Canada’s Lack of Race-Based COVID-19 Data Is Hurting Black Canadians: Experts

By Olivia Bowden – Global News

Rachel, a frontline worker in social services in the Greater Toronto Area, juggles multiple jobs. After a long day, she returns home to her children. That evening, she learns that a resident at her facility has been hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms. Yet, no official communication was given to her.

Rachel laments that the majority of support workers, like her and her colleague, are Black women, often left without information or protection. She denounces the lack of transparency and the negligence of managers who work remotely while Black employees face all the risks.

This lack of recognition for racialized workers exposes a deeper problem: the absence of race-based data collection on COVID-19 cases in Canada. Unlike the United States—where statistics revealed that African Americans were dying from COVID-19 at twice their population rate—Canada did not initially gather this crucial data.

In Toronto, it wasn’t until April 2020 that public health authorities began collecting such data. The decision aims to better understand health inequities and adapt interventions accordingly. Black health leaders in Ontario have long warned about barriers to employment, economic insecurity, and lack of access to healthcare in Black communities.

A 2009 study from Ryerson University already showed that 42% of home support workers were visible minorities—nearly double their representation in the Canadian population at the time.

The death of Arlene Reid, a 51-year-old Black support worker in the Peel region, sparked outrage. Unions denounce the lack of adequate protection for these essential workers. Her tragic death highlights the inequalities in access to safe and well-paid jobs.

The Historical Impact of Systemic Racism

According to Arjumand Siddiqi, Canada Research Chair in Health Equity, the poor health outcomes among Black Canadians are no surprise—they stem directly from systemic racism. Inequities in housing, employment, and income cumulatively affect physical and mental health.

Without professional autonomy, stable income, or healthy housing, it becomes difficult to protect oneself during a pandemic. These disparities are reflected in every illness, disproportionately.

Voices Calling for Data

Safia Ahmed, Executive Director of the Rexdale Community Health Centre, witnesses these inequalities daily. Her organization serves a population largely made up of newcomers and Black Canadians, who are especially affected by job loss, food insecurity, and lack of access to healthcare.

She hopes Toronto’s data collection will inspire other provinces and the federal government. Without data, she says, it is impossible to adopt fair and effective policies to protect the most at-risk communities.

Kathy Hogarth, professor of social work at the University of Waterloo, agrees: without numbers, it’s easy to ignore the problems. She calls for a structured national effort to collect race-based data and better prepare Canada for future crises.

Conclusion

The pandemic has exposed a painful truth: in a system built on inequality, some bodies become “disposable.” Until Canada acknowledges these disparities, minorities will continue to suffer the consequences.