Twitter users roast Reuters over article titled 'Cuban protests risk exacerbating COVID-19 spike - PAHO'

Social media users have pounced on a tweet about a Reuters article that reported, according to health officials, protests in Cuba raise the risk of COVID-19 spread due to an already high amount of cases and because of the contagious Delta variant of the illness.

The Reuters piece noted that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said Cubans and individuals visiting the country should avoid crowds, utilize masks, and wash their hands often.

"The gathering of individuals for protests ... increases the risk of transmission, in particular in cases such as Cuba where you have active transmission in many areas over the last week and 34,244 new cases reported," said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, PAHO's director of health emergencies, according to the outlet.

The headline of the article simply read: "Cuban protests risk exacerbating COVID-19 spike - PAHO."

The social media post has so far received more than 2,000 responses, with many Twitter accounts slamming the news outlet.

"Pro-authoritarianism, Reuters? Garbage headline," one account tweeted.

"The Babylon Bee, man, always so witty with this stuff," someone remarked in a reference to a popular satire website. The tweet then added: "Oh god, this is a serious headline."

"Lord, are you guys just copying verbatim from Granma?" another Twitter user queried.

Granma is a newspaper that brittanica.com, describes as "the official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba."

"Communism is more deadly than Covid," the Libertarian Party of Texas tweeted.

"I think their government shooting them might be a bigger risk," TheBlaze social media editor Jessica O'Donnell wrote.

A number of commenters hearkened back to protests that occurred last summer in the U.S.

"Did BLM protests exasperate COVID-19? Asking for a friend," someone tweeted.

"Covid only exists during anti-communist or anti-lockdown protests, but not at pro-BLM demonstrations. Got it," another tweet read.

"Covid apparently wasn't a risk for spiking in the US during BLM and Antifa 'mostly peaceful ' protests and riots during most of 2020. Weird how it may risk exacerbating a spike in Cuba now?" another tweet said.

"This is a joke, right?" Newsweek Opinion Editor Josh Hammer tweeted. "BLM/Antifa riots less than three months into COVID lockdowns: necessary for public health in order to end 'systemic racism.' Cubans risk their lives to protest evil communist dictatorship over a year later: go back inside and social distance! "