US lockdown protesters are spreading the virus, phone data suggests
Anti-lockdown protesters in the US could be spreading coronavirus, according to newly released cellphone data.
Mobile phone location data, provided to The Guardian by campaign group Committee to Protect Medicare, has shown that many protest participants had travelled hundreds of miles to reach their protest. Some had come from other states, or from far-flung corners of their own.
The obvious concern is that the protesters are congregating with little concern for social distancing, before travelling around the country. It’s possible they could be taking the virus to areas of the country that previously had very few cases.
HARRISBURG, PA – MAY 15: Demonstrators rally outside the Pennsylvania Capitol Building regarding the continued closure of businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)
After the infamous April 30 protest in Michigan – in which protesters stormed the state capitol building with firearms – location data showed that the protesters had come from every corner of the state, including Detroit and many small, remote towns in northern Michigan. Some devices were shown to have crossed the state border into Indiana.
Dr Rob Davidson from Committee to Protect Medicare told The Guardian: “The behavior we’re seeing at protests carries a high risk of infection. We can see protesters are going from a highly concentrated event and then dispersing widely.”
Lockdown conditions are clearly not the way most of us want to live, but the daily death toll of Covid-19 is still incredibly high.
The alarming findings in the location data from these mobile devices shows that lockdown protesters in the US could be actively putting lives at risk in order to make their feelings known.
Related: YouTube has been our best friend during the coronavirus lockdown
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES – 2020/05/16:
A group of protesters in Rancho Cucamonga, California gathered to protest the California stay-at-home orders and to call for the reopening of the California economy. (Photo by Stanton Sharpe/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Unfortunately, the anti-lockdown protests appear to be catching on. One was held in London’s Hyde Park over the weekend, and it’s possible that it could have the same effects.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.