Preliminary coronavirus testing data showed recent protests against racial injustice in several cities and states haven’t caused a surge in new cases.
In Minnesota, where the death of George Floyd in police custody sparked protests across the country, 1.8% of test results among 3,200 protesters who were tested at community sites came back positive, the state’s health department said. Another 8,500 protesters were tested by their healthcare providers or at other sites, and .99% have been positive so far, the department said.
The seven-day rolling average of the percent of positive coronavirus tests in New York City has been below 3%, according to city health department data. The city urged thousands of protesters to get tested and made testing available to anyone.
However, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the effect of protests might not be seen until this weekend or early next week.
Officials in Seattle and Chicago said they have not yet seen an increase in cases.
Kris Ehresmann, the infectious disease division director at the Minnesota Department of Health, said Wednesday that it’s too early to draw any conclusions.
“We want to be cautious,” she said.
Mask-wearing and being outdoors may have helped the low rate of infection if cases remain low.
Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are surging in states across the South and West, including in Oklahoma where President Trump is set to hold his first in-person rally in months on Saturday.
