UK has more to do to understand why virus hits ethnic minorities harder - Hancock

UK has more to do to understand why virus hits ethnic minorities harder - Hancock

Britain has more work to do to understand why COVID-19 has a disproportionate effect on black and minority ethnic minorities, health minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.

The British health minister Matt Hancock cited a report that was published Tuesday (June 2) by Public Health England (PHE) that showed the biggest risk factors for contracting coronavirus included age, gender, living in a city, and being from a black or minority ethnic background.

The report by PHE showed that England's black and asian people are up to 50% more likely to die after becoming infected with COVID-19, putting pressure on the government to outline plans to protect the most at-risk communities.

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

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