Tarrant County health director reminding protesters to take precautions against the spread of COVID-19

Tarrant County's health director is reminding people who have joined recent protests to take precautions against spreading COVID-19.

He also said the county's coronavirus numbers look encouraging, and now is not the time to relax.

Passionate demonstration with large gatherings of people. The combination has prompted concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19. 

Tarrant County Public Health Director Dr. Vinny Taneja said it would be very hard to pinpoint if a future surge in cases is directly tied to protests or other facets of restrictions lifting and businesses reopening.

RELATED: More coronavirus coverage

“It is very possible. With any large gathering, it only takes one or two people that may be shedding the virus, and if you’re part of that large gathering and happen to be in touch with these individuals, or in close contact, the risk of spread is there,” Dr. Taneja said.

He continues to urge anyone taking part in a protest to take personal precautions. Wear a mask, maintain social distance from others, and he said it’s a good idea is to take a shower as soon as you return home.

Taneja said that overall, the county has experienced an impressive plateau with just a slight upturn in case numbers over the last week or so. He hopes it is not suggesting of a trend.

“The trend has been down for the last several weeks. I was pretty happy until we saw the little plateau and curl up starting to occur, and that gives me worry. My job is to worry about those things, but that’s really we want to stay trending down and not trend up,” he said. “This thing could turn in a week, I mean it is that delicate of a situation that the trend could change on us, so I want people to be really, really cautious.”

RELATED: Interactive map of Texas COVID-19 cases