Title
Resolution establishing the Greater Pittsburgh Covid-19 Racial Equity Task Force.
Body
WHEREAS, the United States is facing an unparalleled modern catastrophe created by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, ironically during the same month as National Public Health and Minority Health Month; and,
WHEREAS Covid-19's spread is creating havoc in our daily lives by testing our communities and workplaces, and our governments' ability to protect and prioritize the health of the public in general and people of color in particular; and,
WHEREAS Covid-19 is a public health crisis and with any crisis, the strategy and response must help address the current realities as well as prepare for additional challenges in the future; and,
WEHEREAS, equity must be at the center of any response to this Covid-19 health crisis. In order for the city and the county to thrive, it cannot be at the expense of the African American population who is on the frontline of this pandemic and currently reporting disproportionate coronavirus mortality; and,
WHEREAS, across the United States, cities and states are establishing task forces, response teams, and oversight entities to guide communities through the Covid-19 pandemic by reviewing data, making recommendations to and developing strategies to address current and future health disparities; and,
WHEREAS, major cities across the country, like Boston and Detroit, are incorporating an equity component to their Covid-19 responses; and,
WHEREAS, in Milwaukee, WI, African-Americans are 21% of the population yet they account for 81% of all Covid-19 related deaths. And other major cities are seeing a disproportionate amount of Covid-19-related deaths among the African-American population; and,
WHEREAS, In the State of Pennsylvania, African-Americans are 11% of the populations yet they account for 21% of all Covid-19 related deaths; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the history of racism in our country and h...
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