United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday to celebrate July 4 at a gathering of approximately 7,500 people during the global coronavirus pandemic.
No social distancing was planned for the event, despite new cases of new coronaviruses in the country. And the event takes place amid environmental concerns about fireworks use on dry land and as the United States engages in reckoning on its own monuments and racist history.
“We told people who have concerns that they may stay home, but those who want to come and join us, we will give them free face masks if they choose to wear one. But we are not going to be social spacers” Republican Governor Kristi Noem said during a Monday appearance on Fox News.
There may be health screenings for ticketed guests in one area, according to recreo.gov. A recording on the park’s main phone line said Monday: “There are no social distancing requirements in effect at this time.”
The 7,500 tickets for Friday’s event are lower than the typical visitor flow during the peak summer season. On normal days, up to 32,000 visitors come to Mount Rushmore over a 10-hour period. The park never closed during the pandemic, but visits were reduced to about 20,000 people, said Maureen McGee-Ballinger, head of interpretation and education at Mount Rushmore.
Coronavirus cases in South Dakota remain stable, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with 6,893 confirmed cases and 97 deaths as of Thursday. But it remains to be seen how many attendees will travel from other states, 36 of which are experiencing an increase in new cases.
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