Faith leaders alerting communities of color to higher COVID-19 risks

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Two months since the outbreak took hold in North Carolina, the numbers are clear: COVID-19 is hitting communities of color harder.

Raising awareness across the state about the risks is the goal of a new public health campaign from the Department of Health and Human Services.

"One of the things we need to do and we are doing is raising awareness," said Rev. Prince Rivers, pastor of Union Baptist Church in Durham.

Rev. Rivers spoke to ABC11 from the pews of his empty sanctuary. He's a pastor whose flock is in the crosshairs of COVID; who he only sees these days in virtual bible studies and the weekly live streams of Sunday service on the church Facebook page.

Union Baptist was one of the first churches in the Triangle to go 100% live-stream, canceling in-person Sunday service. One member here battled COVID-19 and recovered. Other members were quarantined after being exposed on the job. And one man has extended family members who lost their lives to the disease.

And in his majority African-American church congregation, Pastor Rivers started seeing a change in behavior weeks before the stay-at-home orders came down.

"At that point, we could still have about 25 or 50 people in the sanctuary. Very few people wanted to come," Rivers recalled.

This week, Rivers became one of the faces at the centers of state's new public health campaign to raise awareness about the higher risks of COVID in the state's communities of color. In English and Spanish, the public service announcements that rolling out on social media and radio detail the disparities: African-Americans make up 22% of North Carolina's population, but 35% of the deaths. And while 9.6% of North Carolinians identify as Latin X, they are 35% of confirmed COVID cases.

Fewer residents of color have adequate health insurance or access to quality healthcare.

"We know our communities of color have had a higher disproportionate share of positive tests and deaths," said state health director Dr. Betsey Tilson. "So we are trying to be very intentional about having effective and proactive communications strategies to all of our communities."

Back at Union Baptist, Rastor Rivers is telling his members they may not return to the church until September. For a preacher who thrives on hearing his "amens" from the pews in person - it's a sacrifice that could save lives.

"I will be glad when people are back in the sanctuary, if for no other reason than to hear the feedback to the sermon," Rivers said.

The videos launched Tuesday on the state's Health and Human Services You Tube page. DHHS encouraging people to not just watch but share the video with friends and family.