'That's A Risk We're Willing To Take': As Health Officials Worry About COVID-19 Spreading During Protests, Demonstrations Continue
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Over the last few weeks in Los Angeles County, the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus has hit an all-time low at 11%, but medical experts are concerned about new cases reported daily in the county as the economy opens up and more people are out and about.
Protests emerged worldwide following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, who died shortly after an officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes.
For complete coverage of the situation in Minneapolis visit CBSMinnesota.com and stream CBSN Minnesota.
Thousands have gathered in Los Angeles and surrounding cities to demand accountability and justice for Floyd and other African Americans who have died in the U.S. at the hands of police officers.
Some initial protests called for participants to practice physical distancing and wear masks but as more protests began to erupt, fewer coronavirus precautions appeared to have been taken.
"One of the things we asked people to do is wear a mask," said Dr. Suman Radhakrishna with Dignity Healthcare California Hospital. "Not everyone is wearing a mask. The second thing is asked is to stay six feet away from each other. We clearly saw in the videos, that was not happening."
L.A. County Health Director Barbara Ferrer spoke out earlier this week about the importance of peaceful and safe protests, where she encouraged people to use face coverings and keep their distance from each other as much as possible.
"The ability for people to protest in a peaceful way is one of only two event gatherings that are allowed across the state," Ferrer said.
The only other gatherings allowed at this time in the county are going to religious services or attending funerals, capped at 100 people.
"There is going to be a spike and unfortunately there is nothing we can do about that but we can reduce the height," Radhakrishna said.
As a precaution, all county buildings have been shut down for the past two days as protests have spread throughout Los Angeles and neighboring cities.
As of Wednesday, 46 new coronavirus deaths and 1,155 new cases have been confirmed in L.A. County.
Protesters who've taken to the streets to demand justice say they're doing what they can to stay safe, but they will let their voices be heard regardless of the outcome.
"If everyone is taking the necessary precautions as they can, that's the best we can ask for. You can't be silent on the issue," one protester said. "We're very, very afraid of getting the virus but it's a chance we're willing to take," another said about the risks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus symptoms typically show between two and 14 days of exposure. Asymptomatic individuals are also at risk of spreading the virus.
The best protection against coronavirus is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, stay at home if you are sick, practice physical distancing and wear a clean face covering in public.
