NEWS

Panel discusses COVID-19 disparities in Black community in North Carolina

Melody Brown-Peyton
mbrownpeyton@fayobserver.com
The Fayetteville Observer

A tele-town hall hosted by Action N.C. on Wednesday evening brought together community activists and elected officials to discuss the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the Black community.

Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin was a guest panelist during the hourlong call and said the path to moving forward and helping minorities is realizing that inequalities exist when it comes to health care, education and housing.

“We have to embrace that we have a problem and begin to have a tough conversation on race, while understanding that disparities highlight themselves in times of a health crisis,” Colvin said.

He said that a plan to balance the scale is for local governments to find ways to increase minority constituents' participation in community affairs.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that 22 African Americans in Cumberland County have died as a result of the coronavirus. The total number of coronavirus cases in Cumberland County stands at 1,065.

Fayetteville community activist Tarsha Gunn shared her personal story. Gunn said she has congestive heart failure. She said that when lawmakers are drafting legislation, they should understand the people they are representing.

“We are humans who are in need of help,” Gunn said. “Think about those single mothers who are raising children that are in need of help.”

State Sen. Erica Smith, a Democrat who represents District 3 in the North Carolina Senate, also took part in the meeting. Smith said the Senate passed House Bill 1023 on Wednesday making $2 billion in COVID-19 relief funding available to communities across the state.

Smith said the Senate is working tirelessly to ensure that people have access to health care and the resources to survive during these challenging economic times.

Should there be a spike in coronavirus cases, Janet Conway, a spokeswoman for Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, said the hospital is equipped to handle a surge in cases.

Conway said the hospital put a plan in place during the early stages of the pandemic.

“We have identified additional units here at the hospital where we can cohort COVID-19 patients,” Conway said.

She said plans also include an expanded number of intensive care beds if needed.

Staff writer Melody Brown-Peyton can be reached at mbrownpeyton@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3568