Problem

​I watched a Port Arthur city council meeting that took place on September 14th, 2021 where council members discussed a proposition for a grant not exceeding $290,000 that would look at addressing disparities among the treatment of COVID-19 patients in ethnic, minority, and rural communities. The Port Arthur City Council should accept funding from the Texas Department of State Health Services to address COVID-19 health disparities because it will help improve healthcare disparities among minority communities, work to provide healthcare for members of rural communities, and strengthen public access to vaccines.
​

Why should Port Arthur accept this grant?

Graphic showing the areas of Texas with high pollution levels. 
Source: Covid-19 and Climate Change Threats Compound in Minority Communities
Minorities have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to systemic inequalities and lack of healthcare. With such a large African American community inhabiting Port Arthur, this grant would be beneficial to the area in addressing these inequalities. 
  • Port Arthur is an extremely high risk location for the Coronavirus.
  • Many African Americans hold blue collar jobs that require them to come in contact with people constantly. 

​
Picture
  • The unemployment rate in Port Arthur is one of the highest among Texas cities with a rate of roughly 10%.
                                                                                                    Graph showing unemployment rates in Texas.                                                                  
                                                                                                               Source: Private Enterprise Research Center Teas A&M University 
Graph displaying lack of healthcare coverage of minorities in Texas. 
Source: The Blog of the Urban Institute
  • Identifying barriers to healthcare access would help alleviate the strain the pandemic placed on these communities. 
  • The Robert A. "Bob" Bowers Civic Center was one of the first places that Port Arthur residents could access free COVID-19 testing on a larger scale.
  • Having access to tests not only in Port Arthur but in the neighboring smaller communities as well is very important to preventing the spread of the virus. 
Picture of the Robert A. "Bob" Bowers Civic center.
​Source: The Port Arthur News "Free Covid -19 Testing offered in Port Arthur Monday through Friday"
Graph displaying the vaccination rate for black residents in Jefferson County,
Source: 12 News Now "Southeast Texas leaders attempting to curb vaccine hesitancy within Black Community"
  • There is some vaccine hesitancy among minority groups in the Jefferson County area. One way to combat this is by educating and ensuring that the public has access to the most accurate and up-to-date vaccine information, and this can be accomplished through the use of the grant funds. 
Port Arthur has had a total of 99 deaths due to COVID-19 and

about 47.5% of the population has received the first dose. 

Solution Cities

Lubbock
Picture of Lubbock residents waiting to get vaccinated at Texas Tech.
Source: Lubbock Online
  • The city of Lubbock accepted the grant and is actively pursuing efforts to get more residents vaccinated to slow the spread. 
Houston
  • The city of Houston received the grant money prior to Port Arthur and were able to ramp up vaccination efforts. As you can see, people in Harris and Fort Bend County are getting vaccinated at a much higher rate compared to other surrounding counties. 
Graphic showing counties with the most and least amount of residents who are vaccinated. 
Source: Houston Chronicle

Marshall

Advertisement for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Marshall, Texas. 
Source: Marshall News Messenger 
  •   Marshall is offering free vaccines to residents in various communities in partnership with the Texas Department of State Health Services. 

Conclusion

​The Port Arthur City Council consenting to a contract that would provide funding for COVID-19 disparities would provide protection for minority and rural communities as well as help vaccines become more accessible to communities that are most vulnerable to the threat of the pandemic. In the midst of the pandemic, there are many people in cities across the United States who are unfairly affected by these inequities. Funding to help battle disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic would help make communities safer and foster a healthier world.