No social distancing required at Mount Rushmore Fourth of July event, says South Dakota Governor

• South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) declared that social distancing will not be practiced at the July 3 celebration at Mount Rushmore, despite thousands attending during the pandemic.
• Noem stated that they wanted to give the people of South Dakota “the opportunity to make a decision that they’re comfortable with.”
• Health and government officials, however, along with the National Park Service, have been urging people to practice social distancing and wear face coverings while out in public to prevent further spread of the deadly virus.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the celebration of Independence Day on July 3 at Mount Rushmore, but despite the ongoing pandemic, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has declared that social distancing will not be practiced at the event.

Noem stated in an interview on Monday night on Fox News‘ “The Ingraham Angle”: “We will have a large event at July 3rd. We told those folks that have concerns that they can stay home, 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 stated that the people of South Dakota were told “to focus on personal responsibility,” such that they have “the opportunity to make a decision that they’re comfortable with.”

The event, which will start a day before the Fourth of July holiday, will be held at Mount Rushmore, which is located within a national park in Keystone, South Dakota. President Donald Trump is set to deliver remarks at the celebration.

According to a website showing information for the event, the attendance “will be limited to around 7,500 participants,” determined through an online lottery that occurred in June.

The website did not mention anything about social distancing or face mask guidelines, despite health and government officials advising everyone to practice social distancing and wear facial coverings to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

The National Park Service also stated, “We ask the public to be our partner in adopting social distancing practices when visiting parks.”

The website of South Dakota’s Department of Health also advised people to “avoid close contact with people…stay at home as much as possible,” and “put distance between yourself and other people.” It added that “everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public.”

But the president himself has declined to wear a face mask throughout the pandemic.

According to NBC News‘ tally, more than 2.5 million have been affected by the virus in the U.S., and 126,332 have died as of Sunday.

Source: Aol.com