Nearly 200 physicians urge Jacksonville leaders to postpone Republican National Convention

Jacksonville, FL — With a growing number of coronavirus cases locally and across Florida, nearly 200 physicians have written a letter to the Mayor and Jacksonville City Council, urging them to postpone or reduce the size of the Republican National Convention.

The letter is signed by physicians from across the country, most from Florida. It says that allowing more than 40,000 people to descend on Jacksonville is ‘unequivocally provocative of disease, predictably harmful, and medically disrespectful to the citizens of the city'.

The physicians say that Jacksonville should also mandate the use of masks and social distancing.

READ THE LETTER HERE

“It is extremely dangerous and contrary to current public health recommendations to stage a large event in an area where the number of cases is surging. The RNC should be postponed or very significantly reduced in numbers because of these risks. In addition, Jacksonville should follow the leads of Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and other cities in Florida, along with Texas and California, in immediately (before a convention) mandating the use of masks and social distancing. The physicians below support these recommendations”, the letter states.

The convention is set for August 24 - 27 with a series of events hosted in Jacksonville, including an address by President Trump at VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena on Thursday, August 27.