Could virus cancel the GOP convention? For now, organizers are monitoring things.
As many as 50,000 people from around the world are expected to come to Charlotte this summer for the Republican National Convention.
But could the convention be canceled?
The novel coronavirus outbreak not only has caused havoc with financial markets but disrupted travel and forced cancellation of conferences in the United States and around the globe.
Like their Democratic counterparts, organizers of the Republican convention say they’re keeping an eye on the situation.
“The convention team is closely monitoring and coordinating with key stakeholders across the administration . . . and (federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to obtain regular updates,” convention spokeswoman Tatum Gibson said Monday. “We prioritize the health and safety of attendees and have the utmost confidence in the administration’s work and preparations.”
To be sure, there’s no indication yet that either party is ready to take such a drastic step. And there hasn’t been a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County.
But other large public gatherings have been affected by the virus, which as of Monday had reached 97 countries and led to 4,000 deaths, including at least 22 in the U.S.
The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have canceled annual meetings in Washington in favor of virtual gatherings. At least two conventions scheduled for this spring at the Charlotte Convention Center — one for the snack industry and the other for the Electric Power Research institute — have been canceled.
The NCAA is considering reducing the number of venues for this month’s basketball tournament. The NBA has said games may have to be played in empty arenas. And Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rep Paul Gosar of Arizona are both under self-quarantine after interacting with somebody at the Conservative Political Action Conference diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Officials with the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee say they’ve begun making contingency plans in case the virus interrupts the schedule.
“Every convention necessitates developing a number of contingency plans to provide for a variety of scenarios,” Democratic convention CEO Joe Solmonese said in a statement. “(T)he convention team will remain in constant communication with the local, state, and federal authorities responsible for protecting public health and security.”
Democrats are set to start their convention July 13. The GOP convention is scheduled to start Aug. 24. But the road to both conventions starts much earlier.
Republican county conventions started last weekend. District conventions are scheduled for April, leading up to a state convention in Greenville in May. Democrats have a similar schedule.
“We at this point do not have any plans to alter the scheduling although we are closely monitoring the situation here in North Carolina,” state GOP Chair Michael Whatley told The Observer. “The health and safety of the participants and guests at the any of our events is our highest priority.”
The Democrats’ delegate process also starts this month ahead of the state convention in June.
In a statement, N.C. Democratic Chair Wayne Goodwin said he’s consulting with other party leaders from other states as well as health officials and the national party “to determine best practices for North Carolina Democrats regarding the upcoming state and national conventions.”
“Though the state convention itself is three months away and the national convention is the month thereafter, we have begun actively considering options that may be necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of our convention delegates,” he said. “The well-being of our delegates and the public at large are our highest priority.”
A party spokesman said those options were still undetermined.
Conventions have been shortened but never canceled. But political scientist Josh Putnam, whose site, Frontloading HQ, tracks the delegate selection process, said, “Both parties do have contingencies built into their rules to essentially hold a ‘convention’ remotely.”
Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said Monday that officials aren’t recommending cancellations at this point. A warning sign, she said, would be evidence of “community transmission,” that is, if the virus is contracted by someone with no known exposure to an infected person.
“Outdoor events are probably going to be easier than indoor events, just because there’s more air and you’re not as exposed,” Harris said. “We’re awaiting guidance from the CDC, about what to do with that. I know in places where they have had sustained community transmission, they have canceled events.”
Staff writer Hannah Smoot contributed.
This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Could virus cancel the GOP convention? For now, organizers are monitoring things.."
