CHARLOTTE, N.C. – RNC 2020 officials held a teleconference Wednesday morning where they said planning and preparation for the August convention is moving “full steam ahead,” despite the crisis the COVID-19 pandemic has caused.

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The convention is a little more than four months away. That's not tomorrow, but, in terms of coronavirus and when we'll truly be in the clear, health officials have warned that we could still be dealing with cases or even another spike by then. It's why presumptive democratic nominee Joe Biden has floated the idea of a virtual convention.

RNC 2020 officials have said, however, they're not backing away from plans to hold their convention in Uptown Charlotte in August.

“Our priority is to ensure this is a 5-star event and the economic boost to local businesses that is greatly needed,” said Marcia Lee Kelly, president and CEO of the Committee on Arrangements, the group planning and executing the convention.

She said during the teleconference, “We are steadfast in our mission to re-nominate President Trump.”

Kelly and COA vice-president Max Everett say they're ahead of schedule in almost every element of planning.

“We've been doing many things such as virtual video meetings, phone calls to keep our convention on track,” Kelly said.

She said that includes working on designs for the convention floor, which officials said last fall would start coming together by their spring media walk-through.

“We have all the measurements that we need, as far as the weight of the lighting, etc.,” Kelly added.

RNC officials say the convention expects to welcome some 50,000 people to the Queen City and state of North Carolina. But, Everett and Kelly both admitted it's anyone's guess what guidelines health and government officials are recommending by then.

“We are closely monitoring what the governor, the CDC, and what the experts of the healthcare industry are saying,” Kelly said.

But, for the most part, they say the virus won't derail their plans.

“I don't expect any conflict with the governor, again, because I believe that the governor and all our elected officials recognize that the public safety is paramount,” Kelly added.

And, while they're out front with plans to move forward with holding a large event, they were less specific about how they may adjust the convention due to the pandemic.

“I think that it's a little bit too early to define some of the protocols yet,” Kelly said.

RNC officials also couldn't specify when reporters asked how thousands of delegates and media members will socially distance inside Spectrum Center and the Charlotte Convention Center.

“We have 19,000 seats that we can play with,” Kelly explained. “We expect that we'll have to look into different things in terms of screening and protective capabilities,” Everett added.

“Who's to say that you're still not gonna see people with masks and gloves on for a few months,” Kelly added. “We just don't know.”

Everett expects those protocols will take shape when there's a clearer picture of COVID-19 around the time of the convention.

“We have a long history of adapting and adjusting at the convention to external factors that come in, we know that.”

RNC officials had a clear answer for any criticism about planning for a mass gathering when there's a countrywide outbreak with no real end in sight.

“I think we all understand that those kind of events, frankly, are, they're both economically important to us, but they're also socially important,” Everett said.

On the democratic side: Even though Joe Biden has suggested a virtual convention, that's easier said than done. Voting by proxy at the national convention is prohibited by current rules.

DNC leaders would have to change the rules in order to allow a non-traditional convention. At last check, democratic leaders were still discussing a contingency for their convention that's currently scheduled for August in Milwaukee.