GOP Caps Attendance For Convention Over Coronavirus Concerns

The Republican National Committee announced Thursday morning that it would restrict attendance for the party’s convention next month in Jacksonville, Florida.

The announcement comes a day after the RNC announced that they would move the convention outdoors due to growing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, The Hill reported. The decision comes as positive cases are skyrocketing across the state, according to a Johns Hopkins University database.

RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a letter that only the 2,500 delegates would be allowed to attend the convention during its first three days, The Associated Press reported. The convention will then open up to delegates and their guests for the final night on Aug. 27, when President Donald Trump is set to deliver his acceptance speech.

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The event was originally set to occur in Charlotte, North Carolina, but was moved to Jacksonville in June after Democratic Gov. Roy Coope refused to let the event proceed without social distancing guidelines and masks in place.

“When we made these changes, we had hoped to be able to plan a traditional convention celebration to which we are all accustomed. However, adjustments must be made to comply with state and local health guidelines,” McDaniel said in a letter obtained by The Washington Post.

Trump’s acceptance speech is set to take place outdoors in order to accommodate a larger crowd, AP reported. The convention will also provide on-site temperature checks, face coverings and coronavirus testing.

“We can gather and put on a top-notch event that celebrates the incredible accomplishments of President Trump’s administration and his re-nomination for a second term – while also doing so in a safe and responsible manner,” McDaniel said, according to the Post.

Though the majority of the convention is set to take place in Jacksonville, Trump will be officially re-nominated in Charlotte, where a smaller group of delegates will cast proxy votes, AP reported.

The GOP convention is set to look much different than the Democratic convention, when delegates are expected to vote for presumptive nominee Joe Biden remotely, USA Today reported.