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State officials say they’ll release data about COVID-19 in the state as it relates to race by the end of May. Nebraska is one of only seven states not releasing case data by race, and one of 12 states not releasing COVID death data by race.
Josie Rodriguez, administrator of the Nebraska Office of Health Disparities and Health Equity, spoke on this week's episode of Speaking of Nebraska: A COVID-19 Town Hall with Gov. Ricketts.
She says minority populations have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
"And when we look at the areas that are being affected and the individuals, a lot of them work in service industries and meatpacking," Rodriguez said. "And I think now is a really important time to think about how our minority populations really contribute to the economy of Nebraska. It’s important to think about that and the work that they do."
Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday 1,005 food processing workers had tested positive for COVID-19. At the time, that represented nearly one-sixth of the state's total cases.
Rodriguez says minorities are less likely to have health insurance or a regular physician, and are more likely to have some of the underlying health conditions that make COVID symptoms more severe.
The Douglas County Health Department has been releasing the data for weeks. In the Omaha area, Hispanic residents make up less than 13% of the population but represent 41% of the COVID-19 cases in the county. Asians and African Americans also make up a disproportionate percentage of COVID cases.
Gov. Ricketts says the state is working to collect the information from the regional health departments before releasing it publicly.
The state's Health and Human Services CEO previously said she was looking at the data but was cautious about releasing it publicly.
Watch: Speaking of Nebraska: A COVID-19 Town Hall with Gov. Ricketts: