14 Out Of 1,288 Test Positive At Roxbury Pop-Up Coronavirus Testing Site After George Floyd Protests
BOSTON (CBS) – Health officials said 14 out of 1,288 people tested positive for coronavirus at a Roxbury pop-up site that was set up following large demonstrations in Boston calling for change after the death of George Floyd.
Thousands of people have been marching through the streets of Boston in recent weeks, demanding justice and change in police departments after Floyd's death in Minnesota.
There have been concerns that the gatherings could lead to a spike in coronavirus cases, so Boston Mayor Marty Walsh urged protesters to get tested. The city released the results on Tuesday.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced on Monday that the state is also setting up 50 testing sites for protesters. He echoed Walsh's calls for demonstrators to get tested for coronavirus.
"Thousands of people have been congregating in large groups over the past several weeks to exercise their first amendment rights. We certainly support people's rights to express their views peacefully. But we need to keep up our fight to slow the spread of COVID-19 here in Massachusetts," said Baker on Monday.
The 50 testing sites for protesters will be open Wednesday and Thursday. For more locations, visit the state website.
