President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the George Floyd protests in America’s major cities increased the number of coronavirus cases in the United States.
“Cases started to rise among young Americans shortly after demonstrations, which you know very well about, which presumably triggered a broader relaxation of mitigation efforts nationwide,” Trump said.
The protests spread across the country in late May and early June despite public lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus.
The president spoke about the ongoing flare-ups of the virus in the summer during a press conference at the White House.
Trump also cited a “substantial increase in travel,” increased social gatherings on Memorial Day, and young people gathering at bars and beaches for contributing to the rise in cases.
Trump noted that Mexico was also experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases but said that his wall on the Southern border and his policies on immigration had reduced the threat of illegal immigrants spreading the disease.
“We have record low numbers of people coming in illegally,” he said. “That has helped greatly.”
The president urged Americans to continue social distancing, washing their hands, and wearing masks to help slow the spread of the disease.
“Our strategy is to shelter the highest risk Americans while allowing younger and healthier citizens to return to work or school while being careful and very vigilant.”