Protesters should self-quarantine for two weeks, LA County says

Attend a protest recently? You should be self-quarantining, says Los Angeles County.

LA County tweeted its guidance on Tuesday, after mass protests across California — and the world — took place against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

Though many protesters were photographed wearing masks, the nature of these gatherings means many were in close proximity to others, an ideal situation for the spread of the coronavirus.

LA County advised its residents to quarantine for two weeks and monitor symptoms, per the advice of LA Department of Public Health.

In a news conference last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti made similar recommendations.

“UCLA actually put out some guidance today, that two to seven days after you’ve been out there, or two to seven days after you’ve stopped being out there, that it’s a good time to get a test and to ensure if necessary, that you need to isolate yourself if you’ve been exposed or quarantine if you’ve been exposed to someone,” he said.

He also encouraged protesters to wear masks while demonstrating and keep their distance.

Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made a similar recommendation last week. He advised protesters to “highly consider” getting tested.

“I do think there is a potential, unfortunately, for this to be a seeding event,” he said.

In LA County, public health reports show more than 65,000 cases of coronavirus, with nearly 3,000 deaths.