As protesters — both peaceful and violent — took to the streets across Los Angeles County over the weekend to decry the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, new concerns of a possible resurgence in coronavirus cases have emerged.
Public health officials continued to warn that the virus has not changed, despite eased restrictions allowing some businesses to reopen.
Political protests of up to 100 people are one of two types of mass gatherings allowed under the state’s updated shelter-in-place order and are also permitted under L.A. County’s latest guidance. But it’s still unclear how such gatherings could affect the transmission rate of COVID-19.
The weekend saw thousands gathered in places like Fairfax Avenue and downtown Santa Monica, both of which were the sites of widespread looting.
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The coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 2,300 people and has infected more than 55,000 in Los Angeles County, numbers that account for the bulk of California’s coronavirus infections. County officials reported 22 additional deaths Monday, including the death of a pregnant woman who had tested positive for the virus and had underlying health issues. This marks the first such death in the county.
Officials also reported an additional 978 cases. Over the weekend an additional 73 deaths and more than 3,511 cases were recorded.
Black communities continue to bear the brunt of the virus’ impact. The disease has devastated the lives of black people at a higher rate than most other races, accounting for a disproportionate number of deaths, and has placed an incredible economic toll on workers who have lost jobs and hours.
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On Sunday, just two days after officials announced that hair salons, barbershops and restaurants could fully reopen for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the county declared a state of emergency as violence erupted during ongoing protests. A countywide curfew was imposed, forcing businesses to close early. The 6 p.m.-6 a.m. lockdown was extended Monday for a second day.
“This emergency comes as we are in the midst of battling another emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This taxes our resources, but not our resolve,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement.
“We will do everything in our power to keep our communities safe and protect lives and property. I continue to call on our residents to maintain calm and seek solutions productively, not destructively.”
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On Friday, Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer called for peaceful demonstrations and asked the public to wear face coverings while protesting.
“Show respect for each other by putting on that face covering so that your respiratory droplets aren’t unintentionally getting into somebody else’s mouth, nose or eyes,” she said.
The continued need for social distancing practices is essential for the next several weeks, Ferrer said. While the county has seen modest improvements in the fight against the virus, it remains to be seen whether the county will see a new upward curve as more restrictions are eased.
While officials continue to encourage residents to get tested for the virus, several testing sites were closed Monday throughout the county in the wake of protests.
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“Los Angeles County is in the midst of fighting an unprecedented pandemic while also facing a State of Emergency that impacts public safety,” L.A. County Department of Health Services Director Christina Ghaly said. “Public health remains a key concern, and testing remains a priority as we continue to battle the coronavirus. We need to ensure our testing sites are safe for both patients and staff.”
In the city of Los Angeles, testing at Dodger Stadium and Kedren Community Health Center will continue, while other locations are closed.
“We expect to reopen all test centers on Tuesday, June 2, 2020,” the city posted on its website.
To date, more than 598,000 of the county’s 10 million residents have been checked for the virus. Of those, 8% of people have tested positive.
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Times staff writer Kailyn Brown contributed to this report.
