Coronavirus testing sites shut across several US states as protests over George Floyd's death rage on
Coronavirus testing in parts of the country has taken a backseat, amid protests raging over the killing of George Floyd. In the last few days, authorities have temporarily shuttered testing sites across Pennsylvania, Florida, California, and Illinois, citing safety concerns.
A pause on testing could nullify some of the progress the country has made in controlling the coronavirus, experts have said. "The way we move forward with this pandemic is to have testing be as widely available as possible. Any disruption to testing is going to make it harder to find cases," Dr Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease physician with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security," told NBC News.
Further, any limits on access to testing could heighten the impact on Black Americans, who are already vulnerable to Covid-19, Adalja added. Recent data suggests they are dying at almost three times the rates of their white peers.
Amid the protests, experts are urging demonstrators to wear masks and practice social distancing to reduce their chances of catching and spreading the disease. So far, the country has confirmed more than 1.83 million infections and more than 100K deaths.
Closed testing sites
North Philadelphia's testing centers, including a few private ones, have stayed shut. Dr Delana Wardlaw, a family physician with Temple Health, told 6ABC: "The only way to know the exact extent of the disease is to know how many people actually have the disease. And to not have access to testing again, it creates an issue for which direction we need to go in, and how we can appropriately open. These all have a huge impact on mitigating coronavirus."
Testing sites in Florida's Lee County had to shut its doors briefly after the National Guard that runs the site sent its personnel to help law enforcement. It, however, reopened Tuesday. In California, testing in some parts of Los Angeles County took a hit due to the current State of Emergency. "Los Angeles County is in the midst of fighting an unprecedented pandemic while also facing a State of Emergency that impacts public safety. 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," Christina Ghaly, Director LA County Department of Health Services, said in a statement.
Protests have impacted testing in some parts of Illinois. On June 1, the Department of Public Health tweeted that it was closing some of its community-based testing sites on June 1 and 2. They later put out a statement saying the sites will resume operations from June 3.
Other experts fear a surge in Covid-19 cases in the coming days as protestors have not practiced social distancing. “Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters, and potentially new outbreaks moving forward,” US Surgeon General Jerome Adams told POLITICO, adding that he understands the anger behind the demonstrations.
What is more, tear gas used by the police forces could leave people vulnerable to Covid-19. It can make people cough, sneeze, and suffer other injuries, all of which contribute to the spread of the virus. “This wanton and indiscriminate use of tear gas is a serious threat to health — this needs to stop now,” tweeted Adam Gaffney, Critical care doctor and the President of Physicians for a National Health Program.