Hispanic and Latinx people now account for more COVID-19 cases in Peoria County than Blacks.
As of Wednesday, just over 30 percent of Peoria County's 406 confirmed COVID-19 cases identify as Hispanic or Latinx, and a little under 30 percent identify as African American or Black. The rest identify as white.
Compare that to a month ago, on May 17, when a bit over 40 percent each of Peoria County's then-reported 158 cases identified as either white or Black. Another 10 percent or so identified as "other."
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates slightly less than 5 percent of Peoria County's 179,000 people identify as Hispanic or Latinx, compared to nearly 19 percent who say they're Black.
So what's responsible for the spike in cases? Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson said it started with a few COVID-19 positive people who shared their information and worked with the health department to aid in contact tracing efforts among the Hispanic population in Peoria County.
"It really centered around a few families who were exposed, did the right thing, got themselves tested, and then very much focused on getting those around them to get tested," Hendrickson said. "And a lot of it had to do with, many of them work in the essential service industries. They were multigenerational homes. They carpool. They were doing your daily activities."
Hendrickson said many of those in the local Hispanic population who tested positive had such mild symptoms they weren't sure they had any symptoms at all.
Recently, local health officials have stepped up their outreach to the local Hispanic community. Heartland Health Services offered special testing hours on Tuesday and Wednesday at its East Bluff test collection site catering to the Hispanic population. The site was staffed with Spanish-speaking employees able to serve as interpreters to overcome potential language barriers. More of those specialized testing days are possible.
Hendrickson said they're also reaching out to groups already involved in the Latinx community, like Christell Frausto of the Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, to encourage people to get tested.
"If they're working as essential workers, it's harder to get a day off, or if they have children, they have a family, they might not make it a priority to get tested," Frausto said. "And in the meantime, they could be possibly infecting those loved ones, friends or family, or additional people that they come in contact with during their workday."
Frausto said immigration status can be another concern. The Heartland Health Services COVID-19 testing sites don't ask about anyone's immigration status in administering a test or delivering results.
"We just want to make sure that people feel comfortable coming out and get tested, and their privacy is protected," she said.
Hendrickson said the health department has Spanish-speaking staff to assist with contact tracing. State assistance is also available for smaller health departments which may not have those resources. Resources will expand if Peoria County receives the $4.9 million in contact tracing funds it applied for through the state.
"Part of that includes funding for targeted outreach to vulnerable populations, supporting additional staff that can do outreach as well as contact tracing and testing capacity building in our very high-risk populations," she said.
If Peoria County receives that whole $4.9 million amount, Hendrickson said there will be a focus on hiring staff that can work with the local Latinx and French Congolese populations.
Hendrickson said groups like the Greater Peoria Hispanic Chamber will be vital to efforts making sure the county's COVID-19 testing and contact tracing efforts are equitable.
"They're going to be subject-matter experts in the communities they serve," she said. "Rather than coming in with a perscribed idea of what works best, really listening to that population about what works best, and then creating that."
That includes things like bilingual social media posts and targeted outreach activities.
Testing at the three Heartland Health Services testing sites in Peoria and Pekin, as well as the state-run testing site at the Civic Center parking lot on Fulton Street, are open to all adults, regardless of whether or not they display COVID-19 symptoms. Testing is free. Insurance is not required to receive a test.
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