Harris suspends travel after possible exposure to virus

At least three people connected to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign have tested positive for the coronavirus, leading the campaign to suspend in-person events for vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris through Monday.

Biden is not altering his public schedule, his campaign said Thursday, because he had no direct exposure to the individuals who tested positive, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It’s the Biden campaign’s first major coronavirus scare, after months of safety precautions that drew mockery from President Donald Trump, even after he, first lady Melania Trump and others contracted the virus themselves. The Democratic campaign’s cautious reaction underscores the differences in how the rival camps have approached the pandemic, both in terms of preferred government response and in the candidates’ personal protocols.

Biden’s campaign announced two positive cases Thursday morning, identifying Harris’ communications director Liz Allen and an unnamed member of the flight crew for one of Harris’ recent campaign trips. The campaign announced a third case Thursday afternoon as part of its contact tracing efforts from the first two cases.

The third individual is an aviation company employee who was on Biden’s plane for trips to Ohio and Florida earlier this week but who entered the back of the plane and sat far away from Biden, according to the campaign.