Defying COVID-19 guidelines, hundreds attend RNC at White House

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Despite COVID-19 guidelines that include mask-wearing and maintaining social distancing of 6 feet, hundreds of people still gathered at the White House lawn to hear Trump’s speech on Thursday.
• Although health protocols for the event remained hazy, a Trump campaign official ensured that the Republican Committee is in partnership with a health company to ensure the safety of the guests.
• An estimated 1,500 attendees were expected to attend including lawmakers and congressional candidates.

A massive crowd flocked to the South Lawn of the White House for President Trump’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, violating federal and local health guidance on the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers, congressional candidates, administration officials and first responders were among the estimated 1,500 attendees expected to attend, said a Trump campaign official.

Despite Trump administration officials encouraging Americans to wear masks if maintaining social distance of 6 feet cannot be done, only a few guests were seen wearing them in seats only inches apart, hours before the president’s speech.

Furthermore, health protocols such as confirming if guests had undergone testing for the virus before coming for the event remained unclear, further alarming health experts who warned of the potential risks of transmission from the gathering.

However, the campaign said in a statement that the RNC has worked with the leading health company Patronus Medical in ensuring that proper protocols are in place.

According to Patronus Medical chief medical officer Robert Darling, health professionals were on site “to make certain screening has been done on a consistent basis to ensure the convention meets the highest standards of public safety.”

The gathering has also flouted guidelines set by Washington, D.C., that bans mass gatherings of over 50 people. Visitors to the District who come from high-risk states are required to quarantine for 14 days.

Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute slammed the setup on Thursday tweeting, “This is irresponsible. Yes it’s outdoors. But these folks are together for an extended period of time without masks. It’s utterly irresponsible.”

“Political convention or illegal large pandemic-risky low-mask-use un-distanced public gathering?” posted Harvard health economist Eric Feigl-Ding.

The event at the White House lawn comes after Trump nixed convention plans in Charlotte, N.C., protesting that a massive celebration without masks and distancing cannot be possibly held. So far, the U.S. has 5.8 million reported infections, the highest in any country all over the world, with roughly 1,000 Americans dying each day from the virus.

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