04-09-20 UPDATE: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)
From the Desk of Virginia W. Harris, MPA, CIA, CGFM – National President
National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.
Coronavirus 2019 (COVID – 19)
Dear NCBW’s Members,
Normal looks different for each of us these days – maybe you’re working alongside your kids, furry friends, or have a unique setup at home or in the office still. Whatever your new norm is, we want to continue to work together to ensure that we remain safe.
Friday April 3rd, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new recommendations that people wear cloth face coverings “in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies).” Specifically:
- The CDC advised “the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.”
- The CDC emphasized that social distancing of six feet “remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.”
Some U.S. localities have issued ordinances requiring face coverings in public. Please follow these ordinances. The types of face coverings that most localities have recommended are consistent with the CDC’s recommendations. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html
Impact of COVID-19 on the Black Community: It is well documented that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, COPD, asthma, kidney failure (among others) that make them even more susceptible to this particular virus. Simply put, social disparities impact black lives more; African Americans are exhibiting exponentially higher rates of disease, disability, and death than non-blacks.
Call to Action: Look at your specific communities as it relates to demographics surrounding this pandemic and the effects it has on the Black populace. Use the information shared in the link below as an additional tool to encourage our communities to recognize that our health issues are indeed placing us in the high-risk category and making us more susceptible to Covid-19.
Learn More about Race, Racism and the Law (NEOBHC Demands COVID-19 Race/Ethnicity Statistics).
Respectfully,
Virginia W.Harris, National President
