“The pandemic is pointing out something we already knew: for some people, the old normal was overrated. Educational opportunities were not equitable. Ditto for access to health care. Ditto for other stuff. The solutions aren’t easy, and my ideas might differ from yours, but would it be asking too much to work toward a new normal that puts a meaningful dent in the old normal’s inequities?”
-Ken Herman, Austin American Statesman
How is COVID-19 Impacting You?
As Equidad ATX and other community organizations and local officials work to assist neighborhoods to thrive in the midst of COVID-19, a survey was conducted to better understand how the virus is impacting people's lives.
The survey gathered over 900 responses and revealed multiple layers of hurt and uncertainty in our community.
Here are some of the summary insights:
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Community members are worried about the lack of testing.
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Community members need basic needs help now.
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Community members fear the premature opening of business will lead to increased exposure of the virus.
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Community members are struggling with job loss and a lack of support in filing for unemployment benefits.
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Community members are worried about mental wellness access.
....And more.
The survey went through several iterations of testing to ensure the questions were ones that would provide the most meaningful insights and equity-focused data.
The MEASURE evaluation team is hard at work completing a high-level analysis of the data now and will be ready to share preliminary insights with community partners. Following this feedback session, they will host a second webinar to present the data collected community-wide (date TBD).
Covid-19’s devastating toll on black and Latino Americans
"The proportions can change depending on the state, but the trends are consistent anywhere you look: Compared to their share of the population, greater numbers of people of color die than their white neighbors in this pandemic."
Vox, Pablo Monsalve/VIEWpress/Corbis via Getty Images