The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the minority communities in New York especially hard after new data showed that African-Americans make up 18% of coronavirus deaths while Hispanics make up 14%.

The data excludes New York City. Mount Vernon Mayor Shawn Patterson Howard says these numbers highlight underlying issues that have existed long before the pandemic.

Voices United for Immigration says that in Hispanic communities, the issue lies between the language barrier and access to health care.

The organization says that minority communities hope local officials can widen the scope of health care access to combat the increasingly uneven numbers now and in the future.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer says he relies on the breakdown given by the state, but his biggest concern is enforcing social distancing in communities where populations are more dense.