HOUSTON – Recent findings show in some communities the death rate of African Americans who contract COVID-19 can be as high as 70%.
“There are two types of people now in our community," said Dr. Joseph Gathe Jr., a Houston infectious disease specialist. "Ones that are infected and ones that are potentially going to be infected.”
Gathe, a guest on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall, discussed the horrendous impact of COVID-19 in the African American community. He said testing and social distancing are the main ways to overcome the virus.
He identified the specific reasons Black people are more susceptible to COVID-19.
See that answer and more in this week’s Houston Newsmakers EXTRA:
Politics keeping money away from small businesses
U.S. Rep Brian Babin, R, said the economy needs another financial boost after the nearly $350 billion in the Payroll Protection Program dried up. He said Democrats are holding up the Republicans request for an additional $250 billion.
“It was blocked by the Democrats,” he said. “They wanted to add a whole bunch of extraneous things that quite frankly didn’t have anything to do with COVID-19.”
Babin said the federal stimulus is one aspect of what is needed to get the economy rolling. He said coronavirus testing is also an essential part of the process.
Here is more of what Babin reveal in this Newsmakers EXTRA:
Waiting on next moves from Congress
The Small Business Administration is the gatekeeper fo the Paycheck Protection Program, which secured $350 billion appropriated by Congress.
Tim Jeffcoat, the District Director of the Small Business Administration, discussed the processes business owners needed to follow to qualify for funding and services available through the SBA.
Check out what all Jeffcoat had to say:
Is the city of Houston facing mass layoffs?
The city of Houston Controller Chris Brown said it is too early to tell the economic impact of coronavirus will play on the budget. However, he said he is watching very closely.
“The first indicator will be our sales tax numbers,” he said. “We’ll see on May 6th. The March sales tax numbers will be the first indications of how deep this recession is going to go here in Houston.”
Brown also listed other factors to pay attention too and what services might be the first to be axed.
Houston Newsmakers broadcasted weekly at 10:30 a.m.
More Information:
- Dr. Joseph Gathe, Jr. MD, Infectious Disease Specialist
- Website: www.josephgathe.com
- Phone: 713-526-9821
- U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, D.D.S., (R) 36th Congressional District
- Website: https://babin.house.gov/
- Washington D.C. Phone: 202-225-1555
- Deer Park Office Phone: 832-780-0966
- Twitter: @RepBrianBabin
- Chris Brown, Houston Controller
- Phone: 832-393-3460
- Twitter: @COHController
- Email: Controllers@Houstontx.gov
- Jim Jeffcoat, District Director, Small Business Administration
- Phone: 713-773-6500
- Twitter: @SBAgov
- Instagram: @sbagov