COVID-19 “exposed and exacerbated” racism and discrimination suffered by black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in Britain, an official inquiry has stated.
The conclusion is part of a Public Health England (PHE) Report that has not been published in full by the government.
Sky News has obtained a copy of the document and has published some of it content.
It said: “Stakeholders pointed to racism and discrimination experienced by communities and more specifically BAME key workers as a root cause to exposure risk and disease progression.
“Racism and discrimination experienced by BAME key workers [is] a root cause affecting health and exposure risk. For BAME communities, lack of trust of NHS services resulted in reluctance to seek care.”
Written by PHE’s Professor Kevin Fenton, the report also unveiled concerns that a second coronavirus wave could drastically impact the BAME community once again and a series of recommendations were laid out to help protect those people from contracting COVID-19.
One recommendation suggested that BAME people should receive targeted health advice, however Sky News has stated this section of the document was not published, with sources telling the news channel that it has been held back because of “current global events” such as the Black Lives Matter protests.
The report was based on testimonies provided by about 4,000 stakeholders, including BAME groups and academics.
The document stated: “It is clear from discussions with stakeholders the pandemic exposed and exacerbated longstanding inequalities affecting BAME communities in the UK.”
