Campaigning in the age of coronavirus – Dems cancel mass rallies, Trump has said his will go on

Democratic presidential hopefuls are nixing time-honored campaign staples like pressing the flesh and holding crowded voter rallies as they scramble to address the fast-moving coronavirus and adjust to campaigning in the midst of an epidemic.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Vice President Joe Biden both canceled rallies in Cleveland, Ohio, Tuesday and indicated they might cancel future indoor rallies altogether even though the two candidates remain locked in a battle for the Democratic nomination.

“We do not hold a rally without first conferring with local public-health officials,” Sanders said Monday about scheduling events in the midst of the epidemic. “It’s an issue we think about a whole lot.”

The cancellations signal a new reality for political campaigns, which historically rely on physical access to the candidate and the electric buzz of live rallies to motivate voters on Election Day. Democratic Party officials are even considering canceling their convention scheduled to take place July 13 in Milwaukee.

“We can’t be doing the kinds of things we were doing a few months ago,” infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told reporters Tuesday during a daily briefing at the White House.

The candidates announced their last-minute schedule changes Tuesday afternoon as Democratic voters in seven states, including Ohio and Michigan, hit the voting booths and the virus impacted other aspects of the race. CNN decided to cancel a live audience originally scheduled for an upcoming Democratic debate this weekend. Election workers in Washington state, where the virus has hit the hardest, donned gloves when handling ballots on Tuesday.

Trump, meanwhile, has downplayed the risk of the disease and said he’s going ahead with his own political rallies. All three candidates are older than 70, putting them at high risk if they contract the virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised older Americans to “avoid crowds,” because they’re especially vulnerable.

On Capitol Hill. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, sent out an extensive five-page manual detailing do’s and don’ts for his staff. Physical contact of all kind is prohibited, office-lead Capitol tours are canceled, and constituents who show up to the office and appear ill could be be asked to leave.

Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-South Boston, has canceled all international travel, although he said he plans to continue to show up for work.

“Congress has to stay in session in order to address this national and a global threat,” Lynch said.