Biden’s Plan to Help Latinos During the Pandemic Calls for Action Now

The Former VP says Trump must end his attack on the Affordable Care Act and implement his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris’ bill that addresses coronavirus racial and ethnic disparities.  

Presidential candidate Joe Biden understands how terribly the coronavirus has ravaged the Latino community. In his newly released Latino agenda, Biden details not only how he will support Latinos and their families amid a pandemic but also demands that President Donald Trump step up to the plate and help Latinos now.

As of today, 4,889,500 people in the U.S. have been infected with the coronavirus, and at least 159,500 have died, according to the New York Times. Latinos are more than four times more likely to experience hospitalization due to COVID-19 than non-Hispanic white persons. However, Trump has not addressed or taken action against the healthcare disparities that Latinos continue to endure even more during the coronavirus crisis. 

RELATED: Latinos Make Up 71% of COVID-19 Cases Despite Being Only 33% of Population in this County

The former vice president wants Trump to work with Congress and implement his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris‘ bill—COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act—which addresses the racial disparities. Biden wants Trump to stop his attempts to do away with the Affordable Care Act, which provides healthcare to millions in the U.S.

As more meatpacking workers continue to get infected with COVID-19, Trump refuses to close the plants and signed an Executive Order to keep them open. Biden promises to take care of these workers, most of whom are Latino, and farmworkers who are not protected against infection.

RELATED: How Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” Plan Will Help Latinos and Other People of Color

Biden’s plan promises to expand long overdue rights to farmworkers and domestic workers — who are disproportionately Latinos and other people of color — including by enacting the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and Fairness for Farm Workers Act.

Several Latino lawmakers have praised Biden’s plan to support Latinos through the pandemic, including Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, who’ve experienced the devastating of COVID-19 firsthand. Castro’s stepmother died last month after being infected.

“We need a President who understands that COVID-19 exacerbated long-standing inequities in our society and has a plan to build back better than before — that’s Vice President Joe Biden,” Castro said in a statement. “From ensuring health care as a human right to expanding small businesses and economic opportunity to creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented Americans, Vice President Biden’s vision for a more fair, prosperous, and just America puts the Latino community front and center.”

Related: Trump Has Deliberately Targeted Immigrants During the Pandemic. These 13 Policies Prove It.

Viera said that Biden’s coronavirus plan for Latino would be essential in addressing the needs of his community in Tampa, Florida. More than 30,000 have been infected in Hillsborough County, where Tampa is located. 

“The pandemic has hit Florida hard and our Hispanic communities in our state even harder, reminding us why we need a leader in the White House who will make the issues facing Hispanic communities in Florida and across the country a priority,” Viera said in a statement. “His agenda is a clear commitment to uplifting our community.”