
A new review shows that protests have now unfolded in every one of the 25 U.S. communities with the highest concentrations of new COVID-19 cases, stoking fears of a spike in new infections. The Associated Press analysis also found that some cities — Minneapolis, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles among them — have witnessed protests on multiple days. In some communities, such as Minneapolis where the protests started, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has also been rising, the news agency added. The close proximity of protesters and their failure in many cases to wear masks, along with police using tear gas, could fuel new transmissions. Tear gas can cause people to cough and sneeze, as can the smoke from fires set by people bent on destruction, the AP said. Both factors can also prompt protesters to remove their masks. Putting arrested protesters into jail cells can also increase the risk of spread, and an AP tally shows that more than 5,600 people have already been taken into custody. Finally, photos of protesters and police shouting at one another nose-to-nose is also sounding alarms, the wire service reported. “As a nation, we have to be concerned about a rebound,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser warned Sunday, the AP reported. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also worried out loud that hundreds could potentially have… read on >