NORTHAMPTON COUNTY

CORNOR’S REPORT: Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 5, 2021, the Northampton County Coroner recorded 190 COVID-19 related deaths in Northampton County (159 residents/31 non-residents). The last COVID-19 related death was recorded Sept. 5. As of May 3, 2021, the Lehigh County Coroner reported 66 deaths of Northampton County residents. Between the two counties, 225 deaths of Northampton County residents from COVID-19 have been reported this year.

“Transmission of COVID-19 in the Lehigh Valley has been ‘High’ for several weeks,” says County Executive Lamont McClure. “We’re now starting to see the number of deaths rise from the increase in infections. I encourage everyone who can to get vaccinated and, if they develop symptoms, get tested and quarantine to prevent further spread of the virus.”

In 2020, the Northampton County Coroner reported 403 COVID-19 related deaths (359 Residents and 44 Non-residents). The Lehigh County Coroner reported 118 deaths for a total of 477 COVID-19-related deaths for Northampton County residents in 2020.

LEHIGH VALLEY

HISPANIC CENTER GRANT: The CDC Foundation announced the selection of the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley among 150 national community-based organizations receiving grants of up to $100,000 for vaccination outreach and reduction of health inequities among communities at higher risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The unprecedented infusion of federal funding will allow the Hispanic Center to expand existing work promoting vaccination access and addressing vaccine hesitancy among Hispanic/Latino, African-American, and immigrant communities throughout the Lehigh Valley in efforts to reduce disparities in vaccination rates in neighborhoods that have been most impacted by the pandemic. Over the next eight months, the Hispanic Center will work in collaboration with a wide network of medical and neighborhood partners throughout the Lehigh Valley to implement a coordinated campaign of neighborhood-based vaccination events, a bilingual media strategy, and build a network of credible, frontline nonprofit and community messengers to disseminate accurate and up-to-date information on vaccination opportunities.

Since the start of the pandemic, the Hispanic Center has played an active role in responding to the local impact of the COVID-19 virus, particularly among people of color and low-income community members who have been most disproportionately affected in the Lehigh Valley. Efforts conducted in collaboration with a wide range of community partners have included the successful vaccination of over 1,500 residents, distribution of PPE to over 400 individuals, the engagement of over 3,600 residents in a Spanish-language information session on the COVID-19 vaccine, coordination of referrals and outreach regarding rental assistance and other basic needs, and the distribution of emergency food resources to over 4,000 individuals throughout the Lehigh Valley.

For more information on the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign, visit hclv.org or follow HCLV on Facebook. Organizations or businesses interested in partnering with the Hispanic Center to support COVID-19 vaccination can reach Executive Director Victoria Montero at (610) 868-7800.