Too soon to say if RNC will be safe -U.S. official

A top Trump administration health official said on Sunday that it was not clear whether it will be safe to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month, as Florida sees record numbers of coronavirus infections.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn said in an interview on CNN that - with the convention seven weeks away - it was "too early to tell" if it would be safe for attendees, adding: "We will have to see how this unfolds in Florida and elsewhere around the country."

Hahn also refused to confirm President Donald Trump's claim that 99% of coronavirus cases were harmless, saying only that the situation is a "serious problem."

Trump announced on Twitter last month that the convention would move to Jacksonville from Charlotte, after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper refused to host a full-scale event citing coronavirus safety concerns.

In a series of tweets, Trump attacked the state's Democratic leader, saying: "Governor Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised."

In response, Cooper said on Twitter: "We have been committed to a safe RNC convention in North Carolina and it's unfortunate they never agreed to scale down and make changes to keep people safe."

Trump has not embraced masks or social distancing measures at campaign events, despite the advice of top health experts in his own administration.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville, which is led by a Republican mayor, began requiring masks in public last week after cases continued to rise.