With little social distancing, demonstrations spark fears of rise in infections

The numerous large street protests across the United States sparked by the death of George Floyd last week could worsen the spread of the novel coronavirus, experts have warned.

The coronavirus spreads mainly through close contact between people－droplets from sneezes, coughs and speaking, as well as shouting－which is why health authorities have called for social distancing and the use of facial masks, as well as frequent hand-washing.

But many protesters seen on the streets of the US did not practice social distancing or use face masks, as seen from news footage.

Demonstrations have taken place in every one of the 25 US metropolitan areas with the highest concentrations of new coronavirus cases, including Minneapolis and Saint Paul in Minnesota, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington.

"If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID-19 test this week," said Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms at a news briefing on Sunday. "Because there's still a pandemic in America that's killing black and brown people in higher numbers."

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that African Americans are disproportionately vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

The novel coronavirus has so far infected 1,851,580 US citizens and killed 107,175 as of early Thursday, according to a tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University.

The country has seen more than a week of protests over the May 25 killing of Floyd. Thousands of people have been arrested for offenses as stealing, blocking highways and breaking curfew over days of protests.

'With a mask on'

"I will continue to stress, because it seems like a lifetime ago: We are still in the middle of a pandemic and passed 1,000 deaths yesterday," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said on Saturday. "We still have hospitals on the verge of being overrun with COVID-19."

"We have two crises that are sandwiched on top of one other," Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said.

Some health officials offered advice to protesters: "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," said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer on Friday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday urged protesters to "demonstrate with a mask on".

The New York City Health Department offered its own list of protest tips via Twitter: "Wear a face covering; Wear eye protection to prevent injury; Stay hydrated; Use hand sanitizer; Don't yell; use signs & noise makers instead; Stick to a small group; Keep 6 feet from other groups."

Although government has warned demonstrators about the health risks posed by protesting during a pandemic, only a few have offered actionable guidance about the role COVID-19 testing can play in preventing the spread, said a report by ABC News.

Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.