Former US Vice President Joe Biden will not accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to officials.
He will now accept the Democratic nomination for president from his home state of Delaware, as per the Democratic National Convention Committee. The decision was announced internally on Wednesday morning, one official told CNN.
"From the very beginning of this pandemic, we put the health and safety of the American people first. We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives. That is the kind of steady and responsible leadership America deserves. That is the leadership Joe Biden will bring to the White House," Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez was quoted as saying in a statement.
The convention is scheduled from August 17 to 20, after Democrats delayed the convention for a month due to the COVID-19 crisis. The convention event will be aired for two hours from 9 pm to 11 pm (ET).
On the advice from health officials, aides from the Democratic National Convention Committee and the Biden campaign decided that speakers for the convention should not visit Milwaukee in view of the prevailing situation, a source told CNN.
This also includes Biden and his eventual running mate and both will not visit Milwaukee, the source said.
"The fear of community spread in Milwaukee, with media, production teams and party officials were just getting to be too much. We don't want to risk anyone's health for this," a senior Democratic official told CNN.
Earlier, President Donald Trump said he was planning to deliver his Republican National Convention speech from the White House. Trump had earlier shelved his plans to address in Charlotte, North Carolina, following a spat with the state's Democratic governor over coronavirus guidelines with regard to the convention.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the campaigning for 2020 election, forcing Democrats and Republicans to adopt new ways of electioneering and scrap plans for in-person conventions.
( With inputs from ANI )