WASHINGTON, July 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump will host an outdoor campaign rally in New Hampshire, his team said, after his last rally drew criticism for ignoring coronavirus health guidelines.
The “Make America Great Again” event will take place on July 11 (Saturday) in Portsmouth, his campaign said in a statement.
“There will be ample access to hand sanitizer and all attendees will be provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear,” the rally announcement said.
The billionaire Republican, who is seeking reelection on Nov 3, had made his grand return to the campaign trail on June 20 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The event quickly came under fire for flouting health measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, such as wearing face masks or maintaining social distancing.
Images of the rally showed the stadium was filled to less than a third of its capacity, despite the president’s campaign boasting of huge interest ahead of time and more than a million ticket requests.
Pictures of Trump’s return to the White House in the middle of the night, with a worn-out air and his tie undone, cemented the image of a flawed comeback.
With just four months left before election day, Trump — criticized for his response both to the coronavirus pandemic and to anti-racism protests — has been lagging for weeks in the polls behind his Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
While there have been calls for caution in interpreting the poll results, observers have noted that Biden’s lead over Trump is far greater than the one held by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at the same point in 2016.
The United States recorded 39,379 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed Sunday, as infections continue to trend up around the country.
The country’s total number of cases now stands at 2,876,143 .
The world’s largest economy also recorded a further 234 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 129,891, the Baltimore-based institution’s tracker showed at 8:30pm (0030 GMT Monday).
Sunday’s tally comes after a string of surging daily new infections, including a high of 57,683 on Friday.
The lower number could be attributed to less reporting on the July 4th national holiday weekend.
The United States is the hardest-hit country in the global pandemic, both in caseload and deaths, and has struggled to respond to the devastation wrought by the virus.
Some mayors say their cities reopened too early and worry that their health care systems will soon become overwhelmed. — NNN-AGENCIES