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Tests results are not showing a bump in COVID-19 cases from protesters

Jun 24, 2020 6:33 am
The Boston Globe reports that of 17,617 coronavirus tests in Massachusetts aimed specifically at those who participated in protests or demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd, only 2.5 percent positive results were found. And that's about the same as the recent general population tests there. “The vast majority of the folks who participated in those demonstrations were wearing masks or face coverings of one kind or another,” Republican Governor Charlie Baker said. “In many cases, they were moving, which I think made a big difference. And of course, they all took place outside, which we all agree is a far safer environment than indoors.” There are even better results elsewhere. In Minnesota just 1.5 percent of the tests conducted of those involved in demonstrations were positive, and in Seattle, fewer than one percent of thousands of people who attended protests had positive tests. And the number infected at the protests is probably lower. “Just because someone was at the protest, it doesn’t guarantee that they were infected at the protest,” said Dr. Helen Jenkins, an assistant professor of biostatistics at Boston University. That's all good news, as there are many other protests announced for the coming weeks in the Hudson Valley. Mid-Hudson News reports that the "Back the Blue-Orange County Law Enforcement Appreciation Rally" scheduled for 6 p.m. June 24 at Orange County Courthouse in Goshen, has been canceled. The organizers of the event, law enforcement officers, said they decided not to hold the rally in the interest of public safety, according the the news outlet. A counter-protest, organized after the police rally was announced and called "Defund Police Demand Accountability," will still go on, according to Facebook posts. Other protests June 24 include 6:30 p.m. rallies in Ghent, Chatham, and Kingston. And organizers just announced July protests in Cairo and Greenville in Greene County.
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