California May Have Higher Rate Of Coronavirus Infection, Stanford Report Indicates, As Florida Reopens Some Beaches

Bruce Haring
·2 min read

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Scientists from Stanford University have developed an antibody test for coronavirus, and the results indicate that more people may have contracted the disease than previously believed.

A report from Stanford suggests as many as four percent of Californians may have already been infected with coronavirus, judging from the antibodies present in their system.

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However, antibody test accuracy is still uncertain, and there are questions as to whether the random sample of Californians tested are truly representative of the state’s population. The ad soliciting participation requested people who suspected they may have been infected.

Ultimately, the Stanford scientists claimed between 2.5 and 5.2 percent of the people they tested were positive for antibodies. In California, the official statistics claim more than 28,000 people have coronavirus.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville, Florida residents flocked to the beaches there as the city reopened them and parks for a limited number of hours.

Police took down barriers as of 5 PM on Friday, causing a cheering throng to rush to the sand.

Jacksonville opened beaches from 6-11 AM and 5-8 PM daily. Restrictions include no sunbathing or sitting in chairs or on blankets. Other Florida municipalities also opened their beaches after the governor there approved reopenings.

The beach reopenings come after protests in California, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio erupted earlier this week, demanding that those states reopen for business. The White House task force on the pandemic has left it to individual governors to determine which areas of their state are safe to reopen. However, workers who are out of a job and chafing at restrictions on their movements are demanding action faster than many governments are ready to implement.

 

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