As health professionals, we are concerned at the Republican National Committee’s decision to hold its convention acceptance speech and celebration in Jacksonville at a time when COVID-19 infections and deaths in Florida are on the rise.

More than 1,000 Floridians are getting sick from COVID-19 every day for the past week, when Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted the state’s stay-at-home. We believe this move was premature as cases remain alarmingly high, testing continues to lag behind an optimum rate and a comprehensive and cohesive plan to trace and isolate infections is lacking.

Additionally, Gov. DeSantis’ benchmark to reopen Florida is now under a cloud of doubt when his administration fired the scientist responsible for compiling COVID-19 data after she refused to manipulate information to suit a preferred political narrative that privileges politics over public health.

Florida does not have COVID-19 under control. More than 66,000 people in Florida have now gotten sick from the disease and more than 2,700 individuals have died. The current surge in positive cases demands that we do everything we can to reduce risk factors that can multiply infections.

The RNC convention celebration is expected to bring tens of thousands of people from across Florida and the nation to Jacksonville in late August, and they will spend their time indoors and in close quarters. This will only increase the likelihood of community spread across Florida, strain our healthcare resources and put people in danger.

To help prevent massive COVID-19 outbreaks during the RNC convention, Gov. DeSantis must require some basic safeguards during the convention. These include:

• Requiring convention participants to wear masks and practice social-distancing on the premises.

• Implementing a rapid and aggressive testing regimen in Jacksonville and surrounding areas.

• Implementing rigorous screening and safety procedures that include temperature checks, hand washing and hand sanitizer stations, frequent professional cleaning of chairs, floors and other common public areas, and other safeguards.

COVID-19 is making a second surge in Florida, proving that this pandemic is still with us. The rising number of cases coinciding with easing of social distancing measures indicates that COVID-19 is capable of returning aggressively when we let our guard down.

By requiring strong health and safety measures during the convention, Gov. DeSantis and the RNC can do their part to help protect all Floridians and save lives.

Shanti Agarwal, MD; Pathologist (Boca Raton, FL)

Zenith Alam, MD; Internal Medicine (Miami, FL)

Leonardo Alonso, DO; Emergency Medicine (Jacksonville, FL)

Charles Anderson, MD; Internal Medicine (Naples, FL)

Kathy Anderson, DO; Dermatologist (Clearwater, FL)

Robert Anderson, MD; Radiologist (Titusville, FL)

Carlos Arguello, MD; GP (Port Saint Lucie, FL)

Neeru Arora, MD PA; Nephrologist (Jacksonville, FL)

Bernard Ashby, MD; Cardiologist (Miami, FL)

Aleksandra Bacewicz; Psychiatrist (Palm Harbor, FL)

Ankush Bansal, MD, FACP, FACPM, SFHM; Internal Medicine (West Palm Beach, FL)

Debra Barnett, MD; Psychiatrist (Tampa, FL)

Jan Becker, MD; Internal Medicine (Orlando, FL)

James Bentley, MD; GP (Umatilla, FL)

Ricardo Bernal, MD; Psychiatrist (Orlando, FL)

Nicole Bixler, DO, MBA, FACOFP; Family Medicine (Land O' Lakes, FL)

Allan Bloom, MD; Internal Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Angel Brana, MD; Preventing Medicine (Fort Myers, FL)

Jeanie Branconi, MD; Family Medicine (Apollo Beach, FL)

Edward Braun, MD; Family Medicine and HIV (Tampa, FL)

Carl Burak, MD and JD; Non-profit CEO (Jacksonville, FL)

Margerie Burness, MD; Ophthalmologist (Bradenton, FL)

Charmaine Chibar, MD; Pediatrician (Lake Worth, FL)

Lawrence Cohn, MD; Podiatrist (Miami, FL)

Evelena Cousin, MD; General Surgery (Brandon, FL)

Carlos Dalence, MD; Pathologist (Tampa, FL)

John Davidson, MD; Orthopedic Surgeon (Vero Beach, FL)

Maria DeCastro, DO; Neurologist (Tampa, FL)

Kathleen DeLeyer, Medical Technologist, FL, AMT; Clinical Laboratory (Citra, FL)

Rajesh Dhairyawan, MD; Cardiologist (Miami, FL)

Neha Doshi, MD; Internal Medicine (Orlando, FL)

Mark Droffner, DO; Geriatrics (Punta Gorda, FL)

Ranjan Duara, MD; Neurologist (Miami, FL)

Jay Falk, MD; Emergency Medicine (Maitland, FL)

Maher Fanous, Director; Ophthalmologist (Gainesville, FL)

Robert Fields, MD; OB/GYN (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Eileen Fleming, RN; Nursing, Education (Clermont, FL)

John Fleming, MD; Internal Medicine/Geriatrics (Clermont, FL)

Lisa Gonzalez-Abello, MD; Pediatrician (Sarasota, FL)

David Gordon, MD; Radiologist (Lake Worth, FL)

Gale Greeley, MD; Psychiatrist (Gainesville, FL)

Ronald Gup, MD; Pulmonary Disease (Hollywood, FL)

Luis Gutierrez, MD; Psychiatrist (Tampa, FL)

Michael Haller, MD; Pediatric Endocrinologist (Gainesville, FL)

Norman Halliday, MD; Anesthesiologist (Miami, FL)

Ahmad Hamzah, MD; Cardiac Surgeon (Tampa, FL)

Adam Heller, MD; Neurologist (Sarasota, FL)

Brad Herman, MD; Surgeon (Miami, FL)

Zhigao Huang, MD; Neurologist (Jacksonville, FL)

Madeleine Jacobs, MD; Family Practice (Florence, FL)

Mark Jawahir, MD; Pain Management (Sebring, FL)

Sabih Kayan, MD; Psychiatrist (Venice, FL)

Sabiha Kazi, MD; Hospice & Palliative Care (Oviedo, FL)

David Kohl, MD; Cardiologist (St. Petersburg, FL)

Katherine Kosche, MD; Gastroenterologist (Pembroke Pines, FL)

Ryan Lamond, MD; Emergency Medicine (Jacksonville, FL)

Elise Leonard, MD; Ophthalmologist (Pompano Beach, FL)

Alan LeRoy, MD; OB/GYN (West Palm Beach, FL)

Anna Lizama, MD; OB/GYN and General Medicine (Orlando, FL)

Kenneth Mack, MD; Internal Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Hadas Maimon, MD; Psychiatrist (Neptune Beach, FL)

Mona Mangat, MD; Allergist/Immunologist (Saint Petersburg, FL)

Linda Marraccini, MD; Family Practice (Miami, FL)

Alan Maurer, MD; Orthopedic Surgeon (Osprey, FL)

Carolyn McClanahan, MD; Family Medicine (Jacksonville, FL)

Heidi McNaney-Flint, MD; OB/GYN (Stuart, FL)

Dipti Mehta, MD; Hospitalist (Palm Harbor, FL)

Herbert Moselle, MD; Otolaryngologist (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Rajendran Nair, MD; Anesthesiologist (Pensacola, FL)

Shruthi Narasimha, MD; Internal Medicine (Orlando, FL)

Yawer Nensey, MD; Internal Medicine/Gastroenterologist (Tampa, FL)

Zara Nensey, DMD; Pediatric Dentistry (Tampa, FL)

Cathy Ng, MD; Psychiatry (Miami, FL)

Bridget Norwood, MD; Internal Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Henry O'Neal, MD; Internal Medicine (Tampa, FL)

Samuel Ostrower, MD; Pediatric Otolaryngologist (Hollywood, FL)

Cynthia Paganini, MD; Internal Medicine (Clearwater, FL)

Donald Perry, MD; Orthopedics (Windermere, FL)

Bruce Quinn, MD; Pediatric EM (Miami, FL)

Clive Rayner, DMD; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon (Orange Park, FL)

Ira Riemer, MD; OB/GYN (Bon Air West, FL)

Peter Riquetti, MD; Family Medicine (Tarpon Springs, FL)

Paul Rose, MD; Dermatologist (Miami, FL)

Debra Rothberg, BSN; ICU (Clearwater, FL)

Michael Rothberg, MD; Orthopaedic Surgeon (Oldsmar, FL)

Alicia Sanchez, MD; Family Medicine (Ford Lauderdale, FL)

Lionel Savadier, MD; Radiologist (Hollywood, FL)

Robin Schaffer, DO; Anesthesiologist (Miami, FL)

Lawrence Schimmel, MD; General and Vascular Surgery (Miami, FL)

Kenneth Sekine, MD; Gynecologist (Jacksonville, FL)

Cliff Selsky, MD/PhD; Pediatrician (Maitland, FL)

Neelam Shah, DMD; Dentist (Stuart, FL)

Nikhil Shah, MD; Cardiologist (Gainesville, FL)

Barbara Sharp, MD; Radiologist (Jacksonville, FL)

Philip Shenefelt, MD; Dermatologist (Lutz, FL)

David Siebert, MD, MS, FHM; Internal Medicine (Jacksonville, FL)

Noah Smith, MD; Psychiatrist (Miami, FL)

R Todd Snowden, MD; Otolaryngologist (Jacksonville, FL)

Atul Sofat, MD; Hospital Medicine (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

Max Solano, MD; Hospitalist (Jacksonville, FL)

Frederick Southwick, MD; Infectious Diseases (Gainesville, FL)

Nancy Staats, MD; Anesthesiologist (Atlantic Beach, FL)

Kacey Statum, MD; Pediatrician (Beverly Hills, FL)

Gerald Stein, MD; Internal Medicine (Gainesville, FL)

Henry Storch, MD; Cardiologist (Gainesville, FL)

Mark Strauss, MD; Internal Medicine Hospitalist (Pensacola, FL)

Dorothy Tiberii, DMD; Dentist (Sarasota, FL)

Bryce Tiller, MD; Emergency Medicine (Jacksonville, FL)

Michael Vernacchio, DO; Family Practice (Fleming Island, FL)

Kathryn Villano, MD; Internal Medicine (Miami, FL)

Adam Wendling, MD; Anesthesiologist (Gainesville, FL)

Paulette Wiley, RN; Pediatrics/School Heath (Lakeland, FL)

Melba Wright, MD; PMR (Jacksonville, FL)

Maria R. Zequeira, MD; Hospitalist (West Palm Beach, FL)

Jennifer Zimmerman, MD; Pediatrician (Milton, FL)

Stanley Zuba, MD, FAAP; Pediatrician (Tavernier, FL)