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Listen to Dr. Fauci's advice on attending a Trump rally
01:02 - Source: CNN
Washington CNN  — 

A top Trump administration official said Sunday that people attending President Donald Trump’s upcoming campaign rally should “probably” wear face masks to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

“People must observe the safety guidelines. OK – must. The social distancing must be observed. Face coverings in key places must be observed,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

Asked by Tapper if Kudlow’s guidance also applied to people attending Trump’s rally on Saturday, Kudlow replied: “Well, OK. Probably so.”

CNN has reported that people attending the indoor rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have to agree not to sue Trump’s reelection campaign if they contract coronavirus. By registering for the event, rallygoers must agree to a disclaimer that states they acknowledge the “inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present.”

“By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury,” the disclaimer reads.

Current guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises people to wear masks in public when they are unable to socially distance from others to combat the spread of the deadly virus. Many cities have also ordered their citizens to wear them while taking public transportation or shopping at stores.

Trump campaign and Tulsa GOP officials say more than 300,000 people have expressed interest in attending the rally. Because the venue, the Bank of Oklahoma Center, only holds around 20,000 people, there are currently discussions about whether they will add a second event, the campaign and one official told CNN.

Despite there being a spike in coronavirus cases in the state, there are currently no plans to practice social distancing at the rally, according to one GOP official.

The campaign has not responded to numerous requests for comment regarding what precautions it will take at the rally because of Covid-19.

The GOP official told CNN that there were ongoing discussions among organizers and the campaign as to what precautions, if any, will be put in place, including possible temperature scans for supporters before they’re allowed inside the arena.

The official said a temperature check is consistent with what many businesses in the state are doing as they reopen. With the caveat that the plans are not finalized, the official told CNN that as of now masks would be optional, and noted the President himself doesn’t like wearing a mask.

Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma told Tapper on Sunday that he was planning on attending the rally, but that he had not yet decided if he would wear a mask while there.

“I wear a mask everywhere that I go currently and have for weeks and weeks and weeks when I’m out at all here in Oklahoma. And so I assume I’m going to have it. I’m trying to figure out the best way to be able to do this,” Lankford said on “State of the Union.”

There are more than 2,074,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, and more than 115,000 Americans have died, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University.

This story has been updated with additional reporting on the rally and comments from Sen. James Lankford on “State of the Union.”

CNN’s Ryan Nobles and Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.