LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says the racial disparities in Michigan’s coronavirus cases have narrowed significantly. The comments came Thursday afternoon as Whitmer and the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, released an interim report detailing the progress Michigan has made in protecting communities of color from the spread of COVID-19.
The Governor says African-Americans accounted for 40% of Michigan’s confirmed COVID-19 cases during the April peak, but they comprise 14% of the state’s population. At that time, Blacks had an average of 176 newly confirmed coronavirus cases per 1 million people every day.
As of this week, that statistic dropped to 59 Blacks testing positive for COVID-19 per 1 million residents in Michigan every day,
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, who is Michigan’s chief medical executive, said exposure to COVID-19, their jobs and the resources available to them led to the disparities early in the state’s coronavirus pandemic. For example, she said many Blacks work jobs that put them in contact with the public and they were considered essential workers.
The Task Force’s interim report details a number of actions the state has taken to protect communities of color, frontline workers, and small businesses from the spread of COVID-19. As of November 16, more than 24,000 tests have been administered in previously underserved communities across 21 Neighborhood Testing sites. These state-operated sites provide COVID-19 testing on a consistent schedule, several days per week. All sites offer free testing, and a prescription is not required for someone to be tested, nor is any form of ID required.
Gilchrist said the Task Force has identified a number of areas to focus on as we head into the holiday season and the cold winter months, including:
Closing the digital divide in telehealth and virtual learning to ensure equitable access for all Michiganders; increasing enrollment in health insurance plans by making it easy for Michiganders to find out about their options for affordable care, such as Medicaid and federal marketplace plans; building mobile testing infrastructure that can also be extended for other health services such as vaccine administration; and raising awareness of racial- and ethnic disparities in medical care to ensure that every Michigander, no matter their race, can get safe and quality care in Michigan.
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