‘Risky’ And ‘Extraordinarily Dangerous’: Public Health Experts Doubt Safety Of Trump’s Tulsa Rally

Coronavirus cases have spiked in Tulsa County in recent days, with 82 cases reported on Friday, up from just 8 cases a week earlier, according to data from the Tulsa Department of Health.

But Trump is nonetheless pushing ahead with his June 20th mega-rally in Tulsa, his first since the start of the outbreak in March, for which he claims to have received over 200,000 ticket requests despite the venue only seating about 19,000 people.

The campaign is preparing for the possibility of an outbreak, not by taking precautions such as requiring social distancing and mask wearing, but by having attendees sign a waiver “assuming all risks” of coronavirus exposure and agreeing not to sue the Trump campaign if they contract it.

CDC guidelines warn event organizers to “to prepare for the possibility of outbreaks in their communities” following large events, and an executive order from Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt advises “social distancing by staying out of crowded places, not gathering in groups, and staying at least 6 feet away from other people.”

Leanne Stephens, a spokesperson for the Tulsa Department of Health, told Forbes that they are “concerned about the safety of any large gathering of people in enclosed spaces where social distancing is difficult to maintain.”

On Friday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, called large gatherings such as Trump’s rally, or a George Floyd protest, a “danger” and “risky,” while Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard’s Global Health Institute, told the Associated Press on Sunday that the rally is “an extraordinarily dangerous move.”