The Republican Party’s vote to nominate it’s United States presidential candidate, Donald Trump, on August 24 will be held without media attendance. A party spokesperson cited coronavirus guidelines as the reason behind the decision, reported Associated Press. 

A total of 336 party delegates, who will cast proxy votes for some 2,500 official delegates, are supposed to meet in the city of Charlotte in North Carolina to formally renominate US President Donald Trump. 

The decision brings a significant change for the party, as the convention is known to be a major media event for the party to spread its messages to a larger public.

Regarding the decision, the spokesperson told Associate Press that the party is working within the parameters set before them by the state and local guidelines regarding the number of people who can attend the event. 

According to a BBC report, Donald Trump had changed the convention’s location from Jacksonville, Florida after the Democratic governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper, in May insisted to limit the crowd size on grounds of social distancing. Trump later blamed Florida’s spike in coronavirus cases for the switch in venue.