Minnesota Department of Health is relieved by low number of cases attributed to protests

Nearly four weeks have passed since demonstrations erupted in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

A crowd gathers outside of the funeral for George Floyd. Photo by David Pierini

In a brief given Wednesday, Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) director of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control, Kris Ehresmann, delivered the latest updates in response to concerns that these large-scale gatherings would lead to a steep spike in coronavirus cases.

So far that’s not the case.

After collecting data from free testing sites around the metropolitan area, Ehresmann said the overall rate of positive tests returned was relatively low, but expressed concerns regarding prevalent racial disparities. People of color still tested positive for the virus at rates higher than their white counterparts. Ehresmann attributed the disparities to disparate working conditions and the often higher number of underlying health conditions that communities of color deal with.

In the state overall, the number of total positive cases is 34,123 with 365 new cases reported today and nine new deaths.

Photo By David Pierini