‘I don’t have an answer,’ Charlotte mayor says on ability to host the RNC

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said Friday she did not have an answer on the city’s ability to host the Republican National Convention in late August, acknowledging it depends on the trajectory of the new coronavirus pandemic.

In a Twitter town hall, Lyles said her “very first and foremost objective” is the safety and wellness of Charlotteans.

”We’ll follow the CDC rules and guidelines for whatever is going on,” Lyles said of contingency plans for the convention. “I don’t have an answer to say yes or no. I have an answer to say we will be guided by the best decisions for our residents.”

The mayor’s response largely echoed her first Twitter town hall on April 3, when Lyles said it was too early to know how the pandemic would affect the RNC.

”I don’t know the answer to that now...” Lyles had said in a video posted to Twitter. “We’ll see.”

Still, the Charlotte Convention Center, a major venue for the RNC, may need to be used as a field hospital to accommodate a potential surge in coronavirus cases, Lyles acknowledged in her virtual Q&A session.

Novant Health and Atrium Health have dropped their request for now to erect a 600-bed field hospital at the convention center — although leaders of both hospital systems say the site is still a “viable option in the future,” depending on the trajectory of the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

“After the end of this pandemic and we have gotten the go-ahead from the governor and the public health director, we will immediately start hosting again conventions coming into our city,” Lyles said in a Twitter video Friday.

GOP: ‘Full steam ahead’

Republican officials told reporters this week they are moving “full steam ahead” for the convention, which is expected to draw more than 50,000 people to Charlotte.

President Donald Trump has adamantly said there’s “no way” he would cancel the convention.

Max Everett, the convention’s vice president, said Wednesday the RNC could be a boon for local businesses — showing everyone “Charlotte is open for business again.”

The lead-up to the RNC, plus its four-day gathering with at least 1,200 receptions, could pump between $100 million to $300 million into Charlotte’s economy, GOP officials estimate.

This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 12:02 PM.