Black Lawmakers Blast Ohio Governor For COVID-19 Disparities

COLUMBUS, OH — On Thursday afternoon, Gov. Mike DeWine responded to the preliminary findings of a report on COVID-19 and racial disparities, saying he would issue "recommendations" based on the report. The governor's response drew the scorn of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus.

“African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other people of color in Ohio do not need recommendations, they need action and dedicated resources to reverse the irreplaceable harm racism has induced on minorities,” said state Rep. Stephanie Howse, of Cleveland, the president of the OLBC.

African Americans make up 14 percent of Ohio's total population but represent 26 percent of the state's positive COVID-19 cases, 31 percent of the state's COVID-19-related hospitalizations and 17 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Ohio, according to Ohio Department of Health data.

"I am deeply concerned about this data. I am the governor of all of Ohio, and when I see something disproportionately affecting some of our citizens, I have a responsibility to do something," said DeWine.

The Minority Health Strike Force's preliminary recommendations included:

• Prioritizing communities that have the highest needs (based on data)
• Expanding testing and testing access for minorities and high-risk groups
• Establishing "culturally appropriate" COVID-19 exposure notification services for communities of color
• Developing a statewide, culturally-sensitive outreach campaign that educates specific communities on COVID-19, health disparities and social determinants of health

However, the Minority Health Strike Force's report on the COVID-19 pandemic's racial disparities, and its recommendations to solve those issues, will not be fully issued until June 11, the governor said this week.

In mid-April, the OLBC sent a letter to DeWine calling on him to direct action to address racial and ethnic disparities in the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter outlined several steps the caucus felt needed to be taken and broke those steps into key categories: health, housing, education, employmen, criminal justice and economic and business development.

“Anything short of direct action is a disgrace and a clear message that our black and brown families and communities are not valued during these unprecedented times," Howse said.

The letter sent by the OLBC in April can be seen below.