SCOTTISH Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie has pushed the Scottish Government to publish data on the effects of Covid-19 on BAME communities.
Since the onset of the pandemic, statistics from Public Health England (PHE) have shown people from minority ethnic backgrounds are more likely to die from the disease.
It has prompted calls for the Scottish Government to look into the trend following the publication of a report by PHE on Tuesday.
At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Harvie pressed Nicola Sturgeon on the data.
He said: “Public Health England’s report on this issue has been criticised for simply telling us what we already know instead of offering any explanation or solutions.
“Can the First Minister tell us when the Scottish Government will publish its own up-to-date analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on black and minority ethnic people?”
In response, the First Minister said Public Health Scotland released statistics in May that suggested the number of those seriously infected with the virus “appeared no higher” proportionally but the agency said more work would need to be done on the subject.
The First Minister added: “Further work will be done and, in parallel, work is being undertaken to explore and understand the patterns emerging from other parts of the UK.
“This is work we take very seriously and I know that Public Health Scotland will be keen to understand it and report its understanding as quickly as possible.”
Harvie also raised the issue of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in the US state of Minnesota.
It sparked protests across the country, which led to more than 5000 arrests, before spreading internationally.
The Greens co-leader, who said “systematic police brutality is being endorsed and encouraged by racism at the highest political level” in the US, also asked the First Minister if she supported ending exports of police equipment to the US.
Harvie said the cancellation would “ensure that this country is not providing the tear gas, rubber bullets and riot gear currently being used against protesters and journalists”.
The First Minister agreed to raise the issue with the UK Government.
Echoing the call of Sturgeon at her coronavirus briefing on Tuesday, Harvie urged those joining a protest in honour of George Floyd to “act responsibly and observe social distancing”, or consider donating to funds set up to pay for the bail of people who have been arrested during the protests.
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