The Oklahoma Supreme Court has refused to require attendees of President Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa City this Saturday to wear face masks and to observe social distancing, despite the recent spike in cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the state by 140.3 percent.

In a report by the Associated Press, it said the court rejected on Friday an appeal by groups of local businesses and residents, who sought to require Trump's rally attendees to wear masks and to practice social distancing measures.

The groups had expressed concerns over the city's hosting the rally as the coronavirus cases continued to rise in Oklahoma.

However, the court said the groups had failed to establish "a clear legal right to the relief they sought."

Curfew lifted

G.T. Bynum, the mayor of Tulsa, declared on Thursday a civil emergency and imposing a curfew in parts of the city to be in effect before and after Trump's rally at the Bank of Oklahoma (BOK) Center on June 20.

But Bynum lifted the curfew on Friday afternoon, claiming he received reports that some groups, who were involved in violent protests across the nation, have plans to travel to Tulsa to cause unrest during the President's rally.

For his part, Trump tweeted that he spoke to Bynum and the latter agreed not to impose the curfew.

Also read: Petition to Stop Trump's Tulsa Rally Denied despite Surge in COVID-19 Cases

In an interview with Fox News, Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said they expect more than a million of Trump's supporters to attend the rally.

He said those who cannot enter inside the 19,000-seat arena, can stay outside and wait for the President's appearance.

Parscale also revealed that the organizers will be providing masks and hand sanitizers during the event. Each guest will also undergo a temperature check as part of the rally's coronavirus safety measures.

Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, said she would not be wearing a mask at the rally, noting that she regularly get a test for the virus, CBS News reported.

COVID-19 Surge

As the rally get underway, health officials reported a surge in coronavirus cases at Oklahoma in the past few days.

According to Harvard University epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, the daily seven-day average number of new cases in the state rose by 104.3 percent in the past week, Newsweek said.

On Thursday, state officials reported 450 new cases, breaking the previous record of 259 cases on Wednesday.

The health department's daily update showed that Tulsa recorded 82 new cases, while the city of Oklahoma recorded 80.

The new numbers bring the state's total number of infections to 9,354, and the number of fatalities to 366.

Data from the state's health department also showed that 54 percent of the newly reported cases in the past 14 days involved people aged 35 and under.

Individuals aged 65 and older had the smallest percentage increase in COVID-19 cases, USA Today reported.

An analysis from June 3 to June 17 revealed that 909 of the 2,099 new cases involved individuals between the ages of 18 and 35. Hospitalizations also hit 211 for the first time since mid-May.

The figures were released following Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's visit at the White House, where he claimed that Oklahoma was one of the first states that have safely restarted its economy.

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