Plans for former Vice President Joe Biden to hold a campaign rally in Tampa Thursday have been cancelled in response to the coronavirus public health emergency.
His campaign announced that the appearance – his first in Florida as a 2020 presidential candidate – was scrapped just hours after Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders both canceled primary-night rallies in Cleveland on Tuesday amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus.
A statement from Biden’s campaign said he will deliver remarks in Wilmington, Delaware instead of visiting Florida ahead of its primary on March 17.
The Democratic National Committee also announced that the next debate, being held Sunday in Arizona, would not have a live audience, “at the request of both campaigns and out of an abundance of caution.”
The moves suggest the coronavirus could upend the Democratic primary at a pivotal time in the race for both candidates.
