A legislative task force will meet for the first time on Monday to examine why COVID-19 is hitting African-American communities harder than the rest of the state.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, some of the biggest outbreaks have been concentrated in urban areas, like New York City and Chicago. But rural America isn't immune to the virus -- and many areas are already dealing with a scarcity of health care.

Many of Americas rural counties have just a handful of COVID-19 cases. And health experts say that may be giving residents a false sense of security. Now, outbreaks at food processing plants could shake that complacency.

If someone gets sick in a seven-county swath of the Ozarks of southeastern Missouri, the closest place for treatment is a clinic run by Missouri Highlands Health Care. But the coronavirus has undermined its financial stability.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacts the health of black residents in Indiana disproportionately.

While black Hoosiers only comprise 9 percent of the state's population, they account for 19 percent of deaths and 18 percent of cases.

Cities are getting hit the hardest by the coronavirus right now. In Indiana, nearly half of the confirmed cases are in Marion County, but with the expected surge still weeks away, rural communities face additional challenges.

Dr. Kristina Box, the state health commissioner, cited confidentiality arrangements with hospitals for not releasing details about intensive care unit capacity and equipment availability around the state.

In Missouri, six rural hospitals closed in the last five years. It's part of a group of states that have seen higher rates of closures -- states that haven't expanded Medicaid.