LANSING, MI – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Thursday a newly created task force that will be responsible for providing recommendations on how to address racial disparities in health care during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

“This virus is holding up a mirror to our society and reminding us of the deep inequities in our country. From basic lack of access to care, to access to transportation, to lack of protections in the workplace, these inequities hit people of color and vulnerable communities the hardest,” Whitmer said during a press conference Thursday.

Known as the Michigan Coronavirus Task Force on Racial Disparities, the team will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and will begin meeting this week.

Whitmer said data in the state and across the country continues to show that African Americans are being significantly impacted when it comes to the spread of the virus. In Michigan, African Americans make up 14% of the population but represent 33% of confirmed cases and 40% of the deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus.

"We still need to get more robust data, but this is consistent with what we are seeing across the country. If people are disproportionately impacted by poverty, working in lower-wage jobs, unable to work from home, needing to use public transportation, lack the ability to isolate sick individuals in their home appropriately, or disproportionately have a higher rate of chronic health conditions, they will be more significantly impacted by this disease,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive.

This isn’t the first time Whitmer has expressed concern about racial disparities in health care. In her State of the State address in January, she pointed to disparities in health outcomes for African American mothers and announced she was working with the state’s medical schools to incorporate training on implicit biases.

As the coronavirus crisis has unfolded, Whitmer said she and her administration have taken several steps to help ease some of the pain that’s been caused. Whitmer said that while efforts to stop evictions and foreclosures, increasing unemployment benefits, restoring water and other measures help, not enough is being done to combat the virus in minority communities.

Whitmer says access to essential protections and health care are limited in these communities and more must be done to assist them. She went on to say the crisis allows the state to study how to protect workers in times of crisis.

“It should not have to take a crisis like this for us to really address this. It is an opportunity to examine it, to understand it and to do better,” Whitmer said. “It’s an opportunity for us to expand unemployment benefits or perhaps paycheck protections. Or protections for workers who are sick or ensure access to quality, affordable health care.”

PREVENTION TIPS

In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Carry hand sanitizer with you, and use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.

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