Topline
Nine people who went to a Minnesota rally for President Donald Trump last month have tested positive for the coronavirus, state health officials confirmed Friday, the latest Covid-19 cases that might have stemmed from the packed gatherings Trump has held in recent months that violate guidelines for preventing the spread of the disease.
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally at the Bemidji Regional Airport on ... [+]
Key Facts
Trump visited the northern Minnesota city of Bemidji three weeks ago for a raucous 2,000-person outdoor rally that featured few face masks and virtually no social distancing, local news outlets reported at the time.
Nine rally attendees later tested positive for Covid-19, including one who spent a week in the hospital and another who was admitted to an ICU on Wednesday, Minnesota Department of Health spokesperson Doug Schultz said.
One of the nine was likely infectious while at the rally, according to Schultz.
The state also reported two Covid-19 cases connected to an anti-Trump protest in Bemidji on the same day.
Those 11 people told contact tracers they attended the rally or protest during the period when they were most likely to have caught the virus, but it is unclear whether they contracted it at those events, Schultz said.
In the days following the rally, health officials warned that organizers did not seem to follow the state’s social distancing guidelines or rules against large-scale gatherings.
The Trump campaign pushed back against the idea that these nine cases are associated with their rally: “Tying these cases to an outdoor event that occurred three weeks ago, where hand sanitizer and face masks were supplied, is a stretch. We wish them all speedy recoveries,” Communications Director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement.
Big Number
278. That’s the number of coronavirus cases reported in Beltrami County, which includes Bemidji, since the start of September, according to state data. 43% of those infections occurred in the days following two large events: Trump’s rally and a wedding the next day.
Crucial Quote
“Any type of large gathering poses risks for Covid,” Schultz told Forbes.
Key Background
Trump has resisted calls to abstain from large gatherings while the coronavirus remains a threat. His campaign has hosted at least three indoor rallies and several cramped outdoor events since the start of the pandemic, even as his administration’s health advisors insist large events are an unnecessary risk. He also welcomed dozens of people to the Rose Garden two weeks ago for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, an event that was later connected to several coronavirus cases. But despite the president’s Covid-19 diagnosis last week, he is determined to return to in-person campaigning as soon as possible.
Tangent
Trump plans to hold yet another large gathering at the White House on Saturday afternoon, less than a week after his discharge from the hospital for Covid-19 treatment. Unlike at previous Trump rallies, attendees will reportedly be required to wear face masks.
Further Reading
Latest on COVID-19 in MN: New cases, hospitalizations climb (Minnesota Public Radio)
