Rochester's two nonprofit health centers are opening new respiratory clinics in city neighborhoods, trying to address a racial disparity seen in the coronavirus infection and death rates.
Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says that data has shown a trend she was hoping not to see.
Mayor Warren says the issue they need to address is that nearly 90 percent of the COVID patients in intensive care are people of color, and 65 percent of the patients on ventilators. She says communities of color need more testing so they can address people who are getting sick earlier, and make sure they get the treatment that they need.
And Warren says people of color are less than 25 percent of the Rochester region's population.
The clinics run by Jordan Health and Trillium Health in partnership with the University of Rochester will work to give Rochester families access to high quality medical care for coronavirus infection and COVID-19.