Should U.S. Political Conventions Follow Social Distancing?

Earlier this month, President Trump announced that the GOP was searching for a new location for the Republican National Convention and that it would not take place in Charlotte, North Carolina due to enforced social distancing and no guarantee that the Spectrum Arena would be made available. It has now emerged that part of the convention will indeed happen in Charlotte (as the party signed a contract to hold the convention there) but most of it will actually happen in Jacksonville, Florida, where Trump will accept the party's nomination.

The dispute regarding Charlotte has prompted discussions regarding social distancing measures at rallies and the party conventions. YouGov recently published a poll on public attitudes to such measures with 67 percent of those polled stating they are behind them. 17 percent thing there should be no social distancing requirement while 16 percent are unsure. A majority of Democrats and Republicans also support social distancing at mass political events though a higher share of the latter feel that such precautions are not necessary.