Despite US topping the list of coronavirus infected countries, thousands of ""Do Not Sit Here, Pease!" stickers were ordered removed from the seats at the President Donald Trump's rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reported The Washington Post.
The arena management had reportedly pasted 12,000 do-not-sit stickers on the seats as part of the safety protocol amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, hours before the rally, the campaigners asked the event management to remove the stickers, The Washington Post quoted a person involved in the event.
Billboard Magazine, the first to report about the actions during the Trump's campaign, reported that a video created by a third party showed Trump staffers walking down the aisles of the BOK Center and peeling the stickers from thousands of chairs before the rally.
"They also told us that they didn't want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue," the magazine quoted Doug Thornton, executive VP for ASM Global, as saying.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said in a statement, "The rally was in full compliance with local requirements. In addition, every rally attendee received a temperature check prior to admission, was given a face mask, and provided ample access to hand stizer."
In a separate statement, the campaign said: "There were signs posted and we are not aware of any campaign staff asking that they be removed."
According to the latest data by the Johns Hopkins University, the total number of coronavirus cases reported in the US is 2,510,281 and a total of 125,539 people have succumbed to the disease so far.
( With inputs from ANI )