- President Donald Trump will perform at a fireworks show on Mt. Rushmore before a crowd of 7,500 people.
- No masks will be required for attendees, and social distancing will not apply, according to South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
- Health experts expressed concern that the event could put the community at risk due to the threat of spread of the coronavirus at the large gathering.
- A former superintendent of the monument and a local forest fire expert also said that fireworks could cause a forest fire in the surrounding forest if there are particularly dry conditions on the day of the event.
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As US cities cancel Independence Day celebrations amid mounting concerns about growing cases of coronavirus, fireworks are displayed in the bush. The Rushmore National Monument is still happening on schedule, without mandatory face masks and social distancing.
President Donald Trump will also appear on Friday for the first fireworks display at the national monument since 2010. Tickets were limited to 7,500 attendees in order to “ensure a safe and successful event,” according to the event’s website.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem told Fox News that social distancing will not apply and that masks will not be required for attendees. Masks will be provided for those who want to wear one.
“In South Dakota, we have told people to focus on personal responsibility,” he said during an appearance on Fox News. “Each of them has an opportunity to make a decision that they feel comfortable with. So we will celebrate the independence of the United States, we will have a great event on July 3.”
“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,” he continued. “But we are not going to distance ourselves socially, we ask you to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and liberties that we have in this country.”
Health officials expressed concern about the large gathering as a possible over-broadcast event, The Associated Press reported.
While coronavirus is less likely to spread outdoors than indoors, evidence shows that there is still a risk of being exposed to others in an enclosed space for an extended period of time without any facial covering.
There are more than 6,800 confirmed cases of coronavirus in South Dakota, which is one of the least populated in the country, and 93 deaths, according to data from a Johns Hopkins University case tracker.
According to an analysis by ProPublica, the number of hospitalizations for people with coronavirus-like symptoms has remained stable in South Dakota.
However, Dr. Benjamin C. Aaker, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association, told AP that the event could put the health of the surrounding community at risk. Pennington County, where Mt. Rushmore is found, has 518 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.
“If we continue to have these events, we are concerned that it will be a much more significant outbreak,” Aaker said. “We know that if that outbreak happened, it wouldn’t take long to run out of beds (in the hospital) and personal protective equipment.”
Cheryl Schreier, who previously served as superintendent of the Mount Rushmore National Monument from 2010 to 2019, also condemned the move to organize a fireworks display at the national monument, citing health safety concerns and the possible risk of forest fires in the surrounding forest.
“While cities and communities in the United States are canceling their July 4 celebrations to adhere to the guidelines of social alienation and protect their citizens, Trump and Noem are actively encouraging people to come together, all in the service of a event that poses clear risks for both visitors and the environment, “Schreier wrote in an opinion piece for The Washington Post.
“I urge you to reconsider this event for the health and safety of all of us,” he added.
Event organizers are still monitoring the event for optimal weather conditions and will ultimately make a decision on whether to host the event on Friday, as particularly dry conditions could increase the risk of a forest fire in the area.
In an environmental assessment conducted by the National Park Service before the event, the agency concluded that the fireworks display “would not significantly harm the monument or the forests around it,” the AP reported.
But Bill Gabbert, a former National Park Service fire management officer who used to oversee the national monument, told AP that conditions are dry due to a moderate drought in the area.
“I think it is insane to explode fireworks over flammable material and ponderosa pine vegetation,” Gabbert said in an interview with The Post.
