Sununu establishes council to explore racial disparities during COVID-19 crisis

Rogers Johnson ... also chair of Governor's Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion (Courtesy photo/Facebook)

CONCORD - Gov. Chris Sununu today established the Governor's COVID-19 Equity Response Team to develop a recommended strategy and plan to address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The team, comprising experts and authorities in racial/ethnic disparities and health equity, will present recommendations within 30 days.

"Ensuring equity in our response to COVID-19 is a priority for the state," Gov. Sununu said. "I would like to thank the members of the COVID-19 Equity Response Team for taking on this important charge and I look forward to their recommendations."

Current numbers show that 150 Blacks have contracted the virus, representing 5.6 percent of the cases statewide, while comprising only 1.4 percent of the state's population; likewise, 233 Hispanics or Latino residents have contracted the virus representing 8.6 percent of the cases though comprising just 3.9 percent of the population.

The COVID-19 Equity Response Team members are as follows:

• Chair: Trinidad Tellez, MD, Director, Office of Health Equity, DHHS
• Bobbie Bagley, MS, MPH, RN, CPH, Director, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Nashua
• Kirsten Durzy, MPH, Equity Council lead, public health evaluation and narrative/storytelling expert, Division of Public Health Services, DHHS
• Rogers Johnson, President, Seacoast NAACP, Chair of Governors Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion
• Dottie Morris, PhD, Associate Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion, Keene State College

Advisory team members representing needed additional voices/perspectives, constituencies, academic disciplines, and areas of specific expertise will be engaged as needed, a press release from the Governor's Office noted.