RNC submits safety guidelines to Gov. Cooper to proceed with Charlotte convention
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WTVD) -- After submitting safety guidelines to proceed with the Republican National Convention in Charlotte in August, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is now looking for a response from Gov. Roy Cooper by June 3.
"Major investment decisions need to be made in the coming days and to this point we have been operating in good faith," Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, representing the RNC, wrote in a statement. "We still do not have solid guidelines from the State and cannot in good faith, ask thousands of visitors to begin paying deposits and making travel plans without knowing the full commitment of the Governor, elected officials and other stakeholders in supporting the Convention."
The conference is scheduled to start on August 24 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte.
The RNC is now asking for approval of the following safety protocols by the governor:
- Pre-travel health surveys through our partnership with local health care providers
- Daily health care questionnaires delivered via an app
- Thermal scans of all mandatory attendees prior to boarding sanitized, pre-arranged transportation
- Anti-bacterial gel will be widely available
- Aggressive sanitizing protocol for all public areas
- Our planned transportation buses will be dropped off at the Charlotte Convention Center which will act as a mandatory hub for a final health care screening by health care officials
- All attendees would have to pass a clean health check prior to entering the dedicated chute to the Spectrum Arena -- where all attendees would then be processed through normal United States Secret Service screening with normal event queue lines
- Media suites and hospitality areas will be subject to food service guidelines similar to any other restaurant
Despite the amount of safety measures put in place, the committee does not mention wearing safety masks or that attendees engage in social distancing.
After the measures are approved, only then will the RNC proceed with working with stakeholders and principals to continue on with the convention.
As of Thursday night, state health officials say they will review that letter and have a response on Friday.
"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," Sadie Weiner, a spokesperson for Cooper said in a statement to ABC News.
Cooper already faces pressure from President Trump after the president threatened to pull the convention out of North Carolina on Monday.
"We are not going to sacrifice the health and safety of North Carolinians," Cooper said Tuesday during a news conference. "That's the bottom line."
RNC officials have long touted the convention's economic boon for Charlotte because it could bring in as many as 50,000 people.
The City of Charlotte was chosen to host the RNC Convention back in 2018; the dates for the convention were announced in March 2019.
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