[ad_1]
WILMINGTON, Del.: Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic hopeful Kamala Harris will be separated by a Plexiglass barrier during their debate on Wednesday (Oct. 7), a source familiar with the matter said, in an effort to reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus.
The debate, the only one scheduled among vice presidential candidates, is scheduled for Salt Lake City, six days after President Donald Trump announced that he had contracted the virus.
Both Harris, a US senator, and Republican Pence, tested negative in recent days, and the vice president worked from home over the weekend instead of at the White House. Several White House staff members and Republican allies, including three US senators, have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
READ: US President Trump leaves hospital to return to White House hard hit by COVID-19
The Presidential Debate Committee, which is overseeing the debate, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller said: “If Senator Harris wants to use a fortress around her, please do so.”
In response, Sabrina Singh, Harris spokeswoman, wrote on Twitter: “Interesting that @VPComDir Katie Miller pokes fun at our desire for a Plexiglas barrier on the debate stage, when her own boss is reportedly in charge of the task force. COVID-19 and should advocate for this too. “
Miller herself had COVID-19 in the spring.
LEE: One in 10 may have contracted COVID-19, as the world heads towards a ‘difficult period’: WHO
Also Monday, Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said the president intends to participate in the upcoming presidential debate with Democratic candidate Joe Biden, scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami.
Trump left a military hospital on Monday after three days of treatment, although mixed messages from the White House have led to uncertainty about how sick he got.
Biden said Monday that he was willing to participate in the debate scheduled for next week with Trump as long as health experts say it would be safe.
The diagnosis has raised doubts about the safety of organizing the debates for the November 3 elections. The first of three scheduled debates took place last week, two days before Trump tested positive for the coronavirus.
“If scientists say it’s safe and distances are safe, then I think it’s okay. I’ll do whatever the experts say is appropriate,” said Biden, who tested negative for COVID-19 over the weekend. . reporters in Delaware before heading to Florida on a campaign trip.
READ: US CDC Reviews Guidance, Says COVID-19 May Spread Through Airborne Virus
The normal quarantine period for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is 14 days.
Trump has frequently downplayed the threat of the pandemic that has now infected 7.4 million Americans and killed more than 209,000. Biden has criticized Trump for not taking health problems seriously enough.
CHECK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
