Coronavirus has disproportionately impacted individuals from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community with ICNARC reports indicating that over 16% of people from BAME communities have been infected by the virus. Of the 16% who passed away from coronavirus; 3% are Indian-origin, 2.1 % Pakistani, and 0.6% Bangladeshi.
Despite the announcement of an investigation into higher BAME deaths by the Downing Street earlier last month, there has been no concrete breakdown of data provided by the ONS or the NHS with regards to the number of people dying across different boroughs whilst factoring in their age, ethnicity and medical conditions. Yet, approximate numbers from media reports suggest that densely populated boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Harrow, Brent, and across major cities of Manchester and Birmingham. Reports of Sikhs and Muslims contracting the virus have especially increased in the last few weeks. On 23 March 2020 Preet Kaur Gill, the first female Sikh MP and Shadow International Development Secretary asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock how many Sikhs had been diagnosed with Covid-19 and died because of the disease. Speaking about the subject, Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) said,
“The government, health bodies, and other public bodies have known for some time that Covid-19 is impacting disproportionately on ethnic minorities. For the Health Minister to claim not to have any data is at best negligent or possibly dishonest.
“Public bodies are almost certainly in breach of the Equality Act by not collecting comprehensive ethnicity data, especially when it appears obvious that ethnicity appears to be a factor.”
In the meantime, Asian funeral directors have also reported an increase in the number of funeral requests from families. Chandu Tailor, Director of Chandu Tailor & Sons funeral services in a statement to Asian Voice said,
“In recent times, we have seen an approximate 50% increase in the number of funerals that we have been arranging every month.
“The condition is so dire that grieving families are expected to wait for at least two weeks before the funeral of a deceased is arranged. There is no shortage of mortuaries or cremation centres in London. However, the delay in funerals can be attributed to the lengthy procedure of death registrations, especially in cases where people are dying at care homes or their homes and ascertaining the cause of death can be complicated when the NHS is already short-staffed.”
