SALT LAKE CITY — The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected Utah’s Hispanic and Latino community, which has seen the second most hospitalizations and deaths from the virus, according to the Utah Department of Health.
Fox13Now.com reports the Leza family from Brigham City is just one of many families in the community who have lost a loved one during the pandemic.
“My 34-year-old daughter and 31-year-old son called and said ‘I think we’re going to take grandpa to the hospital because he just doesn’t sound right,” said Danny Leza.
“It turned out he did not have a stroke,” he said. “They did a COVID test and that’s when they told us he had COVID.”
Leza said just 14 days later his father died from the virus.
“And through the window of the hospital, we watched as they removed his respirator,” Leza said tearfully. “And we were able to watch him take his last breath.”
Even though Latinos only make up 14% of the state’s population, they make up almost 25% of total cases and 18% of total deaths.
Read the full story here: Fox13Now.com.
Written by DIEGO ROMO, Fox13Now.com.
COVID-19 information resources
St. George News has made every effort to ensure the information in this story is accurate at the time it was written. However, as the situation and science surrounding the coronavirus continues to evolve, it’s possible that some data has changed.
Check the resources below for up-to-date information and resources.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- World Health Organization
- Utah Department of Health
- Safe Southern Utah
- Información sobre coronavirus en español
- To file complaint about non-compliance with mask mandate
- Intermountain Healthcare
- To Donate and Volunteer to Help
Southern Utah coronavirus count (as of Dec. 5, 2020, seven-day average in parentheses)
Positive COVID-19 tests: 13,5171 (255.4 new infections per day in seven days, rising since Dec. 4)
- Washington County: 10,726 (194.1 per day, rising)
- Iron County: 2,152 (50.4 per day, rising)
- Kane County: 205 (5.5 per day, rising)
- Garfield County: 2456(1.1 per day, steady)
- Beaver County: 188 (4.1 per day, rising)
New infections for major Southern Utah cities (numbers released ahead of Southern Utah numbers):
- St. George: 126 (falling)
- Washington City: 40 (rising)
- Hurricane/LaVerkin: 26 (rising)
- Ivins City/Santa Clara: 30 (rising)
- Cedar City: 58 (rising)
Deaths: 96 (0.9 per day, falling)
- Washington County: 81 (1 new: Hospitalized female 65-84)
- Iron County: 6
- Garfield County: 6
- Kane County: 1
- Beaver County: 2
Hospitalized: 46 (steady)
Active cases: 4,559 (rising)
Recovered: 8,862
Current Utah seven-day average: 2,958 (rising)
Copyright 2019, KSTU. A Tribune broadcasting station