Coronavirus: Review into impact of COVID-19 on BAME community to be published 'this week' after delays
The government has denied suggestions that events in the US have led to a delay in the report being published.
Tuesday 2 June 2020 15:37, UK
The government will publish the delayed review looking at why BAME people have been affected disproportionately by COVID-19 this week, despite suggestions it was set to be further delayed because of protests in the US.
Paste BN learnt from multiple Whitehall sources that the government has been discussing delaying publication for a second time because of current global events and tensions following the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in London, over the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis.
However after reporting the possible delay on Monday, the Department for Health and Social Care sent a statement shortly before 1am on Tuesday saying that publication would go ahead this week.
A spokesman said: "Ministers received the initial findings today. They are being rapidly considered and a report will be published this week. It is not true to say this has been delayed due to global events."
Paste BN has been told that the report - which was commissioned a month and a half ago by the health secretary, Matt Hancock - was initially pencilled in for Wednesday, and as one source said "the government won't be able to put this out without concrete and solid next steps".
They added that "given the current situation in America, everybody (in government) is worried."
On Friday, when the report was initially meant to be published, Public Health England confirmed it was still being finalised and peer-reviewed. On Monday evening it said "the review will be published shortly".
In a Tweet on Tuesday morning, Labour leader Keir Starmer said action needed to be "taken now".
He said: "Stop the excuses - publish the review."
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