Fewer than 12,000 people live in Yeadon Borough, yet they have the highest rate of coronavirus cases of any town with at least 10,000 in the Philadelphia suburbs or Philadelphia zip code, reports Ellie Silverman, Erin McCarthy, John Duchneskie and Dylan Purcell for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

There were 443 cases as of July 16, 3.86 percent of the population.

Two reasons may explain it.

Yeadon is home to three nursing homes whose residents are more vulnerable to the virus. Forty percent of the borough’s cases come from those nursing homes.

It’s a low income and minority community.

That means more residents with underlying health conditions, living close together, working essential jobs that put them at higher risk. Thirty percent of workers have healthcare jobs.

There’s also  less access to testing and health care.

“The simple reality is that this pandemic has highlighted the gross inequities that exist with medical care for African American communities,” Borough Council President LaToya Monroe and Mayor Rohan Hepkins said in a statement to the Inquirer.

Testing is increasing in Yeadon. Then they may know if Yeadon’s high numbers are coming from nursing home workers, or other essential workers.

Read more about Yeadon’s unique COVID-19 situation here.

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