ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis County Executive Sam Page on Wednesday asked protesters who didn’t wear masks or socially distance themselves during protests over the death of George Floyd to quarantine.
Page said he’s concerned days of protests over Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody might reverse progress made in the county to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
The county has confirmed more than 400 deaths and 6,000 cases of COVID-19. Page said the county is making progress and is now able to test more than 1,000 people a day and with a positive test result rate reduced to 4.2%.
“The unrest could, unfortunately, result in a bump in these numbers,” Page said. “That’s why I’m asking everyone who’s participated in a march or protest to quarantine themselves for two weeks unless they were able to wear a mask or to be socially distance from others.”
Missouri’s state health department has reported at least 13,767 cases and 786 deaths from the coronavirus.
Missouri continues to suffer economically because of the coronavirus.
Missouri Department of Transportation Director Patrick McKenna said Wednesday that the agency has delayed about $360 million worth of road and bridge projects because of a downturn in fuel tax revenues and licensing fees caused by coronavirus closures and stay-at-home orders.
For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the coronavirus can cause severe illness and death. For most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.
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