The Republican National Committee still plans to hold its 2020 convention in North Carolina in August, even with future mass gatherings uncertain in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
The GOP's convention committee sent an email on Saturday "celebrating 100 days until Aug. 24," the meeting's kick-off date. Nearly 50,000 people had been expected to attend the event, at which President Donald Trump will be nominated for a second term.
"The 100-day mark is a significant benchmark as it's when all of our planning and preparation moves into execution mode," said Marcia Lee Kelly, president of the RNC's Committee on Arrangements.
Kelly wrote in a column for Fox News that planners are taking "meaningful steps" on health and safety. That include this month's hiring of Dr. Jeffrey Runge, a former Homeland Security official, to help with preparations.
North Carolina's stay-at-home order is set to expire May 22. Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a three-phase plan for reopening parts of the state's economy. Phase one is under way; phase three may start by late June.
