TOPLINE
FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn, who was appointed to the post by President Donald Trump, is not ready to sign a clean health statement for the August Republican National Convention, which Trump hopes will bring “thousands of Republicans. enthusiasts “to Jacksonville, Florida, a city where the coronavirus is now spreading faster than anywhere else in the US
CLEVELAND, USA – July 21: Balloons and confetti fall from the roof of Quicken Loans Arena to … [+]
KEY FACTS
Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Hahn said it is “too early to say” whether Jacksonville will be safe to hold the convention on the scheduled dates of August 24-27.
Jacksonville is now one of the hotspots for coronavirus transmission in the U.S., prompting the city to issue a mask mandate starting last week for public and indoor venues.
The main events of the Republican Convention, including the speech where Trump will officially accept the Republican nomination, were moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville at Trump’s request.
The president was not happy with what he considered to be overly stringent patterns of social distancing in North Carolina, leading to a public dispute with the state’s Democratic governor before the Republican Party withdrew much of the Charlotte convention; the city will still host some of the commercial aspects of the convention due to contractual obligations.
Trump’s recent public events, including a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Independence Day celebrations at Mount Rushmore and the White House, have been optional, as many of his supporters have argued that the use of masks should be an individual matter. not government mandate.
BIG NUMBER
59,036 That’s the number of new coronavirus cases Florida reported in the past week alone, more cases than most US states across the pandemic.
Jacksonville has been hit especially hard, and is part of a corridor that runs southwest of the city over central Florida and in Tampa that is experiencing the fastest coronavirus transmission anywhere in the U.S.
CRITICAL QUOTE
“We will have to see how this unfolds in Florida and in other parts of the country,” said Hahn, when asked about the safety of holding the Convention.
KEY FUND
Most states are now dealing with a coronavirus spike after months of stable or declining new case rates. But few are having such a massive impact on what have been record days of new cases nationwide than Florida. The state now regularly reports more than 10,000 new cases per day, a sobering number that has so far only been matched by some of the worst days in New York, which was especially affected during the first coronavirus surge in late March and early of April. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has now reversed part of the state’s reopening, ordering bars to close their doors again.
CRITICAL HEAD
In response to CNN, a spokesman for the Republican National Committees said in a statement that the party remains committed to holding the convention in Florida and will enact security measures such as temperature controls and tests available to attendees.
“The RNC is committed to holding a safe convention that fully complies with the local health regulations in force at the time. The event is almost two months away, and we are planning to offer health precautions including but not limited to temperature controls, available PPE, aggressive disinfection protocols, and available Covid-19 testing. We have an excellent working relationship with local leadership in Jacksonville and the state of Florida, and we will continue to coordinate with them in the coming months, “spokesman Mike Reed told CNN.
OTHER READINGS
Trump moved the Charlotte Republican Convention to avoid a mask mandate – Jacksonville just issued one (Forbes)
Republicans to move tent from Convention event to Jacksonville (Forbes)
‘As an American, that’s my right’: Few Trump supporters in Tulsa with face masks (Forbes)
Florida reports more than 10,000 new cases of coronavirus, approaching New York’s biggest surge (Forbes)
RNC spokesman says Republicans are committed to holding a convention in Florida (CNN)
