Researchers Say Protests Didn't Increase Covid-19 Spread—But Republicans Are Still Blaming Them

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez, a Republican, is placing some of the blame for the recent coronavirus spike in south Florida on protesters who took to the streets following the death of George Floyd in support of Black Lives Matter, repeating an explanation that is becoming increasingly popular among Republicans, while many in the scientific community remain skeptical.

Giménez said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday that protests “had a lot to do with” causing a renewed coronavirus spike in south Florida.

The area has seen a major rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations recently, leading Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital—one of the biggest hospitals in the world—to suspend elective surgeries, while beaches closed for the Fourth of July weekend throughout south Florida.

Giménez’s explanation is one that has gained a foothold recently, especially among Republicans, even with a lack of scientific evidence backing it up.

The scientific evidence so far doesn’t back up that explanation: Last week, a team of economists also released a 60-page paper through the National Bureau of Economic Research, which found “no evidence that urban protests reignited Covid-19 case growth during the more than three weeks following protest onset.”

New York City, for example, had large protests in the days following the death of George Floyd, but the city did not record a coronavirus spike as a result.