9.30pm update: ‘Trump rallies could have cost 700 deaths’
Republicans’ election rallies from June to September may have resulted in 30,000 corona infections and more than 700 deaths. The connection is made by economists from the renowned Stanford University. They looked at the spread of the coronavirus after 18 campaign meetings in its immediate vicinity and compared it with other parts of the country.
At the meetings, measures such as wearing masks and avoiding large-scale gatherings were often not observed. “The communities where the gatherings were held paid a high price for infections and deaths,” the researchers write.
A spokesman for Trump’s campaign team points out that people attending the rallies had their temperature recorded. According to her, they were also given mouth masks with the instruction to wear them and disinfectant for their hands.
A Harvard epidemiologist criticizes the research method used, calling the conclusions “clearly political.” But other experts believe the findings are credible.
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