Biden, Sanders face off in debate overshadowed by virus

WASHINGTON: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders are meeting on Sunday for the first one-on-one debate of the Democratic presidential primary campaign, now overshadowed by the spread of the new coronavirus.

Both men had cancelled rallies and two state contests have been postponed in the wake of the outbreak, which has killed at least 57 Americans and upended daily life across the country.

Many states and cities have clamped down on large gatherings and closed schools, which are often used as polling places, to help contain the epidemic.

Frontrunner Biden and selfdescribed “democratic socialist” Sanders are vying to replace President Donald Trump, who was on Saturday cleared of the COVID-19 illness by his physician after meeting with members of a Brazilian delegation who later tested positive.

Democratic officials have shifted the venue from Arizona to a TV studio in Washington DC with no live audience because of infection fears.

The debate comes ahead of key electoral contests on Tuesday in Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Arizona. Officials in all four states said they would work to make conditions safe for voters.

But Georgia delayed its primary election by nearly two months on Saturday, with state Democratic Party chairwoman Senator Nikema Williams warning that the ballot risked compromising the health and safety of voters. A day earlier, Louisiana announced it would postpone its primary by 11 weeks.