FRSO leader Steff Yorek: ‘100,000 are dead and capitalism is making the pandemic a human-made disaster’

Minneapolis, MN – Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization Steff Yorek stated on May 26, “The United States has just reached a grim milestone, 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 with no end in sight, earning this country the dubious distinction of edging into the top ten for deaths per person, with 30.46 deaths per 100,000.”

Meanwhile Trump has continued to show an utter disregard for the loss of life. The federal response has been weak, ineffectual, has intentionally undermined state public health plans and continues to steal PPE and testing supplies from states.

Yorek continued, “Trump is fueling and supporting the ‘Reopen’ campaign being sponsored and funded by the DeVos family and wealthy forces aligned with the GOP. Democratic governors are caving in to business interests, sending working people to die as new cases surge in many places.”

A recent study found that the pandemic continues to be a disaster for African Americans. Among those seeking medical care for COVID-19, Black patients were hospitalized at nearly three times the rate of white and Latino patients. The disparity remained even after researchers took into account differences in age, sex, income and the prevalence of chronic health problems that exacerbate COVID-19, like hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.

Yorek stated, “African Americans get worse health care and are more likely to face exposure to the virus, because of persistent racist discrimination.

“This push to reopen is really a push to transfer the economic crisis from the rich to working people by ending unemployment and sick leave support, leaving us with a Sophie’s choice to put ourselves in harm’s way or starve. 100,000 are dead and capitalism is making this pandemic a human-made disaster.”