2020 Vice Presidential Debate: Details on COVID-19 Precautions in Place
The 2020 Vice Presidential Debate airs this Wednesday, October 7, where incumbent VP Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris will face off over different topics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Moderated by USA Today‘s Washington Bureau Chief, Susan Page, the debate will consist of nine segments of around 10 minutes. Similar to the first presidential debate at the end of September, the candidates will be asked a question by the moderator with each person allotted two minutes to respond before it breaks into open conversation.
Following the September 29 debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, some additional safety precautions are being put into place in the wake of the recent COVID-19 outbreak in The White House. Due to Trump and various other staffers and politicians being diagnosed with COVID-19, this debate stage will see some visible changes.
This time around, Pence, Harris, and Page will all be separated by sheets of plexiglass to prevent any possible spread of germs. This decision was made following concerns over the risk of transmission at the presidential debate.
(Credit: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
Along with this new barrier, the participants and moderator will be spread out at least 12 feet from each other as opposed to the nearly seven feet between Biden and Trump. Masks are now required to be worn by attendees at all times, with no exceptions. Anyone who refuses will be escorted from the hall in which the debate will be conducted.
Only Harris, Pence and Page will be permitted to remove their masks once they’re at the podiums and in their designated locations. Attendees must provide proof of testing negative for coronavirus before entering the debate hall.
Stay tuned to see how the debate goes by tuning into any major broadcast and cable stations on Wednesday night.
2020 Vice Presidential Debate, Wednesday, October 7, 9/8c, ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, PBS and more
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