Jacksonville, Fla. Lawyers File Lawsuit To Block Republican National Convention Amid Pandemic Concerns

Several attorneys in Jacksonville, Florida, filed a complaint on Wednesday to block the Republican National Convention (RNC) from convening next month amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The lawsuit, first filed in Duval County, argues that the city is not ready to host the event as Florida’s COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

“To avoid community spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health and welfare of Plaintiffs and the community, it is necessary and essential that all super spreader events where large numbers of people congregate in close proximity indoors not occur,” the statement reads.

Florida has recorded the most new cases in a day, highest among the entire nation. The state currently has more than 250,000 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

However, the RNC spokesperson Mike Reed claimed that the committee is ready to hold a safe convention and will follow local health restrictions.

“The event is still almost two months away, and we are planning to offer health precautions including but not limited to temperature checks, available PPE, aggressive sanitizing protocols, and available COVID-19 testing,” Reed said. “We have a great working relationship with local leadership in Jacksonville and the state of Florida, and we will continue to coordinate with them in the months ahead.”