PRESS RELEASE: for immediate release
Friday 10 April 2020
When the news emerged that Prince Charles, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty had either contracted Covid 19 or were showing symptoms, it was widely argued that the virus is no respecter or race or class.
Whilst that may be the case, it is now becoming crystal clear that you are far more likely to get infected and die of you are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAEM) background.
People from BAEM backgrounds make up around 13 percent of the UK population. Yet the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre reported that 35 percent of the first 2000, or so cases of critically ill Covid 19 patients in hospitals in England and Wales came from BAEM backgrounds. Similarly disproportionate patterns of infection have been reported in US cities such as New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit.
The reasons for such disproportionality do not lie with any supposed fecklessness on the part of BAEM communities or a cavalier disregard for the advice on social distancing. The plain truth is that the marginalisation and exclusion of BAEM communities means that they are far less likely to have the resources to enable them to cope with the crisis. Unlike the elite who have country homes and expansive gardens, most people from BAEM communities have far less space in which to exercise and self isolate. Brockwell Park in Brixton is one of the few open spaces for working class people including South London’s sizeable BAEM community living in tower blocks and cramped apartments. Yet it was shut on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the beginning of April because the previous day it was deemed to have been too crowded.
The sacrifices that key workers from BAEM backgrounds have made since the pandemic broke should also be remembered. BAEM workers play a central role in running our hospitals, our transport network, keeping our streets clean and supermarkets stocked. Too many have already died as a result of Covid 19.
Racism is a virus which will only make it harder to beat this disease. It is more important than ever that we stand up racism.
Weyman Bennett, co convenor Stand Up To Racism, said
“BAEM people in Britain are suffering disproportionately from the effects of the CoronaVirus crisis. This is because they are disproportionately working in frontline jobs – open to infection and because they often live concentrated in economically disadvantaged areas – suffering from underlying health conditions.
“We are seeing from the deaths in the NHS and on the London buses that people from all across the world are fighting and dying to keep our society running. Racists may try to use these figures to show BAEM communities are not responding to calls for social distancing – the exact opposite is the case.
“Our communities are dying because of the discrimination and poverty that is endemic in British society. While working people are fighting together to battle the crisis we have to oppose any attempt to scapegoat or divide us.”
Notes to editors:
1) Stand Up To Racism is a broad based organisation made up of anti-racists, students, trade unionists and faith groups. We organise various activities and events aimed at challenging the rise of racism.
For further quotes and information please contact:
info@standuptoracism.org.uk