Last Updated : Oct 06, 2020 09:15 PM IST | Source: Moneycontrol.com

Mike Pence, Kamala Harris to be separated by plexiglass during US vice presidential debate

Mike Pence and Kamala Harris would be seated more than 12 feet (3.7 m) apart, says the Commission on Presidential Debates. There will be a limited number of guests at the debate, all of whom will undergo testing, and anyone who does not wear a mask will be escorted out

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Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic US senator Kamala Harris will be separated by a plexiglass barrier during their debate on October 7 in a bid to curb the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the commission overseeing the event told news agency Reuters.

After US President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, Democrats are extra careful about being anywhere near him or those in his orbit in the remaining days until the election.

The first of three scheduled debates took place last week, just two days before Trump tested positive for COVID-19.

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His diagnosis has also raised questions about the safety of staging the debates for the upcoming November 3 polls.

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The debate, the only one scheduled between the vice presidential candidates, is scheduled for Salt Lake City, six days after Trump announced he had contracted the virus.

Both Harris and Pence have tested negative in recent days, with the vice president working from home over the weekend.

A number of White House staffers and prominent Republicans, including three US senators, have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The Commission on Presidential Debates also said the two candidates would be seated more than 12 feet (3.7 m) apart. There will be a limited number of guests at the debate, all of whom will undergo testing, and anyone who does not wear a mask will be “escorted out”.

At the first presidential debate between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden last week, several members of Trump’s family did not wear masks while sitting in the audience.

In a statement, Pence’s spokeswoman Katie Miller said: “If Senator Harris wants to use a fortress around herself, have at it.”

In response, Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for Harris, wrote on Twitter: “Interesting that @VPComDir Katie Miller mocks our wanting a plexiglass barrier on the debate stage, when her own boss is supposedly in charge of the COVID-19 task force and should be advocating for this too.”

Miller herself had COVID-19 in the spring.

Joe Biden said on October 5 that he was willing to participate in next week’s scheduled debate with Trump as long as health experts say it would be safe, reported Reuters.

(With inputs from Reuters)
First Published on Oct 6, 2020 09:15 pm

tags #coronavirus #Current Affairs #Kamala Harris #Mike Pence #President Donald Trump #US Presidential elections #world