JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Officials with the Republican National Convention will conduct daily coronavirus testing for those attending the event in August.
Erin Isaac, the spokeswoman for the host committee of the Jacksonville portion of the convention, said in an emailed memo on Monday that “everyone attending the convention within the perimeter will be tested and temperature checked each day.”
Isaac didn’t say how the committee will conduct testing.
The exact schedule for the Jacksonville portion of the convention hasn’t been publicized yet, but an earlier itinerary shows President Trump will give his acceptance speech at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on August 27, the last day of the convention.
The Vystar arena can hold 15,000 people, but it’s possible a limit could be placed on the number people allowed inside.
The news comes on the heels of Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn saying on Sunday that it was “too early to tell” whether Florida will be a safe place for the convention next month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.
Florida set a record on Saturday for the most new coronavirus cases in a single day for any state during the pandemic, with a total of 11,458, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.