BUDA — Due to the disproportionate spread of COVID-19 among Hispanics and all minorities, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) will host a webinar with Dr. Anthony Fauci tomorrow.

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Fauci serves as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and has been an advisor to every U.S. President since Ronald Reagan.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanics experience higher rates of COVID-19 across the board when compared with white Americans; 2.8 times higher rate of cases, 4.6 times higher rate of hospitalizations and 1.1 times higher rate of death. African Americans also exhibit a similar pattern when compared with White Americans; 2.6 times higher rate in cases; 4.7 times higher rate of hospitalizations and 2.1 times higher rate of deaths.

The U.S. has the second largest Latino population in the world of over 53 million people and makes up 74% of the labor force in the U.S.  With almost 12 million Latinos living in Texas, the state has been severely affected by this deadly virus.

Dr. Fauci accepted TAMACC’s invitation to address Hispanic business and community leaders from across the state of Texas via webinar.  Recognizing the amount of confusion and mixed messaging about COVID-19, TAMACC invited him to speak directly and unfiltered to Hispanic leaders, influencers, and elected officials about the devastating impact this pandemic is having on Hispanics and all minorities.

“We are honored and extremely fortunate to have Dr. Anthony Fauci give us a briefing and recommendations on the best course of action to help mitigate the further spread of COVID,” said TAMACC Chairman Samuel Guzman.  “Information and scientific facts are key components needed to reduce the number of infections and deaths among Hispanics and all minorities.”  

Immediately following Dr. Fauci’s briefing, TAMACC will host a roundtable discussion and a strategic planning session with Hispanic leaders from across the state.  The projected outcome is to develop and initiate plans of action to help our essential and frontline workers survive the deadly pandemic.

“This is not a political issue; it is a health issue,” said TAMACC President and CEO Pauline E. Anton.  “This is not a state issue; it is an American issue.  We want to arm our communities with information, science, and a clear direction on how to better protect themselves and to make all communities a safer place.”

The webinar with Dr. Fauci, followed by the roundtable discussion, is Thursday, Sept. 24, from noon to – 1:30 p.m.  For those interested in attending, or for more information, please contact the TAMACC office at panton@tamacc.org  You may also visit our website to register for this free webinar at www.tamacc.org