City to track race-based virus data

Anti-racism advocates called for Hamilton to follow Toronto’s lead

Five McMaster professors and the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI) are calling on public health to create an equity advisory committee as it sets out to track race-based COVID data.

The call comes as public health says it will start tracking race data Tuesday.

In a letter sent May 19 and addressed to Hamilton’s medical officer of health, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the professors and HCCI ask public health to create a “data equity advisory committee” as the health unit sets out to track race-based and socioeconomic data related to COVID-19 cases.

“The ethics, methods, processes and analyses of racebased and equity data are complex, specialized areas of knowledge, practice and expertise,” states the letter. “We the undersigned strongly recommend that the collection and analysis of race-based data, including the processes and methods of collection, be developed collaboratively with local leaders and experts who do anti-racism work, research and analysis.”

Kelly Anderson, public health spokesperson, said Richardson received the letter and a meeting is being scheduled “to discuss these issues further.”

She added: “Data collection for race-based and social determinants of health data, including Indigenous identity, will begin tomorrow using a tool based on those used in London, Toronto and Peel until we receive further direction from the province.”

HCCI and other equity advocates have been calling on the city to start tracking race- and socioeconomic-based data.

Ameil Joseph, an associate professor in McMaster University’s department of social work who signed the letter, said he will take public health up on its offer to meet.

“I think when we have an opportunity to know more about a problem, in ways that help us to understand the impacts and effects of inequities, we should utilize it,” Joseph said.

Kojo Damptey, interim executive director of HCCI, said he wished the city had tracked the data before revealing its reopening plan, released Friday. The data could have informed such aspects of reopening as which communities need greater supports.

As for the committee, Damptey said it could advise public health on what questions to ask, how to ask them sensitively and how to reassure people their data will be handled properly.

“Data has been used to do some awful stuff,” Damptey said. “I think any time you’re going to be collecting data, it needs to be done in ethical manner”

A week and a half ago, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, Ontario’s associate chief medical officer of health, committed to tracking COVID data related to race, income and household size in Ontario.

“What are the risk factors that make somebody more likely to get infected? And then how can we address those risk factors to prevent other people from getting it,” she said.

Yaffe said it is important to ensure the interview questions asked are the best, most pertinent ones.