Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
- Trump held a 'Save America' rally on Saturday at York Family Farms in Cullman, Alabama.
- Cullman County has experienced a 218% increase in COVID-19 hospitalization in the last two weeks, New York Times data shows.
- There are currently no available ICU beds across the state of Alabama.
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A state of local emergency was declared on Thursday in Cullman, Alabama, as hospital and emergency room overcrowding, bed and labor shortages, and an ambulance crisis strained its health care system.
Two days later, former President Donald Trump held a "Save America" rally that drew thousands of maskless attendees to the city.
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
After being introduced by George C. Scott's famous "Patton" speech and "God Bless the U.S.A," Trump spoke to a crowd of thousands at York Family Farms about usual stump topics like Russia, immigration, the "radical left," and COVID-19, which he continues to call the "China virus."
-Ryan Phillips (@JournoRyan) August 22, 2021
-Amanda Head (@AmandaHead) August 22, 2021
Attendees, many of whom donned Trump memorabilia or red, white, and blue, chanted "USA!" and "We want Trump!"
Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Cases in Cullman County, which includes the city of Cullman, are extremely high, with a 218% increase in hospitalizations over the last two weeks, according to data from The New York Times.
Nesha Donaldson, chief operating officer of Cullman Regional Medical Center, asked the city to provide additional resources, such as EMT services, at the rally to reduce the potential further strain on the hospital.
An August 18 update from Cullman Regional said that it is currently treating 53 patients for COVID, 12 of whom are on ventilators.
-Chip Scarborough (@ChipWVTM13) August 20, 2021
Alabama Hospital Association President Donald Williamson said in an interview with WSFA 12 News on Tuesday that the state has run out of intensive care unit beds.