Biden campaign cancels Cleveland rally over coronavirus fears
Former Vice President Joe Biden is scrapping a planned rally in Cleveland on Tuesday amid growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
“In accordance with guidance from public officials and out of an abundance of caution, our rally in Cleveland, Ohio tonight is cancelled,” Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director, said in a statement.
“We will continue to consult with public health officials and public health guidance and make announcements about future events in the coming days,” she continued.
The Biden campaign’s decision to cancel the rally in Cleveland came moments after Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) campaign announced it would do the same.
The cancellations on Tuesday marked the first instances in which presidential campaigns have called off events due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The moves come amid heightened concerns over the potential for the disease, known as COVID-19, to spread at crowded, indoor events.
ATHLETICS: For indoor events, we are asking for no events with spectators other than the athletes, parents, and others essential to the game.
Right now, outdoor events can continue. #COVID19
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) March 10, 2020
But the cancellations of two major political rallies in the midst of the Democratic primary contest underscored the impact that the coronavirus outbreak could have on the 2020 presidential race.
President Trump has said he sees no reason to discontinue rallies, but he did not schedule an event ahead of the Tuesday contests as he has for other Democratic primaries in key battleground states.
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