Health officials and lawmakers are urging protesters to get tested for COVID-19 after thousands broke Covid-19 infection precautions during widespread demonstrations.
As the global COVID-19 cases rose past 6.5 million on Thursday, health officials and lawmakers in the U.S. worried that the second wave of Covid-19 will arrive sooner than predicted.
California reported a rise in infections after protests and looting in response to the death of a Black man in police custody in Minneapolis.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called on protesters to get tested after a spike in cases in several hotspots.
“I’m not a nervous Nellie, I’m just looking at the numbers,” said Cuomo during his daily press conference on Thursday.
Cuomo said all protesters have “a civic duty” to get tested. “Assume you are infected.”
He noted that an estimated 30,000 people have protested in New York state. “Many wear masks. But there is no social distancing. Police are in their face … If you were at a protest, get a test, please,” Cuomo said.
Officials in Chicago expressed similar concerns and asked protesters to quarantine themselves for 14 days.
Thousands of people attended memorial services for George Floyd in Minneapolis and Brooklyn, NY. The memorial services will culminate with Floyd’s funeral in his hometown of Houston, Texas on Tuesday.
