NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
April 7, 2020 By Christian Murray
Mayor Bill de Blasio said today that the city will soon release data that tracks the race and ethnicity of New Yorkers who have contracted COVID-19.
De Blasio said that people of color and those who reside in lower-income communities are getting hit harder by the coronavirus than elsewhere.
“This disease is affecting people disproportionately in lower-income communities” and in “communities of color,” de Blasio said. “The extent of that disparity we’re still fully trying to understand. And the data we’ll give you will help us understand.”
The mayor noted that the data is preliminary, since it isn’t as easy to get in the midst of the crisis as age and gender.
The mayor has been slow to release neighborhood and ethnic data—despite multiple requests in recent weeks from reporters and elected officials. The only raw data that was provided until April 1 was on a borough basis.
The city released raw data on who had tested positive by zip code for coronavirus for the first time last week. That data, however, does not provide a breakdown of the race and ethnicity of the victims—although the zip codes heavily affected are the immigrant neighborhoods of Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst—as well as in the orthodox Jewish areas of Brooklyn such as Borough Park and Midwood.
De Blasio’s decision to release the data follows a letter sent Thursday by public advocate Jumaane Williams calling for its release.
This morning Comptroller Scott Stringer also sent a letter to de Blasio—also addressed to Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot—urging him to release the demographic data.
“I am writing today to add my voice to those urging the city to release demographic data that reveals the race and the ethnicity of those who have been afflicted by the COVID-19 virus in New York City,” Stringer wrote.
Stringer noted that the virus is deepening the social and economic inequalities in the city, noting that it is disproportionally affecting lower-income people of color.
Stringer is also calling on the city to release data pertaining to the occupation of those affected by COVID-19.
He said that many of the frontline workers who are most at risk are people of color who work as EMTs, doctors, nurses, pharmacy and grocery workers and building employees.
Stringer said the city needs the racial and ethnic data in order to “identify and address the health inequity that plague so many of our communities.”
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19 Comments
In the 1980’s they said that AIDS was a gay man’s disease
Which is exactly what it is.
I know. I remember how scared I was
Our mayor looks very sick.
Why don’t you report about the guidelines set by CDC when determining the individuals cause of death? The guidelines set by the CDC on March 4 were set to
‘ It is important to emphasize that Coronavirus Disease 2019 or COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate
for all decedents where the disease caused or is assumed to have caused or contributed to death.’
according to the CDC’s website
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/coronavirus/Alert-1-Guidance-for-Certifying-COVID-19-Deaths.pdf
It was later updated on March 24th
‘COVID-19 should be reported on the death certificate for all decedents where the disease caused or is
assumed to have caused or contributed to death’
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/coronavirus/Alert-2-New-ICD-code-introduced-for-COVID-19-deaths.pdf
The latest update occurring on April 2 states
COVID–19 should
be reported on the lowest line used in Part I with the other
conditions to which it gave rise listed on the lines above it.
Generally, it is best to avoid abbreviations and acronyms, but
COVID–19 is unambiguous, so it is acceptable to report on the
death certificate
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvss/vsrg/vsrg03-508.pdf
If hundreds of deaths are reported daily and corona virus is included as cause of death with no viable way of actually knowing until tests come back, which results in statistical fallacies.
This city’s majority is made up of ethnic minorities. The Caucasian population has been shrinking for years in the boroughs and offset by the arrival of illegal aliens and other low-skilled immigrants.
So how is that minorities are disproportionately affected when they make up the majority of the population? The cases reflect the demographics, the virus isn’t racial profiling.
The only solution is to eliminate NYC’s status as a sanctuary city and start deporting all these illegal aliens. They’re stressing public services as evidenced by the chaos at Elmhurst Hospital.
It doesn’t help that these people don’t understand English and have absolutely no self-awareness.
But that would be sensible.
The virus has affected any community that hasn’t been able to stay at home and maintain social distancing regardless of immigration status, religion or race. In NYC, people who have jobs that are deemed Essential and continue to commute to work and don’t have the luxury to stay at home have been affected in higher numbers. A lot of Hispanics and other people of color carry out these essential service sector jobs. California is also a sanctuary state and they have a lot lower cases of Covid. This is because they were one of the first ones to declare stay at home orders and close schools.
Nassau county and Suffolk county also have high numbers of Covid victims and lot less immigrants and they aren’t sanctuary cities. The virus has affected red and blue states in the south with very low number of immigrants, yet some of these states have higher virus mortality rate than NYC. Europe has been the epicenter of Covid and their story is totally different.
Blaming immigrants for everything is just dumb and getting old.
Meer, what are the essential jobs immigrants do?As far as California having less cases, the cities there are more spread out. People aren’t living on top of each other. Take a trip out east on Long Island there are plenty of immigrant families crammed into one house.Here in Queens, immigrants are the problem.
So true. DiBlasio years ago gave illegals that NY id, kept telling everyone here is a sanctuary, that NYPD won’t cooperate with ICE. The hero of the month Cuomo also gave illegals drivers license. There are signs all over the subway in many languages on how to get benefits, rent assistance, food assistance by calling 311 “regardless of your status”. I doubt there’s any inspection on illegal basement rentals or how crowded the apartments are. A friend of mine who works in real estate was appalled when she walked into an apartment and the Chinese living there had 2 sets of bunk beds in the living room.
No wonder they all come here, the doors are wide open.
Blaming the Jewish community in Brooklyn ?
Blame other people for your problems
WTF Does this prove or imply? Is this not a pure divisive post. We are in this together! Race, ethnicity, religion, sex etc. all mean nothing to mother nature! #standasone
Build that wall
Buy American not Made in China.
More fuel for the unsecured racist.
I’m sorry, could you please explain how a wall on the Mexico border would stop a virus that originated in the Far East? If you have to go on a Ventilator, will you refuse if it’s made in China? good chance it will be.
And the racial segregation begins , thank you Mr DeBlasio for pointing out the obvious.
Who gives a RATS ASS about the ETHNICITY of the people who died. They’re NEW YORKERS’/AMERICANS.
The ILLEGALS are another matter .
Not one hundred percent sure the reason stated. Believe is the location and not its type of population