Vice President Mike Pence has confirmed the GOP is thinking of holding the Republican National Convention outdoors in August, to curb the spread of coronavirus.
"There's consideration being given to having the convention in an outdoor setting and also putting the kind of measures in place that put the health of all of those participating — our delegates, visitors, and anyone else that's present," he said. "We'll put the health of everyone participating first."
An anonymous GOP spokesperson floated the idea Tuesday during an interview on CNBC.
"We're going to work closely with officials in Jacksonville," Pence said. "The RNC is working up those plans, and I'm sure they'll be announced in the forthcoming days by the campaign."
Although President Donald Trump has wanted an in-person convention, last week he said the Republicans would be "flexible" in how they set up the event.
Health experts have warned officials not to hold an in-person convention and instead recommended a virtual event.
In a recent poll, most Jacksonville residents were opposed to having the GOP convention in their city.
As of Wednesday night, Florida has seen more than 300,000 coronavirus cases, including 4,521 deaths, according to the state's health department. On Tuesday alone, 130 people died of the virus.
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