JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Thousands of people have been gathering in Jacksonville to protest police brutality following the death of George Floyd, who died in the custody of Minneapolis police. Health officials worry that an increase of COVID-19 cases may be foreseeable in the area. 

Health experts say coronavirus can spread between people who are in close contact and through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. 

Although people are wearing masks, Dr. Pauline Rolle with the Duval County Health Department said people may still be in danger of infecting themselves or others. 

“You have people walking closely together, yelling and talking, which is a way of spreading the disease,” Rolle said.

People with and without masks who are protesting in mass gatherings are being asked to get tested for the virus. Although it is not mandatory to get tested, it’ll be beneficial for people to know their status. 

There is a latency period, meaning we won’t be able to see the true amount of COVID-19 cases until weeks from now. 

According to the Florida Department of Health, there are a total of 1,702 cases of COVID-19 in Duval County. 

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