Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says the Republican Party of Texas' in-person convention won't be held in Houston due to coronavirus concerns.
More than 6,000 people were expected to attend the event July 16-18.
Turner instructed the city's legal department to work with the Houston First Corporation, which operates George R. Brown Convention Center to cancel the event.
"These are some very serious times and the public safety of the people attending the convention, the employees, the people of the city of Houston, the public health concerns are first and foremost, paramount," said Turner. "Houston is a hot spot right now in a global pandemic and we cannot have thousands of people gathering inside the George R. Brown."
The Texas Republican Party has accused Turner of having a double standard saying he supported and spoke at last month's Black Lives Matters protests in the city. The party also says all safety protocols would have been followed.