Richmond Coronavirus Deaths Are All Black People

It’s a story that has become all too familiar in the COVID-19 pandemic: African Americans are disproportionately bearing the brunt of coronavirus deaths.

In one of the most recent instances, all eight people killed by the virus in Richmond, Va. are African American, APM.org reported on April 15.

Although African Americans comprise 48 percent of Richmond’s population, they represent 62 percent of the city’s 162 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Danny Avula stated.

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In Virginia, Blacks account for 20 percent of the state’s population but a much higher percentage of coronavirus victims.

“In terms of deaths, with 59 deaths among African Americans, and with the race and ethnicity data available on 168 of our total of 195, that means 35 percent of deaths are African American,” said State Health Commission Norman Oliver.