Maine Sees Widest Virus Racial Disparity Gap in the U.S.

Black Maine residents, who make up 1.4% of the state's population, account for nearly a quarter of its coronavirus cases

By The Associated Press • Published June 22, 2020 • Updated on June 22, 2020 at 8:56 am

The widest racial disparity stemming from the coronavirus pandemic is in Maine, where Black residents are contracting the virus at 20 times the rate of their white neighbors.

Maine has the highest percentage of white residents of any state. It also has a low rate of coronavirus infection, with less than 3,000 cases in total.

But the Portland Press Herald reports Black Maine residents, who make up 1.4% of the state's population, account for nearly a quarter of its coronavirus cases. The Maine Immigrants' Rights Coalition called the disparity "enormous and growing."

Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency started reducing its emergency financial help to Vermont to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.