By K.D. Norris
In an afternoon virtual press conference today, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan COVID-19 Task Force on Racial Disparities, chaired by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, released an interim report detailing the “significant progress Michigan has made in protecting communities of color from the spread of COVID-19,” according to a statement from the governor’s office.
“From the beginning, our administration has listened to medical experts and taken a fact-based approach to eliminating COVID-19 in our most vulnerable communities, and we have seen significant progress,” Gov. Whitmer said at the Dec. 3 press conference and in supplied material.
“Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist and the leaders on the Task Force have been crucial in helping us dramatically reduce the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in communities of color by expanding testing and providing crucial support to community organizations.”
The statement points out that while cases and hospitalizations are still rising statewide, the percentages of cases among persons of color has declined as the year has progressed.
“Today’s report shows that significant progress has been made toward our goal to reduce these disparities over the past six months,” Lt. Gov. Gilchrist said. “But as cases continue to rise, we need to recognize that our work is not done because each of us have a role to play to make sure that we defeat this virus.”
The Task Force’s interim report details a number of actions the state has taken to protect communities of color — as well as frontline workers, small businesses and the general population — from the spread of COVID-19.
As of Nov. 16, more than 24,000 tests have been administered in previously underserved communities across 21 Neighborhood Testing sites, according to the statement. From March and April, to September and October, the average cases per million per day for African American Michiganders dropped from 176 to 59. In the same period, the number of probable deaths per million per day among African American Michiganders dropped “significantly,” from 21.7 to 1.
“It’s clear that the work of this task force … has made significant progress in protecting families, frontline workers, and small businesses in communities of color,” Celeste Sanchez Lloyd, Task Force member and community program manager for Strong Beginnings at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, said in supplied material.
For more information about the Task Force, visit here.
