Revealed: The communities which felt the unequal impacts of Covid-19

A new report on the impact on people staying at home during the Covid-19 pandemic has found communities in Liverpool which were already experiencing inequality suffered more than others during the Covid-19 pandemic.

At Home In Liverpool During Covid-19 says that experiences varied significantly for people from different racial backgrounds.

The findings are based on interviews with people from a range of ages, ethnicities, faiths and migration backgrounds in the city region.

It shows areas which suffered most were already struggling due to structural racism and austerity but does say that communities came together to support each other.

Liverpool was hit particularly hard by the pandemic. It had the highest mortality rate among all of England's core cities.

The report says people in some parts of the city are now likely to die 13 years earlier on average than in other areas.

Liverpool also had among the UK's highest rates of business closures and unemployment during the first lockdown.

A team of community researchers quizzed 33 participants about their own experiences as part of Stay Home Stories, a project in partnership between Queen Mary University London, University of Liverpool, the Museum of the Home, National Museums Liverpool and the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers).

They say they found some of the structural inequalities and exclusions which were already within Liverpool were made worse by the pandemic.

One person told interviewers about the racialised nature of the inequalities, saying "In my home city, it’s very difficult for me to excel up until recently. It’s structural racism without a doubt."

Another man, who has lived in Toxteth for all of his life, told Granada Reports about the inequalities he perceived during the pandemic.

Dr Salman Shahid is a GP who works across the region.

He says Covid has exposed social inequalities between areas.

The study looked at the effects of staying at home and questioned the assumption that home would be a safe space.

It also investigated the idea of belonging.

Researchers found that people with family abroad faced an extra struggle, thanks to Brexit and challenges with visa applications.

Adrianna Radlowska, 20, is a second-year architecture student from Poland.

She found it more difficult to return home because of the price of Covid tests for air travel and ended up staying through lockdown.

The 20 year old said it became frustrating to see British students being able to go home for comfort during the crisis.

Local faith groups and community organisations are highlighted as important providers of support in the pandemic.

While religious practices continued during lockdown, many people described challenges when worshipping at home.

Perceptions that the Eid and Christmas festivals were treated differently also raised concerns in the report about religious inequalities.

The study championed the importance of the city's parks, which were seen as "spaces for both escape and sociability".

The report has tried to put on record people's lives and experiences during one of the most turbulent times in living memory.

Its authors are now calling for more resources to keep communities connected and to help deal with the lasting legacy of lockdown.