work at Allan Brothers Fruit, but continued to, in order to pay bills.

“(Cruz) was very happy with the work that he was doing … and he never had any sort of complaints,” Rosa said. “He was a very hard worker and always happy to go to work, but that changed in March because people started getting sick.”