Los Angeles County is advising residents who took part in protests in response to the death of George Floyd to self-quarantine for two weeks, amid fears they could be carrying the novel coronavirus.
"Did you attend a protest recently? @lapublichealth advises to self-quarantine for 2 weeks and monitor yourself for symptoms of #COVID19," the county tweeted.
OFFICIALS WHO PUSHED STRICT LOCKDOWNS NOW ARGUE PROTESTERS ARE AN EXCEPTION
The advice then links to guidance advising on the 14-day quarantine for “people who were in close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected to have [COVID-19].”
The protests mark the latest effort by officials in state and local governments to balance their support of protests with the harsh lockdowns and social distancing measures they have been enforcing for months as part of the effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
A number of politicians and health officials attempted to make exceptions for those protesting by claiming that the cause for which they were marching was urgent. It has provoked strong backlash from others who have accused them of double standards for favored political causes.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has praised the protesters, and even affirmed their right to protest outside his home. However, he has also warned that protests could become "super-spreader events."
He is not the only politician warning of such risks. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week opened up testing to include protesters, and urged those in attendance to get tested.
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“If you were at one of those protests, I would, out of an abundance of caution, assume that you are infected,” Cuomo said Thursday. “One person, one person can infect hundreds if you were at a protest.”
He added: “You went to a protest, get a test. Tell people, act as if you may have been exposed.”
Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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