CHARLOTTE – A letter from the Republican National Committee says that clear guidelines are needed from Gov. Roy Cooper and state health officials to continue moving forward and setting expectations for the planning of a major event.
“Numerous members of our convention team and their families moved to North Carolina and they have been planning the RNC convention for years. We have invested millions of dollars but now we are at a crossroads” part of the letter reads.
“The people who will visit the Charlotte region during the convention, as well as the businesses and workers who will benefit are looking to you to set the rules and requirements for the RNC to hold a safe, secure event” says RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and 2020 GOP Convention President and CEO Marcia Lee Kelly.
In the letter, McDaniel and Kelly say that major investment decisions need to be made in the coming days and point out that they have been operating in good faith.
Some of the key safety protocols the RNC asks for approval include:
- 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, prearranged 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
A convention spokeswoman told North State Journal the letter is an outline of and a guide for several key elements that will enable a safe in-person convention in Charlotte.
A date of Wednesday, June 3 is given for approval of the safety measures and additional guidelines that may be required by the state health officials and Gov. Cooper.
“President Trump and the Republican National 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” the final paragraph of the letter says. “We are asking for a partner in leadership to make this happen. Time is of the essence.”
The full letter can be read here.
