The majority of COVID-19–related deaths in Chicago are people of color. Though racial disparity in health care is a historic and ongoing problem in Chicago, the intensity and immediate life-and-death impact of disparity during the COVID-19 crisis calls for an urgent and forceful response from the city. To help save the lives of those most vulnerable and to mitigate effects from the crisis caused by racial disparities, the city mounted the Racial Equity Rapid Response—a data-driven, community-based and community-driven mitigation of COVID-19 illness and death in African American and Latinx Chicago communities.

The goals of this endeavor are to

• Flatten the COVID-19 mortality curve in African American and Latinx communities in Chicago.

• Build a groundwork for future work to address long-standing and systemic inequities in African American and Latinx communities (health, economic, and social).

To meet these goals we will need to

• Develop a citywide community mitigation operation that works hyperlocally in partnership with African American and Latinx community organizers and leadership to mitigate COVID-19 illness and death.

• Listen and respond to community-identified needs within the context of partnership that is mutual and centered around benefiting, not burdening, African American and Latinx communities.

• Marshal data, screening tools, testing, and human resources needed to respond to community-identified barriers and needs.

The response is organized into 4 categories

• Education: Provide communication and updates that are relevant for residents and speak to realities of their lives.

• Prevention: Work to ensure residents have the resources and information needed to protect themselves and their families.

• Testing and treatment: Work alongside our health department to ensure the expansion of testing and treatment goes to areas in greatest need and lowers, or eliminates, barriers to access.

• Support services and resources: Work to ensure people have access to supportive services and resources that sustain their livelihoods.