A sharp increase in the number of coronavirus cases led organizers to postpone a Black Lives Matter event in Oklahoma City on Juneteenth.
The event would have showcased black artists and vendors on the day commemorating the end of slavery.
“We’re crushed. We were so excited to do something that felt important and like a celebration and artistic. But we just have to put safety and public health first,” Plaza District Executive Director Selena Skorman said, adding that as many as 10,000 people were expected.
Oklahoma reported 450 new cases on Thursday, a big increase in the record 259 daily cases reported Wednesday.
The Oklahoma State Health Department said Oklahoma City had 80 new cases and that Tulsa had 82. The state has more than 9,300 total cases and 366 deaths.
President Trump is holding a rally in Tulsa on Saturday, his first large-scale campaign event since the pandemic shut down businesses across the country.
