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House and Senate Democrats on Tuesday introduced new legislation calling for health officials to release data breaking down COVID-19’s impact on African Americans and non-whites – demographics, Democrats argue, are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Many Democrats and community leaders in cities hard-hit by the pandemic have for weeks been sounding the alarm over what they see as a trend of COVID-19 killing African Americans at a higher rate, along with a lack of information about the race of victims as the nation's death toll mounts.
Erica Harris, right, and her daughter Jordan, wear their protective masks as they walk back home after getting a lunch and homework from the child’s school on Chicago’s Southside in Chicago. (AP)
"We need comprehensive national data by race, ethnicity, disability, & other demographics to ensure that vulnerable communities are getting equitable testing & treatment," wrote Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, one of several sponsors of the legislation in the Senate, on Twitter.
"Our bill to collect & #releasethedata must be included in the next relief package," she said.
An Associated Press analysis based on data through Monday found that of the 11,400 COVID-19 victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials, more than 30 percent were black – despite blacks accounting for about 13 percent of the 246 million people who live in the areas covered by the analysis.
The analysis was one of the first attempts to examine the racial disparities of COVID-19 cases and deaths nationwide.
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If passed, the legislation introduced in the House and Senate on Tuesday would require Health and Human Services to collect data on race, ethnicity, sex, age, and socioeconomic status, among other demographic information on those tested and treated for COVID-19. The information would then be posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
The legislation also requires HHS to provide a summary of final COVID-19 statistics in a report to Congress, no more than 60 days after the public health emergency has ended.
"History has shown us that in the face of any public health crisis, communities of color disproportionately suffer," said Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who is black and among dozens of lawmakers spearheading the legislation in the House. "We are less likely to have access to quality and affordable health care and more likely to live with underlying conditions. The stark racial disparities in COVID-19 cases and deaths are a disturbing reminder of that reality."
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The legislation has more than 80 Democratic sponsors, including those who represent New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. virus outbreak.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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