Trump Must Cancel Today’s Super-Spreader Rallies in NC, WI, OH

As Donald Trump continues his Keep America Sick tour in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Ohio today, Protect Our Care’s Coronavirus War Room Director Zac Petkanas released the following statement:  

“There is no excuse for Donald Trump to be endangering Americans even more at these mask-less, not socially distanced super-spreader events. He must cancel them or local officials should shut them down.

“There’s no hiding from the fact that in every corner of the country, the numbers are trending in the wrong direction and a third wave of outbreaks are ripping through communities. Since day one, Donald Trump has put his own feelings ahead of the health and safety of Americans. It’s unacceptable and people are likely going to die if these hot-spot rallies go ahead”

[Covid Tracking Project, Accessed 10/23/20]

[Covid Tracking Project, Accessed 10/23/20]

Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths Are Breaking Records in North Carolina as Trump Plans Rally in Lumberton, a Coronavirus Hot Spot.

North Carolina Quick Facts (as of October 24):

Cases: 255,708

Current Hospitalizations: 1,181

Deaths:  4,114

• On October 24, Trump will host a rally in Lumberton, NC, which is one of five localities in the “red zone” for coronavirus cases per capita and test positivity rates.
  
  • Robeson County, home of Lumberton,  has seen infections increase 120% in the last three weeks.
    
  • Robeson County has the second highest rate of positive tests in the entire state — reporting test positivity rates of 10.6%, nearly double the statewide average.
    
• Cases in the rest of North Carolina are also surging. On October 16, North Carolina reported 2,684 new cases, the highest single day case total in the state since the beginning of the pandemic.  Meanwhile, deaths are up a whopping 44%.
  
• The White House Coronavirus Task Force has labeled North Carolina as one of the states in the “red zone” for new cases. 
• On October 21, North Carolina reported that there were currently 1,219 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, the second highest total since the beginning and the most since July 28.
• On October 20, North Carolina reported 53 deaths related to COVID-19, the highest single day death total in the state since the beginning of the pandemic. Rural areas in North Carolina are being especially hard and have had higher death rates in the state throughout the pandemic.

Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths Are Breaking Daily Records in Ohio as Trump Plans a Rally in Circleville

Ohio Quick Facts (as of October 24):

Cases: 192,948

Current Hospitalizations: 1,347

Deaths:  5,184

• Cases are surging and breaking records in Ohio. On October 23, Ohio reported 2,518 new cases, the highest single day case count in the state of any day since the beginning of the pandemic.
  
  • Cases are up 61% in Ohio over the last two weeks. 
    
  • Republican Governor Mike DeWine said on Thursday that the “situation continues in Ohio to worsen” and encouraged Ohioans to be “fully engaged in this battle” against COVID-19. 
• A large majority of Ohioans are living in “red level” COVID-19 areas. 74% of Ohioans are living in a red level county, with a record 38 of the state’s 88 counties at a red Level 3 COVID-19 advisory. Just last week, only 29 counties were considered to be in the “red level.”
• Ohio currently has a record number of people hospitalized and rural areas are being hit the hardest. On October 22, Ohio reported that there were 1,293 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state, the most of any time during the pandemic. 
  
  • Andy Thomas, chief clinical officer at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, warned that rural counties with fewer hospitals are being hit hardest by the surge in cases. Among those, there are 345 Ohioans in intensive care units and 172 on ventilators.
    
  • In a single week, hospitalizations in Ohio have increased by 24%. On October 23, Ohio reported its fifth consecutive day of record-breaking coronavirus hospitalizations. 

Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths Are Breaking Records in Wisconsin as Trump Plans Rally in Waukesha, a Coronavirus Hot Spot.

Wisconsin Quick Facts (as of October 24):

Cases: 190,478

Current Hospitalizations: 1,245

Deaths: 1,745

• • On October 24, Trump will host a rally in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the COVID-19 activity is currently considered “very high” and where cases have increased by 24% over the last two weeks.
    
    • One recent, major outbreak in Waukesha occurred at a local highschool, despite Donald Trump’s false claims that young people are immune to the virus. As of October 21, 132 students from Waukesha South High School were in quarantine due to the outbreak.
      

• Cases continue to surge in the rest of the state. On October 20, Wisconsin reported nearly 5,000 new infections, a record increase since the pandemic began. On October 23, Wisconsin reported more than 4,300 new cases, it’s second highest single-day increase since the pandemic began.
  
• New cases in Wisconsin are up 39% in the last two weeks.
• As of October 21, an average of 27.6% of tests conducted in the state returned positive for the virus every day in the past week.
• Hospitalizations are soaring as the outbreak intensifies. The state’s caseload is so bad that Wisconsin has opened an overflow hospital to accommodate ill patients.
• In some areas of Wisconsin, 90% of ICU beds are full.
• As of October 23, the seven-day rolling average of patients hospitalized with the virus in Wisconsin has increased by 47% in the last two weeks.
• On October 22, Wisconsin reported a record number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began.
• On October 21, Wisconsin reported 48 deaths to the virus  — the highest single-day toll since the pandemic began. Deaths have skyrocketed by 111% in the last two weeks.