Masks? Distancing? What to expect if you’re attending the Trump rally in Fayetteville
President Donald Trump will hold a campaign event in Fayetteville on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Here’s what you can expect if you’re planning to attend.
Will I have to wear a mask? Will others be wearing them?
The Trump campaign has encouraged attendees to wear masks, and they have said they will provide masks for those who need one, but masks have not been mandatory or even widely used at previous Trump events.
Will there be any safety precautions?
In addition to providing masks, there will be temperature checks.
ABC11 reports that the Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green advises those attending to wear a mask and keep a distance of 6 feet apart from anyone outside their group. Green also suggests that those in vulnerable groups consider other ways to participate.
Have there been COVID-19 outbreaks associated with other Trump rallies?
Information is not available on all events, but the Associated Press reports that according to health officials, Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in late June “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases there. Thousands attended the indoor event and protests there.
Asked Thursday if the state had seen a rise in cases tied to Labor Day or a Trump rally in Winston-Salem — held outdoors on Sept. 8 — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said “we still need to look at those over the next week or so.”
She said the state was making progress overall on its coronavirus metrics. ”That progress can be fragile. It takes intentional work to keep those trends moving in the right direction,” Cohen said. “It’s why we’re going to keep talking about masks. It’s why we’re going to keep talking about social distancing as we move through this because we have to keep it up in order to keep making progress.”
Are these mass gatherings allowed?
Yes. Gov. Roy Cooper has limited outdoor gatherings in North Carolina to 50 people in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but his order exempts “activities constituting the exercise of First Amendment rights,” such as campaign rallies and protests.
The Trump rally in Winston-Salem had thousands of supporters crammed together outside an airport without recommended social distancing, but it was not an illegal gathering under the free speech exemption.
Cooper’s order does encourage people taking part in such activities to follow social-distancing recommendations and wear masks.
What about North Carolina’s face mask mandate?
There is a statewide mandate that face coverings should be worn whenever out in public and around other people, but that mandate is rarely enforced.
At a meeting last week with White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, Cooper requested that national leaders wear masks and social distance when visiting the state. Cohen said that the request is for candidates, surrogates and for people who attend events.
Do I need a ticket for the Trump event in Fayetteville?
Register for up to two tickets at events.donaldjtrump.com.
Where exactly is the Trump rally?
Fayetteville Regional Airport, 400 Airport Road, Fayetteville, NC
What time should I be there?
The event starts at 6 p.m. but gates will open at 3 p.m.
This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Masks? Distancing? What to expect if you’re attending the Trump rally in Fayetteville."
