Published 12:30 IST, October 15th 2020
Fauci gives nod to Donald Trump's town hall event in Miami, reviews COVID-19 test
US President Donald Trump was given a nod by country’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci to address the voters in a town hall event through NBC.
US President Donald Trump was given a nod by country’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci to address the voters in a town hall event through NBC News on October 15 (local time). As per reports, the American broadcaster agreed to host the entire event only after it received Trump’s independent COVID-19 test with results reviewed by Fauci and NIH clinical director Dr Clifford Lane. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Lande assured that the US President is “not shedding infectious virus”.
What should have been the night of the second presidential debate between Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden, has now become a grand event of duelling town halls with both contenders addressing the voters simultaneously and separately. The town hall event with Florida voters will take place on 8 PM (EST) October 15 at Pérez Art Museum in Miami hosted by NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. Meanwhile, Biden will be appearing on a similar town hall event in Philadelphia televised by ABC America.
Social distancing, masks at NBC event
NBC said that US President would be at least 3.6 metres away from the moderator and all the audience members would be wearing facemasks. Trump is set to make a strong case for reelection after he tested positive for COVID-19 on October 2, followed by hospitalisation at Walter Reed Medical Center where he received the treatment involving oxygen supplement and experimental antibody cocktail.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has kickstarted his campaign by addressing jam-packed crowds at Florida and Pennsylvania who were seen violating social distancing guidelines. However, his latest test for the novel coronavirus was carried out on October 13 that was reviewed by Fauci and Lane.
Trump’s presence in front of the Florida voters was primarily dependent on Dr Anthony Fauci, who has previously expressed anger at US President’s campaign in the recent days for using one of his statements out of context. The duelling town halls are scheduled after the second presidential debate, that was supposed to take place in Miami, was nixed because Trump refused to take part in the virtual event, as suggested by the Debate Commission.
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Updated 12:29 IST, October 15th 2020