Officials in Florida expressed concern about public safety as coronavirus infections hit a record number for the third straight day following the Republican National Committee’s decision to relocate part of its annual convention to Jacksonville.
The state saw at least 2,581 new confirmed cases on Saturday, a 35% increase over the previous day. It was the third consecutive day that the state recorded its highest daily total of cases yet, according to the Miami Herald. The number dipped slightly Sunday, but the state still reported more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases for the second straight day in a row. The state has now seen more than 1,000 new cases for 12 consecutive days.
The spike comes after the RNC announced last week that President Donald Trump’s renomination speech would be moved from Charlotte to Jacksonville due to North Carolina’s coronavirus restrictions. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, repeatedly said it was too early to tell whether it would be safe to pack large crowds of attendees in August. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, appears to have no such qualms.
DeSantis on Friday sought to downplay the huge spike, attributing the rise to increased testing in nursing homes and an outbreak among farmworkers in the state. He told local news outlet WPLG that he was sure the convention could be held without resulting in a large influx of new cases.
“They are really working hard on it,” he said. “They are working hard with the folks at the White House.”