Joe Biden Will Host 'Virtual Events' as Coronavirus Fears Heat Up. [View all]

'The Biden campaign’s move to limit in-person campaigning marked the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter in an already tumultuous presidential race: campaigning amid a pandemic.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. is drastically modifying his campaign schedule in the coming days in response to mounting anxieties about the coronavirus, trading traditional get-out-the-vote-style gatherings for “virtual events,” his campaign announced Wednesday.

The move marked the beginning of an extraordinary new chapter in an already tumultuous presidential race: campaigning amid a pandemic.

Mr. Biden’s campaign had previously canceled an event slated for Thursday in Tampa, Fla., as well as a Cleveland rally on Tuesday night. Now, a Friday event in Chicago and a Monday stop in Miami will be turned into “virtual events,” the former vice president’s team said in a statement, hours after rolling out a “Public Health Advisory Committee” to guide the campaign that included several prominent former Obama administration officials.

“We have been and will continue to consult with relevant officials, including our recently announced Public Health Advisory Committee, regarding steps the campaign should take to minimize health risks for staff and supporters,” the statement said. “As a result of those conversations and at the request of elected officials in Illinois and Florida, we will no longer hold large crowd events on Friday and Monday in those states.” . .

The announcement of his new advisory committee — with members including Vivek Murthy, a former Surgeon General of the United States, and Ezekiel J. Emanuel, a prominent oncologist and a vice provost at the University of Pennsylvania — also seemed designed to project calm and competence amid great national uncertainty.'

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/us/politics/biden-coronavirus-campaign-events.html?