WASHINGTON — Two Trump marketing campaign employees members who attended the president’s indoor rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday evening examined
WASHINGTON — Two Trump marketing campaign employees members who attended the president’s indoor rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday evening examined constructive for the coronavirus, a spokesman mentioned Monday, regardless of earlier assurances {that a} small outbreak amongst marketing campaign employees had been contained and no staffers who had examined constructive had entered the world.
The 2 employees, members of the marketing campaign’s advance staff, examined constructive when “one other spherical of testing” was carried out after the rally, in keeping with Tim Murtaugh, the marketing campaign’s communications director. He mentioned the employees members in query had attended the occasion, however had worn masks the whole time.
“Upon the constructive exams, the marketing campaign instantly activated established quarantine and contact-tracing protocols,” Mr. Murtaugh mentioned.
It was not instantly clear how many individuals the employees members interacted with inside the world, or whether or not both of them had been in touch with President Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, who was additionally on the rally.
Six different members of the marketing campaign’s advance staff had examined constructive for coronavirus earlier than the rally, an alarming improvement that the marketing campaign tried to downplay by saying that their exams had been a small fraction of the “lots of of exams carried out” on employees members.
The Trump marketing campaign solid forward with the rally regardless of suggestions from native well being officers to delay any mass indoor gathering till it was safer to deliver giant teams of individuals collectively.
Regardless of a rise in coronavirus instances in Tulsa, the marketing campaign had hoped to fill the 19,000-seat stadium to the brim. Ultimately about 6,200 folks confirmed up, in keeping with town’s Fireplace Division.
Inside the world, lots of those that did attend conspicuously discarded the masks that had been handed out as they entered, and proceeded to spend hours inside the world with none face coverings.
The need to push forward with the rally, no matter well being issues, mirrored Mr. Trump’s continued emphasis on returning to regular, and his want to marketing campaign on a message that the nation and the inventory market had been going to rebound. On Monday, the White Home additionally started easing up on restrictions, scaling again temperature checks for folks getting into the grounds, and reopening some cafeterias to employees.