PILSEN — As the city reopens and with a holiday weekend ahead, a new public service announcement is urging Latinos to remain vigilant to guard against coronavirus.
Pilsen-based photographer and videographer Mateo Zapata is urging Latino families to continue to wear masks and follow public health guidelines in a new public service announcement.
Zapata said the precautions are especially important in Latino neighborhoods, which have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic in recent months. Coronavirus cases also are continuing to spike in other parts of the country.
The video is meant to remind people we are still in a pandemic and people need to continue to wear masks to protect one another, Zapata said.
The one-minute video in English and Spanish urges families to take time to speak with relatives on best hand-washing practices and using masks.
“We know we are a community of essential workers. Now, more than ever, it’s vital to protect…our grandmothers and grandfathers, our uncles and aunts, mothers and fathers,” the voiceover says. “It’s time to step up for our families and our communities.”
In May, Little Village, Brighton Park, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn and Belmont Craigin — all predominately Latino neighborhoods — had the most coronavirus cases in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
As of July 1, Latinos accounted for 19,760 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Chicago, out of 52,569 cases total. Ethnicity has not been determined for 11,100 cases, according to public health data.
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