Sadiq Khan calls for coronavirus inquiry into BAME deaths
Sadiq Khan has called for a government inquiry into BAME deaths from coronavirus.
Khan today called the higher rate of deaths among BAME ethnicities “shocking” and called for Boris Johnson to set up a public inquiry.
Numbers published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this month revealed that black men and women were four-times more likely to die from Covid-19 than white men and women.
The figures also showed that those from a Bangladeshi and Pakistani background also had a higher risk of death.
It comes as the UK’s official Covid-19 death toll hit 34,636 today.
“[Covid-19] has exposed the major inequalities in our society and simply cannot be ignored,” Khan said.
“We need a wide-ranging independent public inquiry that will get to the root of these problems.
“A public inquiry is crucial to ensure that communities are properly involved and to help build trust and confidence in its findings.”
Yvonne Field, chief executive of social enterprise The Ubele Initiative, added: “The devastating impact of COVID-19 on London’s BAME communities is deeply disturbing but not in the least surprising.
“It is important that community led action continues to be supported, and that BAME communities are at the heart of solutions moving forward.”