by Eden Debebe
Vancouver, Peel Region and other areas across the country have reported disproportional rates of COVID-19 among the South Asian community. Discourse in mainstream media on the issue became pointed at times, focused on blame. After further investigation and conversations with local health officials, OMNI found spikes weren’t coming from group gatherings, but rather the precarious jobs many residents in the area work.
Our coverage was one of the first on this issue, sparking follow-up stories highlighting various non-profit groups like the South Asian COVID-19 task force and Humans in Brampton looking to change the focus away from blame and towards support for the South Asian community.