Trump's convention demand comes amid Charlotte virus surge

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s demand for a full-capacity Republican convention in August is putting pressure on North Carolina health officials — and local Republicans — as coronavirus cases surge in the host county and statewide.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's administration has refused to give in to the pressure, though, responding with a letter demanding a written safety plan from organizers of the Republican National Convention, slated for August in Charlotte. Even local Republican officials have noted Trump doesn't have the power alone to cancel the convention contract. The convention, with over two years of planning, is scheduled to start in 90 days.

State Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen's letter asks Republican convention planners to provide a written COVID-19 safety plan “as soon as possible,” noting Trump's tweets amount to an “accelerated decision-making timeline.”

Cohen noted that she and Gov. Cooper talked by phone with RNC planners Friday, during which they discussed the need to plan for convention alternatives depending on the arc of the outbreak.

“The status of COVID-19 infections in our state and in the Charlotte area continues to rapidly evolve, thus, it will be important to have several scenarios planned that can be deployed depending on the public health situation,” Cohen wrote in the letter signed Monday and released Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Mecklenburg County had at least 3,400 COVID-19 cases — more than twice the next-highest county — and 73 deaths, also the most in the state, according to state health officials. A third of the cases were tallied in the past two weeks.

Statewide, there were 24,000 cases as part of an upward trend that included 1,100 new cases Saturday, the state's worst daily increase yet. Nearly 800 people have died,...