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Officials Worry Protest Crowds May Spread Coronavirus

Steve Baragona

   Anger over the death in police custody of George Floydin Minneapolis,
   Minnesota,has exceeded fear of COVID-19 infection,as thousands have
   crowded into city streets across the country to protest.

   But public health officials are worried that these
   demonstrationsmayhave given the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 the
   upper hand.

   More than 100,000 people in the United States have died of the disease
   so far.

   People inclose proximitytransmit the virus through droplets they
   release when they breathe, talk, cough and sneeze.

   For months, officials have canceled concerts, theater performances and
   large gatherings of all kinds to avoid creating conditions that spread
   the coronavirus.

   Some states and cities have been slowly reopening,as the number of new
   cases has seen a slow declineoverall despite pockets were the number of
   cases is increasing.

   While many expressedempathyfor the protesters' anger, officials say the
   past several days of crowds have been just what they have been trying
   to avoid.

   "How many super-spreaders were in that crowd?" New York Gov. Andrew
   Cuomo asked Monday. "How many young people went home and kissed their
   mother hello?Or shook hands with their father, or hugged their
   father,or their grandfather,or their grandmother,or their brother,or
   their sister, and spread a virus?"

   "Protest, just be smart about it," Cuomo said. "With this virus,you can
   do many things now,as long as you're smart about it."

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