“Extraordinarily dangerous”
“Could end in the seeding of community outbreaks of COVID-19 across the U.S.”
“A terrible idea”
“The perfect storm of potential over-the-top disease transmission”
As Trump’s plans to hold a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the consensus in Tulsa and in the medical community is clear: the rally is a dangerous idea that will accelerate the spread of coronavirus. Here’s a look at what they’re saying:
Health Experts Warn That Trump’s Tulsa Rally Poses A Danger To The Public
- Vanderbilt Infectious Disease Expert Dr. William Schaffner: “The Virus, I Guarantee You, Will Be Present At The Event.” “‘That virus, I guarantee you, will be present at the event — someone will bring it,’ said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. ‘The Covid virus knows no political affiliation. What it does love is large groups, indoors, close to each other for prolonged periods of time chanting and yelling.” [The New York Times, 6/16/20]
- Harvard’s Global Health Director Dr. Ashish Jha Warned That Trump’s Planned Tulsa Rally Was “Extraordinarily Dangerous.” “Dr. Ashish Jha, director of Harvard’s Global Health Institute, called the upcoming Trump rally ‘an extraordinarily dangerous move for the people participating and the people who may know them and love them and see them afterward.’ Trump supporters coming from neighboring cities and states could carry the virus back home, Jha said. ‘I’d feel the same way if Joe Biden were holding a rally.’” [Associated Press, 6/14/20]
- Julie Fischer, An Associate Research Professor Of Microbiology And Immunology At Georgetown University, Warned That Trump’s Tulsa Rally Could Seed Outbreaks In Communities Across The Country. “Julie Fischer, an associate research professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University, said the event could have wide repercussions for the country. ‘With a little bad luck, that scenario could end in the seeding of community outbreaks of COVID-19 across the U.S.,’ she said.” [Associated Press, 6/14/20]
- Emergency Physician And Public Health Professor At George Washington University Dr. Lena Wen Warned That Trump’s Tulsa Rally Would Become “A Super-Spreader-Type Event.” “Dr. Lena Wen, an emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University, said she worries about the event’s consequences. ‘I’m really very concerned about this event being a super-spreader-type event where there will be potentially many people coming out of this who were exposed and could become sick from COVID-19,’ said Wen, who also previously served as Baltimore’s Health Commissioner.” [ABC News, 6/16/20]
- Dr. Alison Buttenheim, An Associate Professor Of Nursing At The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing, Called Trump’s Planned Tulsa Rally “A Terrible Idea.” “‘This seems like a terrible idea,’ said Dr. Alison Buttenheim, an associate professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing. ‘I would be saying that if it was Joe Biden’s rally, I’d be saying it if a dog catcher candidate was holding a rally.’” [ABC News, 6/16/20]
- Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart Expressed Concern About Being Able To Protect Rally-Goers And Trump From Contracting The Coronavirus And Called For Trump To Postpone The Rally. “‘I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,’ said Dart. ‘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.’ State officials on Saturday reported 225 new cases of COVID-19, once again marking a new high in daily increases for both the state and Tulsa County. ‘COVID is here in Tulsa, it is transmitting very efficiently,’ Dart said. ‘I wish we could postpone this to a time when the virus isn’t as large a concern as it is today.’” [Tulsa World, 6/13/20]
- Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart Called Trump’s Planned Tulsa Rally “The Perfect Storm Of Potential Over-The-Top Disease Transmission.” “They are pleading with the Trump campaign to cancel the event, slated for a 20,000-person indoor arena — or at least move it outdoors. ‘It’s the perfect storm of potential over-the-top disease transmission,’ said Bruce Dart, the executive director of the Tulsa health department. ‘It’s a perfect storm that we can’t afford to have.’” [New York Times, 6/16/20]
- More Than 700 Oklahoma Medical Professionals Signed A Letter Calling For Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum To Place A Moratorium On Large Gatherings. “More than 700 Oklahoma medical professionals signed a letter to Bynum this week asking him to place a moratorium on large outdoor gatherings, noting, ‘As our city and state COVID-19 numbers climb to a rate previously unseen, it is unthinkable that this is seen as a logical choice.’ Tulsa County’s case numbers have been rising in recent days, with more than 1,700 cases to date and 64 deaths. Monica Saenz, an emergency room doctor at St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, wrote in the letter that she was on the front lines in the intensive care unit and has “personally seen now close to 50 patients die a horrible death” from the disease. ‘We simply don’t have the capacity to handle the number of people who will be infected because of this weekend’s activities,’ Saenz wrote.” [Washington Post, 6/17/20]
- Dr. Anthony Fauci Expressed That He Would Not Feel Safe Attending A Trump Campaign Rally. “Dr. Anthony Fauci says he wouldn’t personally attend any upcoming rallies that President Donald Trump plans to hold for his 2020 re-election campaign because the coronavirus is still spreading. ‘I’m in a high-risk category. Personally, I would not. Of course not,’ Fauci, who’s 79, said in an interview with The Daily Beast on Tuesday.” [NBC News, 6/17/20]
- Trump’s Own CDC Advises Against Gatherings Like His Planned Tulsa Rally. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition of the highest risk gatherings — ‘large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area’ — accurately describes the average Trump rally.” [ABC News, 6/16/20]
The Tulsa Community Is Condemning Trump’s Plan To Have Rally In Tulsa
- Tulsa World Editorial On Trump’s Rally: “This Is The Wrong Time.” “Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic. The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn’t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea. There is no treatment for COVID-19 and no vaccine. It will be our health care system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow. The public health concern would apply whether it were Donald Trump, Joe Biden or anyone else who was planning a mass rally at the BOK. This is the wrong time.” [Tulsa World, 6/15/20]
- Tulsa’s Metropolitan Baptist Church Rev. Ray Owens: “The President’s Rally Here Just Seems To Make The Threat Of Coronavirus Even More Real And Frightening From My Perspective.” “More than a dozen black community leaders, activists and ministers who spoke to Reuters this week said they feared in particular for the arena workers, most of whom are elderly African Americans, a demographic that public health experts warn is extremely susceptible to the virus. ‘The president’s rally here just seems to make the threat of coronavirus even more real and frightening from my perspective,’ said the Rev. Ray Owens of Tulsa’s Metropolitan Baptist Church.” [Reuters, 6/17/20]
- Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith: “I Don’t Want People To Lose A Parent. I Don’t Want Them To Lose A Grandma. I Don’t Want Them To Lose A Family Member Over This.” “That spike has local officials and public health experts concerned about welcoming the nation’s first indoor mass gathering since Mr. Trump declared a national emergency in mid-March, an influx of thousands of people interacting inside and outside, amounting to a sprawling coronavirus petri dish. ‘There’s just nothing good about this, and particularly in an enclosed arena,’ said Karen Keith, a Tulsa County commissioner who oversees the area where the rally is supposed to take place. ‘I don’t want people to lose a parent. I don’t want them to lose a grandma. I don’t want them to lose a family member over this.’” [The New York Times, 6/16/20]
While Trump Plans An Indoor Rally, The City Of Tulsa And Oklahoma As A Whole Are Experiencing Spikes In Coronavirus Cases
- On June 16th, Oklahoma Hit A New High In New Coronavirus Cases In Day With 228 People Becoming Infected. “Oklahoma confirmed 228 new COVID-19 infections Tuesday — setting a new state record and continuing a recent trend that has doctors warning residents they need to be more cautious. ‘We have reached a peak that is higher than at any other point in the pandemic here in the state,’ said Dr. Dale Bratzler, OU Medicine’s chief enterprise quality officer. ‘We are bending the curve — sadly in the wrong direction.’ The spike in new cases comes at an inopportune time for Oklahoma, which not only is experiencing civil rights protests but also preparing to host President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at a Tulsa indoor arena where thousands of people are expected to attend. Tulsa County has experienced a recent spike in COVID-19 cases, which adds to the apprehension of some health professionals.” [The Oklahoman, 6/17/20]
- On June 16th, Tulsa County Reported Its Highest Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Cases Since The Pandemic Began While Reporting The Highest Number Of Cases Of Any County In The State. “Tulsa County has the highest number (1,729) of confirmed cases of any county in the state, despite having a population more than 20% smaller than Oklahoma County, the state’s most populous county, which has reported 1,673 cases. Tulsa County also reported its highest seven-day rolling average, 66.9 new cases, since the pandemic began, according to the Tulsa County Health Department’s website.” [Tulsa World, 6/16/20]
- On June 17th, The City Of Tulsa Experienced A New Record For Daily Increases In Coronavirus Cases. “At Tulsa mayor’s press conference, officials announce 96 people tested positive for Covid-19, call it a new record for daily increase.” [Twitter, @anniekarni, 6/17/20]