MOUNT Rushmore’s fireworks show on Friday night will not adhere to social distancing rules — and photos of seats ahead of the event appear to prove that.
A picture taken from the scene in South Dakota, hours before President Donald Trump is set to visit, shows a slew of chairs for the Independence Day event, which officials said has been capped at 7,500 spectators.
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Trump is scheduled to deliver remarks to the crowd — where South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said social distancing measures won’t be necessary, despite coronavirus infections surging throughout the country.
“We will have a large event at July 3rd,” Noem, a Republican, told Fox News on Monday. “We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home.”
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“But those who want to come and join us, we’ll be giving out free face masks, if they choose to wear one. But we will not be social distancing.
Noem continued: “Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they’re comfortable with.”
According to Recreation.gov, tickets for the event have been given out through a lottery system and seats are broken up into two sections.
Those who are seated “in the amphitheater area or on the Grand View Terrace” might be subject to health screening requirements, the website states.
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The second area will require visitors to provide their own seating.
While the fireworks and entertainment has been capped at 7,500 tickets, on normal days — before the coronavirus outbreak — roughly 28,000 to 32,000 people would visit the national memorial in a 10-hour period, CNN reported.
In South Dakota, health officials have reported nearly 7,000 coronavirus infections with almost 100 deaths.
On Thursday, four states reported a combined 25,000 new infections as the daily confirmed number of cases hit 53,069 — breaking Wednesday’s record of 52,000.
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Dr Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, said in a live stream with the American Medical Association on Thursday: “What we’ve seen is a very disturbing week.”
As the southern and western US continue to see a spike in positive COVID-19 cases, ordered the wearing of masks across most of the state after refusing until recently to let even local governments impose such rules.
Ahead of Trump’s visit on Friday, Democrats accused him of “glorifying white supremacy” for holding the event, alleging it was disrespectful to Native Americans.
“Trump has disrespected Native communities time and again. He’s attempted to limit their voting rights and blocked critical pandemic relief,” the Democratic National Committee said in a since-deleted tweet.
“Now he’s holding a rally glorifying white supremacy at Mount Rushmore — a region once sacred to tribal communities.”
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Native Americans have been protesting Trump’s trip, as they view the monument as a desecration of land violently stolen from them and used to pay homage to leaders hostile to Indigenous people.
Mount Rushmore is a 79-year-old stone monument located in South Dakota’s Black Hills, and the Fourth of July is the first fireworks display at the site since 2009 and is set to include fighter jets.
The monument includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.