Arizona Health Care Officials: Transmission Of Coronavirus Following Protests Would Not Be Surprising
Published: Tuesday, April 21, 2020 - 4:32pm
Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
Protesters gather at the Capitol on April 20, 2020, to object to orders by Gov. Doug Ducey requiring people to stay at home and closing what he says are non-essential businesses.
Following multiple public protests by large crowds demanding Gov. Doug Ducey rescind his stay-at-home order and open Arizona’s economy, health care officials are issuing caution.
University of Arizona epidemiologist Dr. Kacey Ernst said the lack of social distancing, not wearing PPE and shouting all can increase the spread of the coronavirus.
“I would not be surprised if there had been some transmission events occurring within a mass of 500 people that were gathering,” said Ernst. “It’s the family members that they go back to. It’s the people that they encounter in the grocery store, etc.”
On Monday, Ducey’s spokesman Patrick Ptak said the governor has "a commitment to re-energizing our economy when it is responsible to do so."
