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Concord, N.H. - Today, as Joe Biden releases his plan to address racial inequality and address disparities in health care, new local reports show how Donald Trump's chaotic mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis continues to leave communities of color in New Hampshire behind. “Donald Trump’s chaotic and failed mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented public health and economic disaster that is hurting communities of color the most,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “For months, Granite Staters were losing their jobs and were getting sick while Trump downplayed the severity of the coronavirus, spread false information about 'treatments', refused to take responsibility, and refused to handle this crisis.” Foster’s Daily Democrat: NH report: Virus ‘widens’ inequity gap for people of color “What has revealed itself across the country also rings true in New Hampshire – minority populations are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Granite State, people of color make up approximately 10.2% of the population, and though predominantly white, the state’s demographics are changing – there’s a growing influx of younger, more diverse residents.” “Recent state data shows Hispanic and Latino individuals represent 3.9% of New Hampshire’s population, but currently make up 11.9% of its COVID-19 cases. The disparity is also true for Black or African American individuals, who represent 1.4% of the state’s population but make up 6% of infections.” NHPR: COVID-19 Data Shows Racial Disparities in COVID Cases “A report by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services shows that COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect the state’s Latino and black community.” ... “Latinos account for about 7 percent of those cases; and African Americans for 5.6 percent. As a percentage of the population, New Hampshire is 3.9 percent Latino and 1.4 percent black.” Granite State News Collaborative: COVID 19 exposes unequal reality for New Hampshire minorities “The COVID-19 pandemic is harming minorities in New Hampshire at a disproportionate rate, exposing the inequalities at play in the health care system, the economy, and society in general, according to the health care professionals…” “‘The disparities we are seeing with COVID are not new, but we are unable to unsee them anymore,’ said Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, a family physician at Lamprey Health Care in Nashua." ... “Bagley and Jaime Hoebeke, the chief strategy officer with the Manchester Health Department, both said they needed to help people with more than just the virus. In both cities, people in minority groups were often considered ‘essential’ employees during the lockdown and were unable to take leave from their jobs. That left them more vulnerable to catching the virus and bringing it back to their families.” MyChamplainValley: New Hampshire leaders discuss racial disparity in COVID-19 cases “According to state data, non-white racial and ethnic minorities account for roughly 10 percent of New Hampshire’s population, but more than 25 percent of its COVID-19 cases.” ... “Bagley also mentioned that a lot of those who tested positive from marginalized communities were essential workers who needed a paycheck and didn’t have the option to work from home, making for a difficult financial situation.” “There was a recent effort by the New Hampshire Legislature to pass paid family and medical leave, but it was vetoed by Gov. Sununu last week.” Nashua Telegraph: Hassan, Shaheen join colleagues in introducing legislation to help address COVID-19 racial disparities “People of color represent 10 percent of New Hampshire’s population, but 25 percent of our COVID-19 cases – and similar health care disparities have existed for far too long,” Senator Hassan said.” ... “‘The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color and has highlighted the systemic inequality these communities experience,’ said Senator Shaheen. ‘As our country faces an overdue reckoning on how we pursue meaningful structural change, prioritizing the health and well-being of communities of color amid this crisis must be a top concern.’” … “The COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act would:
• “Require the Trump administration to develop an action plan to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable populations.
• “Require states to revise testing and contact tracing plans to address racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable populations experiencing health disparities related to COVID-19.
• “Authorize the development of targeted public awareness campaigns about COVID-19 symptoms, testing, and treatment directed at racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other socially vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
• “Ensure that federally funded contact-tracing efforts are tailored to the racial and ethnic diversity of local communities.”
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