Concerns about increasing cases of nCoV as protests spread across the United States 0
`I feel worried when we have large gatherings on the streets when the stay-at-home order has just been lifted. That could lead to a spike in nCoV infections,` Muriel Bowser, Mayor
Protests demanding justice for Floyd, a black man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for many minutes, started in the city of Minneapolis, and have spread across the United States.
`I’m very concerned about this issue and I’ve been urging people to consider their exposure, whether they need to quarantine with their families when they get home or whether they need to be tested, because they
Bowser said the protests in her city, which has seen consecutive days of violence near the White House and other surrounding areas, were chaotic.
`I saw a few people wearing masks last night, but others didn’t. I saw a few people practicing social distancing while others gathered right next to each other. We’ve been working very hard not
Protesters gathered to burn down the Third Division police station in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, on May 28.
Larry Hogan, Governor of Maryland, agreed with Bowser’s views, while Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, Keisha Lance-Bottoms, said she was genuinely concerned about the spread of Covid-19 and that the protests had
`If you took to the streets to protest last night, maybe you need to get tested for nCoV as soon as next week,` Bottoms said at a press conference on May 30, adding that the complexity of the situation prevented her from letting go.
`It’s scary, because it’s a pandemic and people of color are going to be hit harder,` Bottoms emphasized.
`How can we protest safely? I think masks are going to be an important item,` said Ashish Jha, director of the global health institute at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health.
In New York, the place most affected by Covid-19 in the United States, state Governor Andrew Cuomo did not express concern that nCoV infections would revive due to protests, but said that the blockade was part of the reason.
`It’s not a coincidence that unrest happened in the middle of a pandemic. People lost their jobs. They were isolated at home for a time. They became stressed and anxious. That’s all,`
Theodore Long, the leader of New York’s nCoV case tracing campaign, advised protesters to wear masks and seriously practice social distancing as much as possible, even though he knew `that is not always possible.`
The protests following Floyd’s death turned into demonstrations demanding justice for the black community and became increasingly widespread and violent.
Ngoc Anh (According to The Guardian)
