Governors, mayors and public health officials are expressing their concerns about the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd.
George Floyd, aged 46, died in Minneapolis one week ago, during an arrest by four police officers. His death highlighted one of the country’s long-lasting problems – police brutality towards African Americans. Protests and violence quickly got the best out of most major cities. That means that thousands of people clumped together, and many of them did not wear masks.
Current Pandemic Status
Studies from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say that the US has seen about 1.8 million infections and registered more than 105,000 deaths in the Coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic drastically affected minorities, especially those who live in crowded urban areas, mainly because of the lack of universal healthcare.
Some protests are escalating and spinning out of control quickly. Some viral videos depict demonstrators pleading others to protest “the right way” for the sake of safety.
Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, has recently said that he is concerned about “super spreaders” from the crows of protesters.
The mayor of New York has also manifested his concerns by saying that they don’t want people near each other to either catch or spread the dangerous disease.
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington DC, stated on Sunday:
“I’m concerned that we had mass gatherings on our streets when we just lifted a stay-at-home order and what that could mean for spikes in coronavirus cases later.”
Authorities are urging protesters to consider their exposure and the risks they are taking.
Advice
Officials say that, if you were among the protesters, you should get a COVID test this week.
However, if you are still among the protesters or plan to go to a protest, make sure you follow essential hygienic guidelines.
