The New York State Department of Health is discriminating on the basis of race and it’s illegal. The Empire State is using race to determine whether its residents should receive access to a limited supply of life-saving COVID treatments. So, the individual’s color not condition is what matters now!
The official NY government website does nothing to hide its racist intentions.
Here’s what it says under eligibility:
Oral antiviral treatment is authorized for patients who meet all the following criteria:
- Age 12 years and older for Paxlovid, or 18 years and older for Molnupiravir
- Weigh at least 40 kg (88 pounds)
- Test positive for SARS-CoV-2 on a nucleic acid amplification test or antigen test
- Have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms
- Are able to start treatment within 5 days of symptom onset
- Have a medical condition or other factors that increase their risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
o Consider race and ethnicity when assessing an individual’s risk. Impacts of longstanding systemic health and social inequities put Black, Indigenous, and People of Color at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes and death.
Yes, the state of New York flat-out says that health and social inequities put certain races at an increased risk of illness and death. “Trust the science,” they say. In this case, it sounds like trust the racism.
Lawmakers in New York should take a quick peek at Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.”
Many state hospitals receive federal financial assistance, therefore this Act would apply. The state of New York should be persuaded against playing politics with medicine. This isn’t about liberals or conservatives, it is about saving human lives.
