2 — Tuesday, April 21, 2020
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

At a press conference Monday 

afternoon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 

announced the creation of a task 

force dedicated to addressing racial 

disparities in COVID-19 related 

deaths. 40 percent of reported 

coronavirus deaths in the state 

are Black residents, though Black 

people make up only 14 percent of 

the state’s total population. 

Whitmer said while statewide 

cases are decreasing and the curve 

of cases is flattening, numbers 

are rising in rural areas that were 

previously unaffected. She also 

announced 
increased 
testing 

capabilities throughout the state 

and a more robust contact tracing 

program that will alert residents 

when they have come into contact 

with someone who tested positive 

for COVID-19.

“Statewide, 
the 
number 
of 

patients who are in the hospital 

with a suspected or confirmed 

COVID-19 has declined from a 

high point about 10 days ago,” 

Whitmer said. “In fact, we have 

seen a 15 percent reduction in the 

last 10 days … Utilization remains 

high in some places but we do see 

some decreases emerging.”

Whitmer 
spoke 
alongside 

Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical 

executive 
and 
chief 
deputy 

director for health, and Lt. Gov. 

Garlin Gilchrist. She said the task 

force will consist of politicians 

and health care experts focusing 

specifically on coronavirus risks in 

communities of color. 

“They will recommend actions 

to 
increase 
transparency 
and 

reporting data regarding the racial 

and ethnic impact of COVID-19, 

removing barriers to accessing 

physical and mental health care, 

reduce the impact of medical bias 

in treatment and testing, mitigate 

environmental and infrastructure 

factors contributing to increased 

exposure 
during 
pandemics 

resulting in mortality and develop 

improved systems for supporting 

long-term economic recovery and 

physical and mental health care 

during a pandemic,” Whitmer said. 

Khaldun 
said 
medical 

professionals across the state must 

be conscious of these disparities in 

order to reduce bias and effectively 

serve areas with large numbers of 

cases. 

“We’ve 
talked 
about 
racial 

disparities in COVID-19 deaths 

that we are seeing across the state 

with African Americans being 

disproportionately 
impacted,” 

Khaldun said. “Today, I sent a 

letter to our medical community 

to make sure they are aware of 

these disparities and giving them 

the tools they need to be able to 

appropriately address them.”

Gilchrist, who will lead the task 

force, said the disproportionate 

impact 
of 
coronavirus 
in 

communities 
of 
color 
is 
the 

result of generations of systemic 

discrimination. As a result, he said 

the task force’s work will require 

them to think of systemic solutions 

that 
address 
both 
immediate 

health risks and deeper societal 

issues.

“Despite the progress that has 

been made for generations in 

terms of bending our arcs toward 

justice, we still have to respond to 

generations of racial disparities 

and inequity that have impacted 

communities of color across our 

state and across the country,” 

Gilchrist said. “Our administration 

has put in place several measures 

and pieces of infrastructure to try 

to address these disparities.”

These same disparities in the 

impact of the COVID-19 outbreak 

are present inWashtenaw County.

In an interview with The Daily 

earlier this month, Susan Ringler-

Cerniglia, 
communications 
and 

health promotion administrator 

at 
Washtenaw 
County 
Health 

Department, said the department 

is working to help vulnerable 

communities as the virus spreads, 

which they’ve done prior to the 

pandemic as well.

“This isn’t something that we 

see only with coronavirus. So 

it’s part of what we, as a public 

health department, are striving 

to do and improve all the time,” 

Ringler-Cerniglia said. “We have 

long-standing efforts to work with 

community members and with 

organizations to identify where 

we see these types of impacts and 

work to approve that to improve 

them.” 

At the press conference, Gilchrist 

said the task force’s work and 

state’s response to the pandemic 

will not only affect infection and 

mortality rates but also the ways 

in which individuals interact with 

one another in times of crisis. 

“Once we get to the other side of 

this, I think we’re going to be more 

mindful of how we treat and spend 

time with one another,” Gilchrist 

said. “We’re gonna call a little 

more often. We’re gonna say ‘I love 

you’ a little more forcefully. We’re 

gonna 
have 
more 
meaningful 

interactions 
and 
conversations. 

And that connection, that will be 

the legacy of this pandemic. How 

we came together, how we worked 

today, how we stayed together and 

how we stand tall for one another.” 

Daily News Editor Liat Weinstein 

can be reached at weinsl@umich.

LIAT WEINSTEIN

Daily News Editor

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ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily

The boardwalk in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, remains closed during the COVID-19 pandemic as local residents bike along the street. 
Whitmer announces increased 
testing, tracing program
Governor emphasizes addresssing racial disparities in COVID-19 
related deaths, flattening the curve, rising cases in rural areas

Once we get to the 
other side of this, I 
think we’re going 
to be more mindful 

of how we treat 
and spend time 
with one another.

