City of Cullman under a COVID emergency as Trump comes to town

City leaders in Cullman are responding to a request from Cullman Regional Hospital by imposing a COVID emergency ahead of today’s rally featuring Donald Trump. Healthcare providers are concerned the outdoor event could turn into a Delta variant super spreader, with Alabama hospitals already fresh out of intensive care beds for new infections of the highly contagious COVID strain. The declaration waives procedures and formalities on actions related to public health, including the hiring of temporary workers and spending public funds. Health providers point to new outbreaks of the Delta variant in south Alabama and Florida due to July vacation events for their concern over the Trump rally or the recent Rock The South Concert. New COVID infections connected to the Trump, assuming they occur, could begin to appear by Thursday or Friday of this week.