“Seeding Event” For Fresh COVID-19 Explosion: CDC Chief Urges Protesters To Get Tested

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called mass protests in the wake of George Floyd’s gruesome death at the hands of police a “seeding event” for the rapid spread of coronavirus. 

CDC chief Robert Redfield in testimony at a House appropriations subcommittee on Thursday said the sheer size and frequency of the past nine days of protests leaves cause for alarming concern. “I do think there is a potential, unfortunately, for this to be a seeding event,” he said according to The Washington Post.

He repeated the call of some county and state health officials across the nation, who have warned protesters they need to get tested. 

Redfield testified in a direct appeal to people protesting in the streets:

“And the way to minimize it is to have each individual to recognize it’s to the advantage of them to protect their loved ones, to [say]: ‘Hey, I was out. I need to go get tested.’ You know, in three, five, seven days, go get tested. Make sure you’re not infected.”

He identified specifically events unfolding in Minnesota and Washington D.C. as potential super-spreader events. 

When pressed also on riot control measures such as tears gas as related to coronavirus, he said this can significantly add to the level of fluids and droplets people are collectively exposed to: “Definitely, coughing can spread respiratory viruses, including COVID-19,” he said.

“We have advocated strongly the ability to have face coverings and masks available to protesters so that they can at least have those coverings,” Redfield added in his testimony.

Last weekend after protests and riots gripped parts of downtown Atlanta, the city’s mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, also addressed this issue, warning demonstrators: “If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID test this week.” She added: “There is still a pandemic in America that’s killing black and brown people at higher numbers.”

Meanwhile…

BREAKING on CNN: Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Are Rising Faster Than Ever

I mean who besides *absolutely everyone everywhere* anticipated this? https://t.co/SnT52btLwi

— Seth Abramson (@🏠) (@SethAbramson) June 5, 2020

And last week Minneapolis health commissioner warned protestors that the large-scale gatherings and crowd riot behavior will “very predictably accelerate the spread.”