U.S. Democratic Vice President nominee Kamala Harris on Thursday (October 15) spoke remotely at a campaign event after pausing in-person campaigning following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in a campaign flight crew staff member.
“I was supposed to be with you in person today and other things happened… The last time I saw them was seven days ago. I’ve had many tests now and they are all negative and I am fine. I’m good,” she told the event via video link.
Harris was scheduled to appear in North Carolina on Thursday, a competitive battleground state where early voting just started and where President Donald Trump is due to campaign as well.
But the campaign said it learned late on Wednesday that Harris’ communications director, Liz Allen, and a flight crew member had tested positive for the virus. Both traveled with the Democratic senator during a campaign trip in Arizona on Oct. 8. Harris wore a mask during the flight she shared with Allen and the flight crew member, who both tested negative before and after the flight.
Harris had planned an aggressive travel schedule in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election between her running mate Joe Biden and Trump. Harris said she would be back campaigning physically next Monday.
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the United States particularly hard, killing more people than any other country, and upending the 2020 presidential race.
(Production: Temis Tormo)