Trump's Election Rally Sees Thousands of Empty Seats and New COVID-19 Infections as Cases Pass 10,000
The United States President Donald Trump spoke at an election rally in Tulsa despite being met with a sparse crowd and new COVID-19 infections among six staffers on Saturday.
The Tulsa rally, which was initially scheduled on Juneteenth, was expected to be one of the largest indoor gatherings. However, the thousands of empty seats forced the president's campaign officials to forego plans for Trump to address an overflowing space, Market Watch reported.
Trump's rally aides blamed protesters for interfering with supporters, claiming they blocked access to metal detectors, which prevented them from entering BOK Center. Brad Parscale, the campaign manager, previously boasted a million ticket requests for the rally. However, he also said he only expected 100,000 to attend, NY Post reported.
The light crowds came at the heels of reports that six of the campaign's staff members tested positive for the virus-two of whom are Secret Service agents. Tim Murtaugh, the campaign communications director, said the staffers were immediately quarantined following the release of the results.
According to NBC News, a source familiar with the matter claimed the staffers have been in Oklahoma for a week. The administration is also aware of the results and has begun doing contact tracing.
COVID-19 Safety Measures
A fuller view of stadium as the program begins pic.twitter.com/xGdqTpwi1L - SteadmanTM (@AsteadWesley) June 20, 2020
Trump's campaign staffers handed out masks to supporters who stayed in designated areas in the arena. However, most threw their masks out immediately after receiving them, as wearing them was not mandatory. Many also ignored social distancing measures throughout the event.
The event's staff tested all guests entering the arena. Those who failed a temperature check was directed to a cooling room. If they failed a second test, they would not be allowed entry, the New York Times reported.
Public health officials criticized the campaign's measures, noting they would not prevent the spread of the virus or identify asymptomatic carriers. Leaders in the administration dismissed the warning, citing an individual's right to choose not to wear a mask. Governor Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma told reporters he did not believe the rally would contribute to a surge in the state's virus-related deaths.
Virus Surges
Despite Governor Stitt's statement, officials from Oklahoma's health department said the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state had surpassed 10,000 on Saturday morning.
According to data published by the department, Oklahoma now has over 10,037 cases since March. The recent numbers jumped by 331 cases over the past 24 hours.
Local authorities reported 368 total deaths and 1,229 hospitalizations across the state-197 of whom are still in hospitals.
The officials believe more than 7,400 Oklahomans have recovered from the virus, but they need to test the patients twice to determine if they have improved. However, staffers from the health department said they are preserving tests for patients who are showing symptoms related to the virus.