CDC chief urge protesters to get COVID-19 tests

A top U.S. health official cautioned on Thursday that protests sweeping across the country could increase the spread of COVID-19, particularly in cities that have struggled to control the outbreak, and that participants should “highly consider” getting tested (Source; “Protesters should 'highly consider' coronavirus tests, U.S. health official says,” Reuters, June 4).

Huge crowds have taken to the streets of dozens of cities since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody set off unrest that has roiled America in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Protests have occurred in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., where there has been significant transmission of the virus, Robert Redfield, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), testified before a Congressional committee.

Other public health experts and government officials have also warned the large street protests could cause a spike in new coronavirus cases. Concerns that a second wave of the virus could also spill over into flu season in the fall have heightened fears of the potential pressure on the nation’s healthcare system.