Published 13:32 IST, June 18th 2020
Anthony Fauci will not attend Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa amid pandemic
Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in US has said that he would ‘of course not’ attend US President Donald Trump’s ‘MAGA’ rally in Tulsa.
Dr Anthony Fauci, top infectious disease expert in the US and initially the leading member of White House coronavirus task force has said that he would ‘of course not’ attend US President Donald Trump’s ‘MAGA’ rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After saying that he has not talked to Trump about the event, the 79-year-old Fauci has said in an interview with an international media outlet that he is in ‘high-risk category’ and therefore will not be attending the rally. These comments by the director of the National Insitute of Allergy and Infectious Disease came after several health professionals raised concerns over Trump’s ‘big rally’.
Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ rally has been scheduled to take place in Tulsa’s indoor venue on June 20 when the US is leading the world with most coronavirus cases in the world. According to Johns Hopkins University tally, US has recorded over 2.1 million with 117,717 deaths. Tulsa’s health director among other medical professionals has raised concerns over Trump’s campaign rally being organised in the state when coronavirus is still a ‘threat’ to the society. Fauci has previously encouraged all people who choose to attend Trump’s rally to wear a mask at all times but noted that the “best thing” to do is to avoid crowded areas.
Even though Trump’s reelection campaign has denied taking any responsibility if rally visitors contract COVID-19, its manager Brad Parscale has listed a few precautions that have places for the event. Before entering the venue, each ‘guest’ will have to get their body temperatures checked, along with complimentary masks and hand sanitizers. Parscale restated that over one million people have requested tickets for the ‘MAGA’ rally and informed that there will be arrangements for bottled water and precautions for heat.
Fauci says US might not witness 'second wave'
Moreover, while health experts have repeatedly warned that sudden resurgence of coronavirus infections could occur in regions where the COVID-19 cases seem to decline, Fauci has said that the US might not witness the ‘second wave’ of the pandemic. While talking to an international media outlet in a televised interview, Fauci has said an increase in the number of people who are hospitalised is a situation that authorities must pay attention to but “it is not evitable” that there will be the “so-called ‘second wave’ in the fall”.
Updated 13:32 IST, June 18th 2020