Latino community hit hard by pandemic

The Latino community has been hit extremely hard by COVID-19 nationwide. Now, we’re learning about an alarming trend with pregnancies.

GERMANTOWN, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - The Latino community has been hit extremely hard by COVID-19 nationwide.

Montgomery County officials tell FOX 5 in June, more than 67 percent of new coronavirus cases in the county were Latino patients. That number dropped to 43.5 percent in July – but the Latino community makes up just 20 percent of the population in the county.

Now, we’re learning about an alarming trend with pregnancies.

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According to new data from the CDC, 16,798 pregnant women nationwide have tested positive for the coronavirus since January – nearly half of the patients they have race information on are Latina.

Local doctors say the CDC's numbers are consistent with what they’re seeing in the D.C. region.

Grace Rivera-Oven has been leading an incredible grassroots effort in upper Montgomery County – organizing the delivery of much-needed supplies to the Latino community.

Rivera-Oven tells FOX 5 that she knows of several dozen babies born during the pandemic. In at least eight of the pregnancies where the mother tested positive for COVID-19 – one mother passed away.

She started collecting donations when the pandemic began and asked the CEO of the BlackRock Center for the Arts, Lynn Arndt, to use some space inside the building. The center was forced to close because of COVID-19.

A small pile of donated supplies has spread to rooms filled with boxes.

More than a dozen foundations and health centers are now involved, along with the local government.

The Hub in Germantown as it’s called went from helping 23 to 800 families a week.

The Montgomery County Council approved $5.5. million to go toward resources for the Latino community along with contact tracing and more testing, as soon as county-run testing is back up and running.

If you would like to help, the Hub in Germantown is in need of many specific items. Those items include:

- Baby formula
- Similac or Enfamil
- Diapers (Size 5 and 6) 
- Baby wipes
 - Shampoo
 - Feminine products
 - Hand soap 
- Toothpaste 
- Toothbrushes  
- Detergent  
- Hand sanitizer
- Cereal 
- Peanut butter 
- Jelly 
- Pasta 
- Pancake mix
 - Corn tortillas 
- Canned Vienna sausages
- Canned corn 
- Canned peas

Anyone in need of help can email: Hub@blackrockcenter.org