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Official: Tulsa rally likely led to surge in coronavirus cases

Official: Tulsa rally likely led to surge in coronavirus cases
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President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa in late June that drew thousands of people, along with large protests that accompanied it, “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases, health officials said Wednesday.

Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed cases on Monday, a new record one-day high, and another 206 cases on Tuesday.

County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said those large gatherings “more than likely” contributed to the spike.

A reporter who attended Trump’s rally is among those who have tested positive for COVID-19, along with six of Trump’s campaign staffers and two members of the Secret Service.

Statewide, Oklahoma health officials on Wednesday reported 673 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the state’s second-highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.