As Trump deadline approaches, N.C. wants more on convention

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — rth Carolina's top health official asked Friday for more details on how GOP leers will protect attendees of a Republican National Convention this summer during pandemic.

President Donald Trump has threatened to move his formal remination elsewhere if he does t soon get guarantees of being able to hold a large-scale event.

In particular, Cohen asked to confirm wher Trump wanted to hold his mination event on convention's final night with “people toger in a crowd-like setting" and without social distancing or face masks for participants. GOP's letter Thursday did t mention such a request, but Cohen said it h been discussed by phone.

Cohen also wanted numbers on how many people would be inside downtown Charlotte arena where nightly events are slated to be held, and how social distancing would occur within Spectrum Center.

Right w, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order prevents mass indoor assemblies of more than 10 people, but that could change in weeks leing up to convention if case and hospitalization numbers keep improving.

“ state continues to support hosting of Republican National Convention in Charlotte if it can be done safelty,” Cohen wrote to Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and convention CEO Marcia Lee Kelly. “We remain committed to working with you on an event that equately protects both attendees and people of rth Carolina.”

Kelly and McDaniel wrote Cooper on Thursday saying y needed furr direction and assurances from him to move forward on a convention y said would bring a massive ecomic boost to city. While letter offers several proposed steps to screen and protect convention attendees’ health, it lacked a final safety plan — something Cohen and Cooper said y want, such as one that NASCAR offered before racing last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, albeit with fans.

GOP letter sought ditional guidelines by next Wednesday, in keeping with Trump's demand that Cooper make a decision within a week or that he’d be forced to consider moving convention somewhere else. Florida and Georgia’s goverrs have said y’re interested in hosting. Cooper suggested to reporters Thursday that state h timeline.

Before letter's public release Friday, McDaniel said it appeared Cooper was dragging his feet on a decision and attributed it to a “little bit of gamesmanship” and politics. Cooper is seeking reelection this fall in a state Trump won in 2016.

“We are very happy for m to give us guidelines, but ultimately it's going to come down to elected officials to tell us how we can conduct our convention, and n we can plan,” McDaniel told WBT rio in Charlotte. “We're still hoping to make it work, but we're t going to wait indefinitely.”

Cooper has grually eased business restrictions, with restaurants w allowed to offer limited indoor dining. But entertainment venues, bars and gyms remain closed. Republicans at state legislature approved a bill Thursday that would reopen bars for outdoor service, a measure Cooper is likely to veto.

Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, has by far most COVID-19 cases in state, with more than 3,800 cases as of Friday morning and roughly 90 deaths.