Dr. Joe Gerald, a professor of community, environment and policy at the University of Arizona, with an expertise in public health, told NBC News last week that the governor’s move was a “welcome step in what I would consider the right direction.” But he warned that Trump’s rally, set to be held at Dream City Church, which can hold thousands of people, could be a public health disaster waiting to happen.
“The last time President Trump visited Arizona, it prompted Ducey to quicken the pace of the reopening,” said Gerald, who has been publishing weekly white papers about the pandemic. “We were committed then to lifting the stay-at-home order on May 16. A lot of that seemed to be temporally related to President Trump’s visit. It’s always interesting and disruptive when President Trump visits. So who knows what this event holds in store?”
Over the weekend, there were major complications for many Arizonans seeking tests, with many waiting hours or being denied. Banner Health, the state’s largest hospital provider, turned away asymptomatic people, while another large urgent care provider said it could not turn test results around in under a week.
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