Matt Hancock said meeting in large groups is temporarily against the rules (File)
London:
Thousands of anti-racism protests in London and other major British cities are “undoubtedly” likely to cause further increases in the number of COVID-19 cases, the British Minister for Health, Matt Hancock.
Thousands of people attended protests on Saturday to express their anger at police brutality after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, ignoring government advice to avoid large rallies due to the risk of coronavirus.
Asked in an interview with Sky News to find out if the number of people present at the protests has increased the number of COVID-19 cases, Hancock said: “It is without a doubt a risk”.
“I strongly support the argument put forward by those who protest … but the virus itself does not discriminate and coming together in large groups is temporarily against the rules precisely because it increases the risk of spreading it. virus. “
Under current government guidelines, gatherings of more than six people outside are not allowed.
John Edmunds, a member of the government’s Scientific Emergency Advisory Group (SAGE), said that while the risk of spreading the virus outdoors is lower, it is currently estimated that about one in 1,000 people in the country is contagious.
“If you have a crowd of a few thousand people, then you expect some of these people to be infectious … so it’s a risk of having thousands of people coming together,” he said. he told BBC TV.
While more protests are scheduled for Sunday, London police chief Cressida Dick urged protesters to “find another way to make your views heard, which doesn’t mean going out on the streets of London” due to the risk of coronavirus.
