Trump’s Tulsa rally was supposed to reinvigorate his failing re-election campaign, but things did not go as planned. Fewer people than the campaign expected showed up and at least eight members of his advance team tested positive for the coronavirus. Now, the county is seeing a surge in new coronavirus cases and a top health official is saying the Trump rally likely contributed to the spike.
When asked if the June 20 rally contributed to the surge in new cases, Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said: “In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots.”
The health department’s policy prevents him from identifying specific settings where an individual may have been infected with the virus. But, Dart said the large gatherings “more than likely” contributed to the surge in new cases.
The Tulsa Health Department reported 266 new cases on Wednesday, surpassing the previous single-day record of 261 set on Monday. Overall, there are 4,571 confirmed coronavirus cases in the county.
The state reported 673 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday falling short of the 853 single-day record set the day before.
“There were literally no health precautions to speak of as thousands looted, rioted, and protested in the streets and the media reported that it did not lead to a rise in coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, the President’s rally was 18 days ago, all attendees had their temperature checked, everyone was provided a mask, and there was plenty of hand sanitizer available for all. It’s obvious that the media’s concern about large gatherings begins and ends with Trump rallies,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told CNN.
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