Coronavirus cases in Tulsa County, Oklahoma reached a record daily high Friday ahead of President Donald Trump’s first scheduled rally since the outbreak began.
The Tulsa County Health Department reported 71 new coronavirus cases Friday, which is the highest number of new cases in a single day since the outbreak began in the county, KJRH News reported. Out of the county’s 1443 confirmed infections, 62 people have died, according to the report.
“I have concerns about large groups of people gathering indoors for prolonged lengths of time. It is imperative that anyone who chooses to host or attend a gathering take the steps to stay safe,” Dr. Bruce Dart of the Tulsa Health Department said, according to the report.
“If you are sick or think you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, stay home. The bottom line is that the more people an infected individual interacts with and the longer that interaction lasts, the greater the risk for spreading COVID-19 becomes,” he added.
The rally is scheduled to take place Friday, June 19 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, according to CBS News. The president has not held a rally since March.
Here’s the document Trump’s campaign wants you to sign in case you contract Covid-19 at a Trump rally https://t.co/5iBSqszgOK pic.twitter.com/MytQ3w78iT
— CNN (@CNN) June 12, 2020
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum told CBS in a statement that her office was still working to finalize details for the event. (RELATED: News Anchors Blame Coronavirus Spikes On Reopening While Ignoring Recent Protests)
“Tulsans have managed one of the first successful re-openings in the nation, so we can only guess that may be the reason President Trump selected Tulsa as a rally site,” she said. “The City of Tulsa continues to follow the State of Oklahoma’s OURS plan on COVID-19 response as it relates to events, which encourages the organizer to have enhanced hygiene considerations for attendees.”
Oklahoma’s “Open Up & Recover Safely” (OURS) plan is a phased approach to loosen coronavirus restrictions that began April 24. June 1 marked the beginning of Phase 3, during which businesses can begin serving walk-ins rather than appointment only, summer camps can reopen and visitation to hospitals can resume, according to a press release from governor Kevin Stitt.
The registration page for the rally contains a disclaimer about COVID-19, telling guests that “by clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.”
“By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury,” the website reads.