Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said he isn’t going to cancel the party’s national convention in July due to the escalating coronavirus outbreak, which is quickly disrupting people’s lives both in the U.S. and around the globe.
“No. We are working with our state and local partners, and I’m confident that we can work a plan that will enable us to have our convention,” Mr. Perez told “Axios on HBO.”
He said they would have to change the rules to pull off an “online” convention.
“We’re not contemplating rules changes, and I’m very confident that we’re going to be able to carry it off,” Mr. Perez said. “I’m equally confident in the competence of our team.”
President Trump on Wednesday announced travel restrictions for most of Europe for 30 days as a result of the outbreak. The Department of Homeland Security said the ban would apply to certain foreign nationals.
There are more than 1,000 cases in the U.S. and the death toll topped three dozen as of Wednesday.
The National Basketball Association indefinitely suspended its season on Wednesday as a player tested positive for coronavirus, and various states and localities are placing restrictions on large gatherings in their jurisdictions.
The Democratic National Convention is currently scheduled to take place from July 13-16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Republican National Convention is scheduled for Aug. 24-27 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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