4 people at RNC in Charlotte test positive for COVID-19 after officials raised alarm about lack of social distancing and masks

• The two attendees and two support staff of the RNC in Charlotte tested positive for COVID-19.
• Earlier in the week, county health officials expressed concern about the lack of social distancing and masks at the RNC in Charlotte.
• The official party business of the RNC took place in Charlotte, where the entire convention was originally set to be held, while President Donald Trump's speech and other events occurred in Baltimore and at the White House.
• Trump has consistently faced criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and for not taking it more seriously in public. The US has the highest number of reported cases (over 5.8 million) and confirmed fatalities (over 181,000) from the virus in the world.

Four people at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, tested positive for COVID-19, Mecklenburg County officials announced on Friday, per the Charlotte Observer.

The two attendees and two support staff who tested positive for the virus have been told to isolate and people they've been in close contact with were also told to quarantine, the Observer reported.

Much of the RNC, including President Donald Trump's acceptance speech on Thursday, took place at the White House. But the party business occurred in Charlotte.

Almost 800 people who attended or worked as support staff at the RNC in Charlotte were tested for the virus, the Observer reported. But it could be a few weeks until a clear picture emerges on whether others were infected during the event.

According to the Observer, Friday's announcement came after county health officials expressed concern about a lack of social distancing and mask wearing at the convention on Monday.

Public health experts also raised alarm about the large audience of people who attended the final night of the RNC on the South Lawn of the White House. Images of the event showed the crowd of roughly 1,500 people sitting closely together and few wore masks. Coronavirus testing and masks were not required to attend.

"This is deeply irresponsible. It goes against all that we know about keeping people safe. We should expect better from our national leaders," Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute, said in reaction to the scene at the RNC on Thursday, CNN's Jake Tapper reported.

Trump has consistently faced criticism over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and for not taking it more seriously in public. The US has the highest number of reported cases (over 5.8 million) and confirmed fatalities (over 181,000) from the virus in the world.