WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's
first large campaign event since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdowns, along with protests at the time, were "likely" a contributing factor in a recent surge of cases in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a local top health official.
Tulsa Health Department Executive Director Bruce Dart said at a news conference Wednesday that it was "more than likely" the large gatherings in the last few weeks added to a record number of cases reported this week.
"The past few days we've had almost 500 cases, and we know we had several large events a little over two weeks ago, which is about right, so I guess we just connect the dots," Dart said, citing Trump's rally and "other protests."
The rally, held at Tulsa's BOK Center on June 20, drew some 6,200 Trump attendees and was met with hundreds of protesters. The rally also occurred as cities across the nation, including Tulsa, were the sites of massive marches against racism and police brutality. Also in Tulsa at the time was an outdoor Juneteenth celebration at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.