No COVID-19 cases linked to Trump’s visit last week.
So far, Virginia health officials have found no direct connections between re c e nt confirmed COVID-19 cases and President Donald Trump’s rally at Newport News/ Williamsburg International Airport a week ago.
The incubation period is still ongoing, however, the state Department of Health noted.
State data shows a statewide decline in the sevenday average of new cases since the Sept. 25 rally, which drew people from wide area. Newport News and York County saw modest declines in their averages, while Hampton, Norfolk and Virginia Beach posted increases and Chesapeake was essentially unchanged.
“We continue to closely monitor COVID cases in our health district, and are conducting robust case investigations and contact tracing as test results are reported to the health department,” health department spokesman Larry Hill said in a written statement.
“We encourage anyone who is experiencing symptoms or suspects exposure to an infected person to get tested,” he added.
The Centers for Disease Control says COVID-19 symptoms typically emerge an average of five days after exposure, although sometimes they come 14 days later.
Trump did not wear a mask at the Newport News rally and neither did Vice President Mike Pence, who accompanied him and who tested negative for the virus on Friday.
Many of the thousands who attended did not wear masks either. The Trump campaign said it would give people attending the rally a temperature check before admitting them, and would provide masks and encourage people to wear them.
“We continue to encourage preventative measures including face mask use, frequent hand washing and social distancing.” Hill said.
By the time the Peninsula Airport Commission found out about the Sept. 25 rally, there wasn’t much time for discussion.
“The train had left the station,” said Rob Coleman, vice chair of the commission.
He said the commission learned of the rally from Michael Giardino, the airport’s director, on Sept. 22. That’s when news outlets learned of and began reporting the event.
If there were advanced notice, Coleman said, the commission would have discussed safety and other potential concerns. Instead, the day before the rally, the commission got an overview of the plans in place and coordination with the Secret Service.
Jay Joseph, chair of the Airport Commission, said the commission was not asked to approve the rally. He said the airport is in the business of servicing airplanes, and the airport service Air Force One. Giardino
said Atlantic Aviation, a business that operates at the airport, was subleasing its space for the event and the airport was otherwise not involved.
Ahead of the rally, Giardino received a letter from state officials that stated he had the authority to “enforce the Commonwealth’s law and regulations within your facility” and a breakdown of the state’s crowd size regulations in the pandemic. Richard Martinez, general manager of Atlantic Aviation, received a letter from the Peninsula Health District that called the rally a “significant public health risk” and asked Martinez to reconsider, reschedule or scale back the rally.
The rally drew thousands of people.
Joseph said tenants of the airport are required to abide by government rules and regulations. He also said in landlord-tenant agreements, landlords enforce rules after violations. However, he did not anticipate the airport pursuing any action against Atlantic Aviation. It’s a higher level issue, he said.
While a local health official, Giardino and the airport commission have all identified Atlantic Aviation as being involved with the event, a person answering the phone for the company has twice said it was not involved. The Daily Press was not able to get in contact with Martinez.
Kim Lee, a spokeswoman for Newport News, said the city fielded complaints related to the rally, but the city was not involved. She said the airport would not need permission from the city to hold events since it’s a separate entity.
Joseph said the Newport News rally was not unique, highlighting similar Trump campaign events at airports
across the country. He said the airport’s focus was Air Force One and accommodating passengers flying to and from the airport.
Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com