As local elected officials and community leaders respond to this pandemic, our efforts must be rooted in our shared values of equity, fairness and public safety. By centering our response to meet the needs of our must vulnerable communities, we can ensure an equitable and efficient process that is inclusive of all.

Implicit and explicit racism has often driven government responses to urgent health situations. Years of racist policies and government neglect have left communities of color under-resourced, underinsured and with much higher rates of pre-existing conditions. Transparency in data collection is essential to achieve an equitable response to this situation.

County agencies leading the response to COVID-19 must collect and release data that allows us to evaluate our local approach through an equity lens. They should provide data about testing, positive cases, hospitalizations and deaths, in such a way that protects privacy and disaggregates the information by key demographic metrics, including race, ethnicity, gender identity and whether a person is an essential worker.

Catch up on the recording of our June 4 webinar, Advancing Racial Justice & Equity during COVID-19, here.

(Return to our Flatten the Curve of Inequality issue area hub)

TAKE ACTION

Email Imperial County leaders now.

Tell Imperial County leadership we cannot manage what we do not measure - we need COVID-19 equity data! Send messages to the Imperial County Board of Supervisors and Public Health Officer here.

Get the word out!

1. Save the graphic below to your device.
2. Copy and paste one of the options below into a new post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or anywhere else (or click here for a jump start on a Tweet):
   1. Racial disparities in health care, policing, incarceration, & who holds ‘essential’ jobs are among factors that make people of color among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. We must act to protect those most vulnerable #FTCOI https://actionnetwork.org/forms/flatten-the-curve-of-inequality-equity-data
   2. We need detailed racial & other demographic data on COVID-19 testing, infections, hospitalizations & deaths to direct resources where they're most needed. San Diego and Imperial Counties cannot afford to wait. #FlattenTheCurveOfInequality https://actionnetwork.org/forms/flatten-the-curve-of-inequality-equity-data
3. Tag whoever you think needs to see your post or take action, including but not limited to your elected representatives! Let them know if you're a constituent or have ties to their district!
4. Don't forget to attach the graphic before you hit the 'post' button!