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Donald Trump announces ‘BIG RALLY’ in Florida despite fears he is still contagious

President only left hospital earlier this week after Covid-19 treatment

Graeme Massie
Los Angeles
Friday 09 October 2020 20:08 EDT
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Trump coughs during Fox News interview

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Donald Trump will hold a “BIG RALLY” in Florida on Monday despite fears he may still be contagious with coronavirus.

The president took to Twitter to announce he will appear at the event in Sanford, Florida, even though he only left hospital after Covid-19 treatment earlier this week.

Mr Trump will hold his first in-person event at the White House on Saturday.

The president will give a speech on law and order from one of the building’s balconies to a crowd gathered on the South Lawn.

But the rally at Sanford Orlando International airport will be his first major campaign event since falling ill.

Mr Trump was due to have held the event last Friday but it was cancelled after he announced he and wife Melania had tested positive for coronavirus.

The Trump campaign says everyone at the event will be temperature checked and will be given a mask, which they are encouraged to wear.

White House physician Dr Sean Conley said in a memo on Thursday that the president would make a “safe return to public engagements” by the weekend.

Mr Trump flew by helicopter to Walter Reed last Friday after announcing he had tested positive for the virus.

The president returned to the White House on Monday evening, but was criticised for removing his mask as he posed for pictures on a balcony.

Mr Trump has reportedly refused to isolate at the White House and was back in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

There have been a string of Covid-19 cases in and around the White House, including the press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and senior policy advisor Stephen Miller.

More than 212,000 people have died in the US from coronavirus, while more than 7.6 million cases have been reported.

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