Democratic Governors said they support large-scale protests, a reversal from mandating social distancing and lockdowns since March.
“I stand behind the protesters and their message,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.
He noted earlier in the day, though, that protests “could exacerbate COVID-19 spread.”
“We spent all this time closed down, locked down, masks, social distanced. And then you turn on the TV, and you see these mass gatherings that could potentially be infecting hundreds and hundreds of people, after everything we have done,” he said in his press briefing.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also encouraged peaceful demonstrations Monday. She lifted Michigan’s stay-at-home order Monday, 11 days ahead of schedule, and told Michiganders to “stay smart, stay safe, and let’s all do our part.”
She also announced Monday that restaurants will be able to reopen at limited capacity next week. Gatherings of fewer than 100 people are now permitted, meaning massive protests are still illegal under the state’s gradual reopening plan.
Whitmer added that she has “a high level of concern” about the possibility of the virus being spread at protests.
“A lot of the early in the day events, where it really was a peaceful protest, people were wearing masks. As nighttime came … we saw fewer masks, and that’s concerning,” she said.
Protests broke out in Washington, D.C., over the weekend as well. Mayor Muriel Bowser implemented a citywide curfew Monday starting at 7 p.m., just two days after announcing that restaurants can start reopening for outdoor service at limited capacity.
Bowser said on Meet the Press Sunday that people who participate in protests should also get tested for the coronavirus, as social distancing is difficult in large crowds.
“Where I saw some people social distancing, others were right on top of each other,” Bowser said. “We don’t want to compound this deadly virus and the impact that it’s had in our community.”
Public health officials are increasingly worried that the protests, occurring in roughly 75 cities, will cause a resurgence of coronavirus cases.
“All things considered, there’s little doubt that these protests will translate into increased risk of transmission for COVID-19,” Maimuna Majumder, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told the Atlantic.
Gilead Sciences, the California-based biotech company behind possible coronavirus treatment remdesivir, said Monday that the drug improved symptoms when given to moderately ill, hospitalized patients with COVID-19 for five days. The drug, administered intravenously, has been granted emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration but has not been clinically proven to be an effective treatment for the coronavirus disease. The company said the full results of a recent study would be published in a medical journal soon, ABC News reported.
Experts at the World Health Organization said Monday that there was no proof to support an assertion from high-profile doctor Alberto Zangrillo, head of intensive care at Italy’s San Raffaele Hospital in Lombardy, that the new coronavirus “clinically no longer exists” because it has lost potency. WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said that there is no evidence to that effect, the New York Times reported. “In terms of transmissibility [of the virus], that has not changed, in terms of severity [of COVID-19], that has not changed,” she said.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it will be toughening penalties for nursing homes in response to a large number of deaths of both nursing home residents and employees during the pandemic. Fines will increase for nursing homes that consistently perform poorly in infection control. An estimated 26,000 nursing home residents and 450 workers have died from COVID-19.
The Metropolitan Opera canceled its fall season in response to the pandemic. It last performed on March 11, and many of its performers have not been paid since then. The Met said it hopes to reopen on New Year’s Eve.
The stock market had a strong start for June, ending higher later Monday despite a weekend of tense protests that could lead to the second wave of COVID-19 and economic downturn. By the end of the day, the Nasdaq was just 2.7% below its all-time high on February 19.
