Black and Asian People in England More Likely to Die From CCP Virus, Says Report

Black and Asian People in England More Likely to Die From CCP Virus, Says Report
The COVID ambulance entrance at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey, in Frimley, UK, on May 22, 2020. (Steve Parsons/Getty Images)
Reuters
6/2/2020
Updated:
6/2/2020
LONDON—Black and Asian people in England are up to 50 percent more likely to die after becoming infected with CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, an official study said on June 2, putting pressure on the government to outline plans to protect the most at-risk communities.

While the report by Public Health England (PHE) reinforced previous studies that indicated ethnic minority groups were more at risk from the virus, it was not accompanied by specific government advice for those people.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that equalities minister Kemi Badenoch would look at the issue further.

“We will put action in place as soon as we can. We won’t wait for a report,” Hancock said.

Doctors, politicians, and footballers have been among those vocal in expressing concern about the unexplained higher mortalities in ethnic minorities.

The report said that people of Bangladeshi ethnicity had approximately twice the risk of death of people who were white British.

Those of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, or other Asian ethnicities, as well as those of the Caribbean or other Black ethnicities, had between a 10 to 50 percent higher risk of death than those in the white British group, PHE said.

The findings echo a previous study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released last month.

The opposition Labour party called for swift action.

“Families are living in fear. There must be no more delay. The government must take urgent action to protect at-risk groups,” lawmaker David Lammy said.

Britain’s testing chief John Newton said although Tuesday’s report showed worse outcomes for minority groups, it may not be directly caused by their ethnicity, but related to their job.

By Alistair Smout, Epoch Times staff contributed to this report