COVID-19 impacts everyone, but the impacts are uneven

The COVID-19 pandemic has a disparate impact on populations that do not have access to adequate nutrition, housing, medicalcare, education, and equal treatment under the law. Data suggests disparities in health risks and outcomes and in COVID-19 impacts based on race/ethnicity – “Health disparities” are differences in health outcomes and their causes among groups of people. Many people face barriers that prevent or limit access to needed health care services, which may increase the risk of poor health outcomes and health disparities.

Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put some members of racial and ethnic minority groups at increased risk of getting COVID-19 or experiencing severe illness, regardless of age. Among some racial and ethnic minority groups, including non-Hispanic black persons, Hispanics and Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives, evidence points to higher rates of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 than among non-Hispanic white persons.

COVID-19 response and recovery strategies for Monterey County must include economic supports including considerations for housing, child care, and income and employment replacement or training. In Monterey County, important economic challenges for residents includes lack of affordable housing across income levels. Roughly half of county residents rent their homes and 56% of the renting population spends more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities.11 The liquid asset poverty rate, which refers to a household’s inability to rely on available assets to survive for at least three months without income, was 42% prior to Covid-19. When broken down by race/ethnicity, that rate shows stark racial disparities, the rate for households of color was 59%, more than double the rate of white households (24%).

Economic challenges for residents and COVID-19 impacts are closely tied, as many essential jobs are in sectors with an abundance of lower paying jobs such as agriculture. Most of the confirmed COVID-19 cases were in the agricultural sector. Leisure and hospitality is another important employment sector in the County that has been affected by the economic downturn and sector closures as part of COVID-19 containment efforts.  

Strategies for Response

• Testing, isolation, quarantine, and vaccination supports
• Better incentives to increase employer compliance with labor laws
• Permanent paid sick leave policies
• Improved approaches for affordable housing including addressing regulatory environment, fees, zoning laws

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