WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s first large campaign event since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdowns, along with protests at the time, were “likely” a contributing factor in a recent surge of cases in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a local top health official.
Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart said at a news conference Wednesday that it was “more than likely” the large gatherings in the last few weeks added to a record number of cases reported this week.
The county saw a record 261 new cases of the virus Monday – just over two weeks after Trump’s rally – with an additional 206 on Tuesday, according to the Tulsa Health Department. The incubation period for the coronavirus is thought by experts to be between two and 14 days.
“The past few days we’ve had almost 500 cases, and we know we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right, so I guess we just connect the dots,” Dart said, citing Trump’s rally and “other protests.”
The rally, held at Tulsa’s BOK Center on June 20, drew some 6,200 Trump attendees and was met with hundreds of protesters. The rally also occurred as cities across the nation, including Tulsa, were the sites of massive marches against racism and police brutality. Also in Tulsa at the time was an outdoor Juneteenth celebration at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.
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Tim Murtaugh, communications director for the Trump campaign, said in a statement that the news media was disproportionately focused on Trump’s events in the spread of the virus.
“There were 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,” Murtaugh said. “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.”
The campaign has said that it provided attendees with face masks, but did not require them to be worn, which left the majority of rallygoers maskless that evening. Trump has resisted wearing a face mask in public, while the White House says masks are a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not a requirement.
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Ahead of the Trump rally, Dart recommended that the event be postponed due to the risk of spreading the virus. He said at the time that he welcomed Trump’s visit, “but not during a pandemic.”
“I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well,” he said before the rally.
In the week after the rally, a reporter who had been present tested positive for the virus, the Associated Press reported. Last week former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain and Trump campaign official Kimberly Guilfoyle, who were both present at the Tulsa rally, also tested positive. The president and those around him are routinely tested for the virus.
“This is very sad. We need a president who cares about other human beings again,” said Andrew Bates, a Joe Biden campaign spokesperson, in a tweet about Dart’s comments on Wednesday.
Contributing: David Jackson, Nicholas Wu, Courtney Subramanian
