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The Republican Party of Texas will proceed with plans to hold its annual state convention in person, the party announced on Friday.
"After extensive debate Thursday evening, the State Republican Executive Committee reinforced its support for proceeding with our State Convention in person in Houston," said James Dickey, the party's chairman, in a statement included in its Friday announcement. The decision followed a resolution passed by the Texas SREC during its Thursday meeting.
According to the Republican Party's statement, the upcoming convention will take place in Houston between July 13 and July 18, with procedures in place to mitigate risks of spreading the novel coronavirus. Thermal scanners will screen delegates and attendees for virus symptoms at the George R. Brown Convention Center's entrances and seating arrangements will be expanded to allow for increased social distancing. The statement also noted that GOP Party sponsors have donated face masks for use during the convention.
The GOP Party's announcement came as Texas health officials report a surge in new cases of the novel coronavirus, prompting state and local leaders to issue recommendations against large social gatherings.
On Thursday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an order requiring residents of counties reporting 20 or more COVID-19 cases to wear face masks in public spaces. The governor also issued a proclamation permitting local leaders to pass individual restrictions related to social gathering limits. The latest order followed Abbott's previous directive ordering bars to temporarily close down and restaurants to scale back capacity due to transmission risks.
Following Abbott's Thursday proclamation, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner released a set of recommendations for city residents to curb virus transmission. In addition to required use of face masks, Turner asked that individuals gather in groups of no more than 10 people and businesses voluntarily reduce occupancy from 50 percent to 25 percent. He urged Houston residents to practice social distancing in workplaces, and remain home if social distancing is not possible.
Voluntarily, I ask businesses reduce occupancy from 50 percent to 25 percent.
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) July 2, 2020
I ask faith-based groups resume virtual worship
I am asking social gatherings to happen with no more than 10 individuals. #COVID19
As of Thursday afternoon, July 2, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) had confirmed almost 176,000 total virus cases state among residents since the start of the pandemic. Its estimated that close to 50 percent of all COVID-19 cases identified since March remained active.
Texas has confirmed new COVID-19 infections, as well as subsequent hospitalizations, in increasing numbers since the start of June. Ongoing data released by the Texas DSHS shows roughly 60 percent of the state's total cases were diagnosed since June 2, when about 66,500 infections were reported. The health department has confirmed record-high increases in new cases on a handful of days over the past month. The Texas DSHS confirmed the state's latest record jump in daily cases on Wednesday, July 1, with more than 8,000 new infections. Its Thursday report only fell below the previous day's record by about 150 cases.
Harris County, where Houston is located, has diagnosed more infections over the last three months than any other state region, with close to 33,000 positive tests confirmed. On Thursday, a report from the Houston Health Department showed the city's test-positivity ratio had reached almost 25 percent, the highest figure reported so far. Test-positivity ratios weigh the incidence of confirmed infections on a given day against the total number of diagnostic tests administered to a population.
Newsweek reached out to the Republican Party of Texas and the Texas DSHS for comments about the upcoming GOP convention but did not receive replies in time for publication.
