RNC’s opening convention bid: Health checks, but no masks, no social distancing
The Republican National Committee has given North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper less than a week to approve and provide safety guidelines for its scheduled national convention in Charlotte this summer, according to a letter sent to the governor and Charlotte officials Thursday.
“Clear guidelines from your administration are needed,” the letter says.
The three-page letter came hours after Cooper said earlier Thursday that convention organizers had not submitted a plan for how they would handle safety protocols at the convention. The convention has been planned for 50,000 attendees at Spectrum Arena.
Cooper’s office said Thursday evening that the letter doesn’t constitute a plan.
“We are still waiting for a plan from the RNC, but our office will work with state health officials to review the letter and share a response tomorrow,” said Sadie Weiner, Cooper’s communications director.
Convention organizers are asking Cooper to approve several preliminary safety protocols, including daily online health care questionnaires and pre-travel health surveys. Attendees would get thermal scans done prior to boarding sanitized, pre-arranged transportation and would get health checks before entering the arena.
It does not mention social distancing or face coverings, which have been used to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
With Cooper’s approval, RNC officials will further develop a detailed plan for the convention.
The letter, dated May 28, is signed by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Marcia Lee Kelly, the president and CEO Of the Republican National Convention. It is addressed to Cooper, Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt, City Manager Marcus Jones, Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio and all members of the Charlotte City Council.
Trump and the committee want to hold a “safe and successful 2020 Republican National Convention in the impressive City of Charlotte and the great State of North Carolina,” according to the letter.
McDaniel and Kelly write that Cooper has until Wednesday, June 3, to address “any additional guidelines to what is outlined above that we will be expected to meet.”
“We are asking for a partner in leadership to make this happen,” they write. “Time is of the essence.”
The letter makes some appeals to North Carolina’s expected economic windfall from holding the convention. It does not offer any vision of a scaled-down convention.
“A successful convention per RNC rules require delegates, alternates, elected officials, guests and media to be in attendance as President Trump is nominated for a second term,” it says.
How the coronavirus has impacted RNC
The convention is scheduled Aug. 24-27 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
But the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 100,000 across the United States, has altered plans for big events across the world. The 2020 Olympics, scheduled for earlier in August, have been postponed.
In North Carolina, where more than 800 people have died, gatherings of more than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors are banned under an executive order from Cooper. The order, known as Phase Two, will last until at least the end of June. Cooper has not said what groups might look like in Phase Three.
Cooper, a Democrat, said health experts from his office have been talking with organizers for months about how to safely hold the event in Charlotte.
“We’re not on any timeline here,” Cooper said at the afternoon press briefing. “We want to work with them. We look forward to them submitting plans to us. We have yet to see them.”
The Republican officials also wrote that “to this point, we have been operating in good faith.” But said “major investment decisions need to be made in the coming days.”
But Trump inserted himself into the debate Monday by threatening on Twitter to move the convention from Charlotte unless Republicans are “immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the space will be allowed to be fully occupied.” The next day, Trump said he needed “a fast decision from the governor.”
“He’s been acting very, very slowly and very suspiciously, but we’ll find out. We’re talking about a very short period of time,” Trump told reporters. “I would say within a week that certainly we have to know.”
Officials from Florida, Georgia and Texas have publicly stated their desire to hold the event.
Cooper said the request for plans from the RNC are no different than how the state handled other large events.
In the weeks before NASCAR hosted its Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, the organization submitted a 13-page plan to Cooper’s office in advance of the Coca-Cola 600 race week and produced a 41-page event operations protocol manual. Health experts gave feedback, and NASCAR incorporated changes in its successful race weekend, he said. NASCAR ran its races without spectators.
Cooper said similar conversation are underway with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
The NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes confirmed Thursday that they have had conversations with Cooper’s office on opening PNC Arena in Raleigh but didn’t provide other details. The arena is used for Canes hockey games and N.C. State men’s basketball games as well as concerts and other events. The last event staged at the arena was a concert on March 13.
Former President Barack Obama was re-nominated by Democrats at their national convention in Charlotte in 2012.
“The distinction of recently nominating sitting presidents from both major parties speaks to the importance of North Carolina and the region to the entire country,” the letter says. “The Convention in August will make history and produce a major economic windfall for your entire state.”
Coronavirus hospitalizations increase in NC
While organizations are making plans to hold events in the state, the number of statewide coronavirus-related hospitalizations reached a new high Thursday for the second day in a row.
North Carolina reported 708 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus Thursday, up from 702 on Wednesday and up sharply from earlier this month. On May 16, the state reported 481 people hospitalized due to the virus.
Cooper said he is concerned with the increase across the state, adding that health officials would keep an eye on it as the state continues with Phase Two of his reopening plan.
He said hospitals are prepared, however, if there is a surge in COVID-19 cases. The state has 24% of its hospital beds available and 18% of its ICU beds available.
“This is why we are in Phase Two right now and not reopening everything up,” Cooper said Thursday. “This is why we think we need to stay in Phase Two for a while, to see how these numbers go.”
Hospitalizations are one of seven benchmarks that Cooper and state health officials have been using to determine the state’s re-opening plan.
“Our work is to keep the viral spread low and keep that curve flat so we don’t overwhelm our health care systems,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The percentage of positive cases is another benchmark and it slightly increased Thursday. Cohen and Cooper said that can be attributed to a number of possible factors. Regardless, the numbers remain stable around 8%, they said.
“Each of these data points all have limitations,” Cohen said. “It’s why we need to look at these metrics in combinations with each other.”
Chip Alexander contributed.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 4:49 PM with the headline "RNC’s opening convention bid: Health checks, but no masks, no social distancing."
