Communities of color across Pennsylvania have struggled more than others during the coronavirus pandemic with higher rates of infection, mortality and unemployment, and less access to housing and education.
Those broadly are some of the findings of the Wolf Administration’s COVID-19 Response Task Force for Health Disparity, which were outlined Thursday during a press conference in York.
Wolf said focusing on the disparities is crucial to helping not just certain communities respond to the virus effectively — but everyone.
“We have a lot of work to do,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “I think the pandemic, in terms of health disparities, brought out one more ... that we are not playing on a level playing field.”
The governor along with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, Second Lady Gisele Fetterman and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine highlighted some of the findings on Thursday at a press conference at the York County YMCA.
The report’s findings go beyond health and the coronavirus, underscoring deep racial disparities across the board, including access to housing, food, employment, transportation and criminal justice equity.
“We all need to work really hard to make sure that our society is as fair as it can be,” Wolf said. “It is my intention to use the information gathered in this report as a basis for making lasting change. This cannot be a plan that ends up being shelved and we trot it out every once in a while. We have to actually do something and I think the time is right to do that.”
Fetterman stressed the need to reform broadband infrastructure to correct what the task force found is a wide disparity in internet access for communities of color.
“We need to ensure that all students start with an equal learning opportunity by standardizing remote learning and access to technology,” said Fetterman, who was appointed in April by the governor to lead the task force and investigate issues with how the pandemic is affecting the state’s minority and vulnerable populations.
The Pennsylvania findings align with much of the nationwide data, which has revealed that hot spots for the virus are located in predominantly low-income African-American neighborhoods. These communities typically struggle with housing, education, transportation and access to health care.
Nationally, COVID-19 death rates among African-American are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population. In four states, the rate is three or more times greater.
In a majority of states, Latinos account for a greater share of confirmed cases than their share of the population.
Levine said progress had been made in terms of the reporting and collecting of racial and ethnic data on infection and mortality, but that more work needed to be done.
Fetterman thanked the governor for enacting a moratorium on housing evictions, but warned that it would likely take families of color months if not years to recover from the pandemic-induced economic downturn.
He said the Commonwealth must continue to prioritize the program particularly for families who have applied for unemployment compensation.
“Eviction filing can follow a family around for their whole life creating hardship and uncertainty,” Fetterman.
He also called on bipartisan legislative support to expand a Driver’s License Amnesty Program. While the legislature voted to end license suspensions for non-driving-related offenses, the move was not retroactive.
Fetterman said the ability to drive impacts health.
“Not having a valid license can lead to poor health outcomes because it restricts the ability to travel to and from doctor’s visits,” he said.
Levine noted that the Wolf administration continues to work with the Black COVID-19 Equity Coalition in Pittsburgh to develop a statewide effort to address racial disparities in the impact of the pandemic.
The Department of Health on Thursday reported 991 new cases, raising the statewide total to 122,121.
That tally marks the highest number of new cases in August and the biggest number since July 28, when the state had 1,120 new cases. The number of new cases has generally dropped in August, after climbing steadily in late June and throughout July. The state has averaged 800 new cases each day over the past week.
“Our actions as a community can lessen or worsen the impact COVID-19 has on fellow Pennsylvanians,” Levine said. “You answer the call to stop the spread when you wear a mask. You answer the call to stop the spread when you avoid large public gatherings and you answer the call to stop the spread when you use hand sanitizer or wash your hands frequently.”
Gisele Fetterman addressed the media gathering first in Spanish then English, urging Pennsylvanians to adhere to strict medical and hygiene guidance to stave off the spread of the deadly virus.
“There are things we can and need to do to keep ourselves and loved ones safe,” she said. “Please make sure you wear a mask anytime you leave your home. Masks help prevent you from unknowingly spreading COVID-19 to people around you. Masks provide us with some protection but they do not eliminate the risk of spreading COVID-19 and are not a replacement for social distancing. We need to continue to cut down on exposure opportunities. We especially need to avoid crowds and we need to continue to be weary of carrying COVID-19 to our vulnerable loved ones.”
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