One-Third Of COVID-19 Cases In Milwaukee Are Among Hispanic Residents

One-third of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Milwaukee County are among Hispanic or Latino patients, according to county health leaders.

Milwaukee’s communities of color have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, but this is the first time the Hispanic population has surpassed the African American population for the number of positive coronavirus cases.

As of Thursday, there were 7,182 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Milwaukee County. Of those, 2,383 were patients who identify as Hispanic or Latino. Latinos make up about 15 percent of Milwaukee County’s population.

The surge of cases has been concentrated on Milwaukee’s south side.

Dr. Ben Weston of the Medical College of Wisconsin, said there are a large number of tests that haven’t been processed from a testing center on the south side. Once those are processed, health care professionals will have an even better understanding of what’s going on, Weston said.

“It’s easy to stigmatize and make assumptions, especially about a community and specifically one that historically has faced intuitional discrimination,” Weston said. “Another view — and I would say a more accurate perspective — is perhaps the higher number of disease in the Hispanic community is due to the higher number of essential workers. Essential workers with jobs that provide low pay and an opportunity for sick pay when you have a cough.”

This trend mirrors what is happening statewide, where about one-third of Wisconsin’s 16,974 confirmed cases have been patients are Hispanic or Latino, according to the state Department of Health Services.