Black Kentuckians are dying at 2.5x rate from the coronavirus, Gov. Beshear says

African Americans in Kentucky are dying from the coronavirus at two-and-half times the rate of their population, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Saturday.

The disproportionate rate mirrors troubling statistics from across the country, which has raised alarm among state and federal leaders.

Kentucky's population is about 4.4 million people, with 87.6% identifying as white, 8.4% as black or African American and 1.6% as Asian.

Of the positive tests calculated thus far, state officials know the race for about 81% of Kentucky's COVID-19 cases. Among those, Beshear said, 77.6% are white, 21.05% are African American and 1.31% are Asian.

Read more: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2020/04/11/gov-beshear-black-kentuckians-dying-higher-rate-covid-19/2977722001/