Do I need to wear a mask to Trump rally in Macon? What you need to know

President Donald Trump will speak at a Make America Great Again Rally in Macon on Friday, and health experts are cautioning attendees about the risk of contracting coronavirus at the event.

“Even though the event is being held in Macon-Bibb, we know that people are going to come from throughout the region to attend and so what we worry about, especially our rural counties who are already seeing a disproportionate case rate and death rate, is that people will come to the rally, take it back home with them and probably make it even worse in those rural spaces,” said Amber Schmidtke, a public health microbiologist.

Schmidtke used Georgia Tech’s COVID-19 Event Risk Assessment Planning Tool to determine the risk of at least one person in the crowd at Trump’s rally having the COVID-19 virus, she said. If 500 people attend the rally, she said there is a 98% chance that at least one person will have the virus and could potentially spread it.

“I think that knowing that there is an almost certainty that somebody will be positive at this event, if you’re planning to attend the event, you should make a plan now to go ahead and get tested for COVID sometime between three to seven days after the event because you have had a high risk exposure,” Schmidtke said. “I want everybody to participate in this democracy, but we need to do so responsibly and safely. So, if you are going to go to the event, then you need to plan to get tested just as another way of protecting your community.”

The rally will be held at Middle Georgia Regional Airport. The doors open at 4 p.m., and the rally begins at 7 p.m.

Preparing for the rally

Michael Hokanson, the spokesperson for the North Central Health District, said the NCHD has given guidelines to Macon-Bibb County about how to prepare for the event, but they have not been in touch with Trump’s campaign.

Besides offering an estimate of how many Porta Potties and handwashing stations the event would need, Hokanson said they are encouraging masks, social distancing and handwashing. If a person is sick or experiencing symptoms, they should not attend the rally, he said.

The risk of spreading the disease depends on individuals’ use of the guidelines, he said.

Masks will be required at the event, temperatures will be checked and hand sanitizer will be available, according to the website when a person purchases a ticket.

The Trump campaign also has a disclaimer when purchasing a ticket that the campaign is not liable if a person catches the virus at the event.

How the rally will impact Macon

The rally will also impact traffic from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, and people are encouraged to avoid Avondale Mill Road because it will be closed, according to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Traffic is also expected for Highway 247 and Industrial Highway, and people should park in the designated parking places from Industrial Highway to Grace Road to avoid being towed at the owner’s expense, according to the release. Shuttle buses will be available to transport ticket holders to the event.

Security will be heightened with metal detectors, bags will be checked and no weapons of any kind are allowed inside the venue, according to the release.

The sheriff’s office reminded protesters that there will be a large sheriff’s presence to ensure the safety of everyone including the protesters.

“We will be working to assure that everyone attending this rally remains safe and are inconvenienced as little as possible. As is common with presidential visits, we only had a few days notice. Established operation plans and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies are essential elements in our management of this large and complex event,” said Sheriff David Davis, in the release.

How to protect yourself at the rally

Rather than the standard six feet away for social distancing, Schmidtke said people should stay anywhere from 6-12 feet away at the rally.

“Normally we say six feet, but at a rally, understandably, people are going to be shouting, cheering, those sorts of things, and when we breathe deep and shout like that, you are expelling your respiratory droplets and airborne droplets of virus further than you ordinarily would just through casual speaking,” she said.

Hokanson said they are strongly encouraging everyone to wear a mask, social distance and maintain good hand hygiene by washing and using hand sanitizer.

“Once again, these are not 100% effective methods. There is nothing that is 100% going to keep you protected from COVID except for keeping away from others, but until there is a widely available vaccine or treatment, these are those guidelines that are in place that we encourage everyone to follow,” he said.

“We encourage everybody to stay safe whether you are going to the rally or just going to the grocery store, visiting family and friends or just going on vacation, you should treat every single event in an area where substantial spread is occurring as a risky event for transmission. So, it’s not time to let your guard down. It’s not time to keep that mask in the pocket when you’re around others, and we just want everybody to be safe.”

This story was originally published October 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM.