Below is copy of a letter I sent to Mayor John Biggs, asking him to address concerns raised by residents about the high number of COVID-19 death rates in our BAME communities.
BY EMAIL: [email protected]
Dear John,
RE: Addressing anxiety in our BAME Communities in regard to the High Number of COVID-19 deaths.
Further to our discussions, I am writing to you to raise concerns and highlight the anxiety in our BAME communities in regard to the high number of COVID-19 death rates. This has been extensively reported on in the media, as well as an analysis published by the IFS (Institute of Fiscal Studies), ONS (Office of National Statistics) and the latest report by PHE (Public Health England). In particular, concerns have been raised in regard to the opening of schools in Tower Hamlets, and the impact it will have on vulnerable residents in our BAME communities.
The PHE report highlights the high levels of deaths in our BAME communities, does not go into underlying issues. However, looking at data provided by the ONS one of the underlying issues is the chronic intergenerational overcrowding in our BAME communities.
Some households have people of school age, people of working age and old retired people living in them. It is in such households that the old people are at the highest risk of catching COVID-19. As schools open up school children will likely bring home COVID-19 into these households. The old people in these households become particularly vulnerable to catching COVID-19.
There are 150,200 such households in the country. These households as well as being multi-generational are also likely to be overcrowded compounding the problem. Breaking down by ethnicity we see these are most highly concentrated in the Bangladeshi community (6%) as compared to less than 0.5% of White households. The Largest section of these households in this category being in Tower Hamlets. The Council under the Civil Contingencies Act and other legislation having a duty of care.
Please find below link to ONS data in regard to overcrowding:
Proposals to address the above issues:
1. A desktop survey and risk assessment to be carried out by council officers in light of the above, using the precautionary principle as the leading criteria for assessment.
2. An Equality Impact Assessment to be carried out under the Single Equalities Act. Also, Equality Impact Assessment to be carried out on the Council’s current flu pandemic plan.
3. Resources to be shifted in terms of the Council’s current data analysis capacity, to analyse available data to inform a more intelligence lead big data approach to current council practices in dealing with the impact of COVID-19.
Look forward to your response to the above, including approaches in terms of mitigation, for example providing laptops and internet to households in chronic intergenerational overcrowding. Coupled with provision for adequate remote learning.
With Regards,
Cllr Puru Miah
Mile End
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