Community News
Mayor John Tory unveils the City of Toronto’s Black Community Covid Response Plan
BY AMANDA WILLIAMS
On February 3rd, 2021, Mayor John Tory unveiled the City of Toronto’s Black Community Covid Response Plan and has partnered with multiple community agencies to provide enhanced outreach and support to black Torontonians. The City invested $6.8 million and is not intended to meet long-term recovery needs. The plan also included developing The Toronto Black Scientists’ Task Force on Vaccine Equity to review concerns around the COVID-19 testing and vaccine acceptance levels.
The chair of the task force, Dr.Akwatu Khenti, is a scientist at CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and an Assistant Professor with the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. He has been actively involved in anti-racism since he was fourteen years old, participating in annual African liberation marches. Since then, Dr. Khenti has witnessed positive changes such as the Anti-Racism Act, established in 2017, and increased representation within the police officers, educators, and health professionals but admits there is not enough in leadership positions. “The higher you go, the less black it gets…There are not enough people in private and public sector boards to ensure that the quality of services meets our needs.”
Dr. Khenti took on the role of Chair to help protect individual, family, and community health. He explains that many black and racialized groups work in the healthcare sector, with many others in grocery stores, transit, taxis, and Uber. “Because of that exposure to that virus, there are risks you can’t avoid…Black people are more likely to know more people that passed away than other people. That’s not good!”
While forming the task force, Dr.Khenti sought after professionals that speak to areas of the vaccine. This vaccine is the first of its kind, and Dr. Khenti could not confirm that anyone on the team had biotechnology experience. On the force is a naturopathic doctor who will address those who prefer natural remedies; however, there aren’t any fitness experts or faith leaders on board to support the black community’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. There will be no collaborations between the task force and Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax to ensure safety and effectiveness. Dr. Khenti explained that the plan was short-term, and “the task force’s efforts are to make sure our community understands the issues and does not suffer another inequity on top of the health inequities we are already facing.”
Dr. Khenti understands there are reasons for vaccine hesitancy within the black community. “Racial discrimination is not dead and gone…black people will go to the hospital with covid symptoms and are sent home without being checked out, come down with covid and pass away…it’s happened!” He cited the death of an indigenous woman in Quebec, which highlighted systemic racism in Canada last September, and the Tuskegee Experiment (1932-1972). He also blamed President Trump for using wording such as “Operation Warp Speed” and suggests conspiracies are contributing factors. Dr.Khenti recognizes that some of the misinformation looks official and well developed, and some of it comes from doctors and “doctor’s lie!” While acknowledging a lack of black and indigenous participants in some of the trials, Dr. Khenti says, “The vaccine was produced at a tremendous unparalleled pace but in a scientifically sound way.”
The vaccine is not proven to prevent transmission; however, Dr. Khenti claims the vaccine will help the black community by protecting the elderly and frontline workers. The task force hopes to see a surge in acceptance once they explain that vaccines’ risks far outweigh the risks of COVID-19. “I don’t think you should force people out of their jobs to take the vaccine. You should tell people the essential information that needs to be weighed to make a decision,“ says Dr. Khenti. He encourages those who choose not to vaccinate to wear a mask to wash hands, wear gloves, and practice social distancing.
The Canadian Patient Safety Institute states that medical errors account for 28,000 deaths per year. In 2020, COVID-19 accounted for 15,606 deaths in Canada reported by CTV. Doctors may lie, but numbers don’t. No one knows the real impact COVID has had on the black community due to medical errors, underlying health issues, inequities, and systemic racism, in addition to the unreliable PCR test. If such problems are continuously ignored, the vaccine may act as a wet band-aid for the black community that just won’t stick. While it may reduce one’s symptoms, long-term effects are still unknown, leaving many questions unanswered.
The task force plans to tackle various concerns, including mental health problems, consequences of COVID-19, and conspiracies, through a series of free virtual Town Hall meetings held every Saturday from February 13th to March 6th, 2021. Details and registration can be found on the City’s COVID-19: City Immunization Task Force page. We encourage all communities to get involved and question every doctor and professional regardless of their affiliations.