South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has no plans to limit the crowds that are expected to gather to watch the fireworks over Mount Rushmore during Independence Day weekend.
Noem, a Republican, told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Monday that she will not enforce the social distancing guidelines that are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to limit the spread of the coronavirus. She said that those who are concerned about the virus can make other plans.
“We’ve told people to focus on personal responsibility. Every one of them has the opportunity to make a decision that they’re comfortable with. So, we will be having a celebration of American independence. We will have a large event on July 3rd. We told those folks to have concerns that they can stay home,” she said.
“But those who want to come and join us, we will give out free masks if they choose to wear one, but we won’t be social distancing. We are asking them to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties we have in this country, and to talk about our history and what it brought us today with an opportunity to raise our kids in the greatest country in the world,” she added.
Noem was one of the only governors in the nation to not shut down her state because of the coronavirus, a decision that was widely criticized. South Dakota, however, managed to navigate the pandemic with one of the lowest deaths-per-capita rates in the nation. While the outbreak in the state has been small by comparison to others, the state does have a positivity rate of 6.36%, which is higher than the CDC’s recommended 5%. A high positivity rate means there could be significant community spread occurring, but only the sickest patients are being tested.
President Trump will be attending the celebration at Mount Rushmore on Friday to mark the first time in two decades that a fireworks display has been shown at the landmark.
