COVID-19 Testing Suspended in Los Angeles Due to Violent George Floyd Protests

Due to public safety concerns arising from the violence amid the protests of the killing of George Floyd, the city of Los Angeles has suspended COVID-19 testing. I wonder if other cities will follow suit.

As I argued yesterday the blatant disregard of social distancing at these protests would inevitably lead to a spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. But if cities such as Los Angeles are unable to properly test for COVID-19 it will impede the ability of contact tracers to identify those exposed to the virus to mitigate its further spread. 

This should concern the African-American community which has accounted for approximately a quarter of all COVID-19 deaths in this country and has been present in large numbers at these demonstrations nationwide. The Latino community has also been disproportionately affected. However contemptible the actions of the Minneapolis PD were in the death of George Floyd given the death and despair that COVID-19 has wrought in the African-American and Latino communities one would think there would be greater caution against partaking in these protests. 

Unfortunately passion has overcome reason and that we shall soon pay an even bigger price than we have already paid.