COVID-19: Commission changes rule for vice-presidential debate between Pence and Harris

The 90-minute debate between Vice President Mike Pence and the Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris will be held on Thursday at Salt Lake City, Utah. 

As Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and several other members of the White House have tested positive for COVID-19, the Commission on Presidential Debates has acceded to the demand of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign over safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, Politico reported.

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As per the new rule, the two nominees will be seated 12 feet apart rather than the original spacing of seven feet.

Although social-distancing guidelines call for at least 6 six feet of space between individuals to avoid exposure to coronavirus, the Biden campaign argued that medical professionals recommend a greater distance of separation for individuals spending longer periods of time next to one another indoors.

Another demand of the Biden campaign, that the candidates should stand during the debate, was however turned down by the commission. Pence and Harris will be seated during the Thursday’s debate, which was the preference of the Trump campaign, Politico quoted a source as saying.

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Trump’s campaign has taken a hit after Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus, soon after the presidential debate on Tuesday at Cleveland, Ohio. 11 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Cleveland stemming from the debate, the city government said on Friday.