Residents and visitors in Jacksonville, Fla., will be required to wear masks indoors and in public spaces to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, the city announced Monday, potentially complicating President Trump‘s desire to hold the Republican National Convention there in August without masks or social distancing.
The mandatory mask policy will take effect at 5 p.m. on Monday, city officials said. It’s unclear how long it will remain in place.
The GOP announced earlier this month that the main events surrounding this year’s convention, including Trump’s speech accepting the party’s nomination, would take place in Jacksonville.
The change in location followed squabbling with the governor of North Carolina over whether the massive gathering could take place in Charlotte, its originally planned location, without social distancing precautions.