Thousands headed to indoor rally for President, raising virus fears

A heavy rain falls as the President's supporters line up and camp on 4th Street between Boulder Ave. and Cheyenne Ave. in downtown Tulsa, Okla., ahead of the President's Saturday campaign rally. Friday, June 19, 2020. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

TULSA, OK — Tens of thousands of people from many states are converging on Tulsa for an indoor rally and other campaign events for the President. That fact is raising concerns that the gatherings could help fuel nascent spikes of coronavirus cases in many places.

State and city health department officials were already bracing for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases from recent re-openings and large outdoor demonstrations against police brutality held across the country. Now the Trump rally Saturday is shaping up to be the first indoor event of such a massive scale since the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

Some experts say the larger factor will be how those attendees act when they return home, including factors such as whether they get tested for the virus, maintain social distance, or wear face coverings.