Hours before President Donald Trump’s return to the campaign trail, six staff members tested positive for Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the president’s campaign announced Saturday.
The six staffers were members of the advance team working to help set up Trump’s Tulsa, Okla., rally Saturday night — the president’s first large-scale campaign event since the country locked down three months ago in an attempt to contain the pandemic.
Trump Campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement that the six positive tests were among “hundreds of tests performed, and quarantine procedures were immediately implemented. No Covid-positive staffers or anyone in immediate contact will be at today’s rally or near attendees and elected officials.”
Murtaugh added that all who are attending the rally at the 19,000-seat BOK Center are having their temperatures checked and are provided wristbands, face masks and hand sanitizer.
The campaign has also posted a liability waiver on its web site that anyone who registers for the event must agree to. It states that the campaign, the owner of the venue, and other companies cannot be held liable for exposure to the coronavirus, although legal experts have questioned whether it would be enforceable.
The campaign’s disclosure of the positive coronavirus tests comes as state and national health officials have decried Trump’s decision to hold a campaign rally, citing a spike in the number of infections across Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Department of Public Health reported 331 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state above 10,000. Other states across the country’s south and west are experiencing similar spikes.
Members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, have reportedly advised White House officials against holding indoor campaign rallies and mass gatherings, according to NBC News.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that all Tulsa rally attendees “assume a personal risk” for exposure to the virus.
“When you come to the rally, as with any event, you assume a personal risk. That is just what you do,” McEnany said.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/20/trump-staffers-test-positive-coronavirus-tulsa-rally-330557
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The Article Was Written/Published By: Evan Semones
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