Wisconsin's official death toll for COVID-19 now tops 1,000.
The state reported eight more deaths Tuesday, to push the number of deceased to 1,006.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 72% of those who have died of COVID-19 were age 70 and older. And, 89% were 60 and older. But on a webcast Tuesday, Milwaukee County Emergency Management official Dr. Ben Weston said much younger people are at risk too.
"In Milwaukee County, we've had six individuals in their 20s who have died, and statewide, they've had many more than that,” he said.
Weston said the other Wisconsin statistic that stands out is one of racial disparity — Black people make up 21% of the coronavirus deaths and Latinos 12%, numbers far above their percentages of the state population.
"We know that statewide, an African American person is nearly four times as likely to die of COVID as a white person, and we know a Hispanic person is about two times likely to die,” he said.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the higher death rates among Blacks and Latinos are linked to longstanding social and economic injustices. He said his administration is shifting to strategies that prevent poor outcomes for all county residents.
71% of the state COVID-19 death toll is in southeastern Wisconsin.
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