Rallies won’t spread Covid-19 if precautions taken: expert
Citing the many “Black Lives Matter” protests across the world, Chulalongkorn University scientist Jessada Denduangboripant said so far there is no evidence that demonstrations spread Covid-19.
He said a 60-page study from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed no instances of coronavirus infections being spread due to the rally.
One of the key factors for this was that protesters maintained social distancing, judging from reports from several cities were big protests were held.
For instance, only 1.7 per cent of 15,000 protesters in Minneapolis tested positive for Covid-19 and the city had an infection rate of less than 1 per cent.
Another factor was that people wore face masks, which made it different from other public gatherings where people refused to wear mask.
Similarly, the rate of infection did not rise during the Black Lives Matter protests in England because protesters took precautions.
Hence, Jessada said protests will not boost the spread of coronavirus if participants realise the importance of hygiene principles and wear masks, use hand sanitisers and maintain social distancing.