Surgeon General Jerome Adams expects there will be an increase in coronavirus cases following protests around the country over the death of George Floyd.
“Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters and potentially new outbreaks moving forward,” Adams told Politico.
Many demonstrators have worn masks while demanding justice for the unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody last week, but the large crowds have made it hard to social distance.
Adams, who is black, also noted that the disease has disproportionately affected African Americans.
“I remain concerned about the public health consequences both of individual and institutional racism [and] people out protesting in a way that is harmful to themselves and to their communities,” Adams said.
The United States has more than 1.8 million coronavirus cases and 105,000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.
