Trump rally: Two people who attended North Carolina event test positive for coronavirus

Announcement comes as North Carolina records 2,232 new cases to bring state’s total to more than 267,000

A crowd cheers for President Donald Trump as he arrives to make remarks during a rally at Gastonia Municipal Airport on October 21, 2020 in Gastonia, North Carolina. Polls in North Carolina show republicans not carrying the state 12 days before the election. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Two people at one of Donald Trump’s campaign rallies in North Carolina have tested positive for Covid-19.

The Gaston County health department announced that the two cases were believed to be independent and not an indication of a spread at the rally held on 21 October.

The announcement on Thursday comes as North Carolina recorded 2,232 new cases to bring the state’s total to more than 267,000, with 4,275 related deaths since the pandemic began.  

The rally brought an estimated 15,000 to the president’s rally on the tarmac of a North Carolina airfield.

“Because of the large number of potential contacts from the rally, and the inability to alert them directly, the community is being notified so they can assess their own risk and take appropriate actions,” the county said in a statement.

They added: “These cases are not thought to be an indication of spread from the rally at this time, but rather two independent cases among individuals who were in attendance.”

Mr Trump was scheduled to hold another rally in North Carolina on Thursday night alongside Melania Trump, but the campaign announced that it would be postponed until Monday.

They cited a “a wind advisory issued with gusts reaching 50 miles per hour and other weather conditions.”

The Trump campaign faced criticisms after seven people were taken to hospital, and 30 treated medically, following a rally in Nebraska that left thousands stranded in near-freezing temperatures while waiting for transport home.