The Demand for COVID-19 Race-Based Data Collection

Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) has pushed for the need for COVID-19 race-based data collection in Quebec since April 2020. National public health director and Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Health and Social Services for Quebec Dr. Heracio Arrudo formerly said the province would collect race-based COVID-19 data, but then went back on his word, stating that this information is too sensitive.

Local 514 host and video journalist Savanna Craig discusses the push for this data with CRARR intern Eva Rokakis. Regarding Quebec going back on their decision to collect this data, Eva says that the government not acknowledging that systemic racism exists in Quebec signals an issue and is apart of the problem, as collection of race-based COVID-19 data will draw attention to systemic issues and systemic racism that exists within our province. Eva says that race-based data is already being collected in the United Kingdom and the United States, showing that it is common for other countries.

Eva put together a question to be addressed at Montreal's city council, alongside her colleague and city councillor Martin Rotrand addressing the need for race-based COVID-19 data collection. The question was posed to and answered by Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Borough Mayor Sue Montgomery. 

Eva also discusses why race-based COVID-19 data is so important, the process of her creating the question posed towards Montreal's municipal council, tactics of how CRARR is pushing for race-based COVID-19 data collection, how people of colour (POC) communities are more affected by higher rates of the coronavirus in Montreal, and what race-based data collection might look like.